New Telefilm program for micro-budget & first-time feature filmmakers

Telefilm Canada announces the launch of a new private donation fund, with support from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Montreal, March 2, 2012 – The Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, Carolle Brabant, today announced the launch of a new private donation fund consisting of two streams: one stream will provide better support to promising young filmmakers while the other is aimed at established filmmakers and will seek to help them achieve their full potential both in Canada and abroad.

“In keeping with its commitment to foster success, Telefilm continues to find innovative ways to fulfill its role as investor and promoter by offering the Canadian industry a new tool to help it diversify its funding sources and attract larger audiences,” said Carolle Brabant, Telefilm Canada’s Executive Director. “The consultations we held with the industry over the last year revealed that there is a real need for this new fund, and I am proud of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s support for this project.”

Call for submissions: Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

Academy's 2012 Nicholl Screenwriting Competition Now Underway

Beverly Hills, CA (February 13, 2012) – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for the 2012 Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. As many as five $35,000 fellowships will be awarded through the program in November.

The Nicholl Fellowships competition is open to any individual who has not earned more than $5,000 from the sale or option of a screenplay or teleplay, or received a fellowship or prize of more than $5,000 that includes a "first look" clause, an option or any other quid pro quo involving the writer's work. To enter, writers must submit a completed application online, upload one PDF copy of their original screenplay in English and pay the entry fee before 11:59 p.m. PT on May 1, 2012. The regular entry fee is US$52; an early-bird entry fee of US$35 is available for those who enter by 11:59 p.m. PT on March 15, 2012.

Call for submissions: Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program

Professional Theatre Training Program

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline except performance.

This program is funded by the Ontario Arts Council. The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Deadline

Call for submissions: Golden Quill Award

The Toronto Screenwriting Conference has partnered with Telefilm Canada to present the Golden Quill Award. Twelve awards will be presented to emerging screenwriters across the country. Half of those awards will be presented to diverse screenwriters. Those who are selected to receive and award will be given a complimentary registration to the Conference, a value of up to $369 + HST.

To apply, you need to have written a couple of short films of which one has been produced. You also need to have written longer work that hasn't yet been produced – either a feature-length screenplay or else a television treatment or pilot. The deadline for applications for the Golden Quill Award is Monday, February 6.

Film Independent awards four grants

Today was the Film Independent Spirit Awards Grants and Nominees Brunch at the BOA Steakhouse on the Sunset Strip in anticipation of the upcoming Indie Spirit Awards. During the Brunch, Film Independent handed out four grants that have previously been awarded during the Indie Spirit Awards ceremony.

The largest award of the day, the Jameson FIND Your Audience Award to assist a filmmaker(s) build the audience for their film, went to Benjamin Murray and Alyssa Nahmias for Unfinished Spaces. The award comes with a grant of $40,000.

Other grant winners were Sophia Lin who won the Piaget Producers Award for Take Shelter; Heather Courtney who won the Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award for Where Soldiers Come From; and Mark Jackson who won the Audi Someone to Watch Award for Without.

Call for submissions: Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2011, Tarragon Theatre

The Tarragon Theatre has put out a call for submissions for its 2011 Theatre Creators’ Reserve program. The  Theatre Creators’ Reserve is a program supported by the Ontario Arts Council which assists Ontario-based professional theatre creators, and informal collectives of creators, by funding them to create work. The Tarragon Theatre is one of the third-party recommenders to OAC.

Tarragon Theatre says its mission is "to create, develop and produce new plays and to provide the conditions for new work to thrive. To that end, the theatre engages the best theatre artists and craftspeople to interpret new work; presents each new work with high quality production values; provides an administrative structure to support new work; develops marketing strategies to promote new work; and continually generates an audience for new work."

The theatre was founded in 1970 by Bill and Jane Glassco and last season they celebrated their 40th. Currently, Richard Rose is their Artistic Director and has been there since 2002.

The deadline for submission is December 15, 2011. They do give grants, however, and your best chance at securing one of those is to apply sooner rather than later.

Call for submissions: Shaw Media-Hot Docs Funds

A call for submissions has been put out for the Shaw Media-Hot Docs Funds. There are two programs for which they offer funding assistance: the Completion Fund and the Development Fund.

The Completion Fund is a grant program that provides successful applicants with up to 20 per cent of the total production costs to an exceptional maximum of $100,000. Eligible costs include those that are standard in the industry during post-production, including costs of enhancements and deliverables. The Completion Fund is open to Canadian producers who have made a commercially released documentary or fiction film or television series.

The Shaw Media-Hot Docs Development Fund is a loan program that offers successful applicants a conditionally repayable, interest-free advance of up to 80 per cent of development costs when the project has no market partner, or up to 50 per cent of development costs when the project has a market partner. The advances per project average in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. Eligible costs include: option fees, research fees, writer and story editor fees, director’s fees, reasonable travel costs, and normal producer fees and overheads. Expenses incurred prior to application to the Shaw Media-Hot Docs Development Fund are ineligible.

Call for submissions: Trinity Square Video's "Right"

The film and video collective Trinity Square Video has put out a call for submissions for the second part of their trilogy series LEFT, RIGHT, CENTRE. TSV will select five proposals for works 5-7 minutes long to receive $750 in equipment rentals, technical support and a small honorarium.

Works selected will screen at an exhibition in November 2011. They will also be included in the LEFT, RIGHT, CENTRE catalogue. The first part of the series, LEFT, is currently screening at the TIFF Bell Lightbox until June 12.

The program is intended for Toronto-based artists. However, those from Toronto or the Greater Toronto Area can apply if you can ensure that you will attend all RIGHT related activities at your own expense.

The deadline for submissions is Friday July 1st, 2011.

Call for submissions: Glassco Playwrights’ Residence in Tadoussac, 2011

Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal has put out a call for submissions for their 2011 Glassco Playwrights’ Residence in Tadoussac. It is an opportunity for playwrights to spend two weeks in September working on their play adaptation or translation in an idyllic setting.

Tadoussac is a lovely and historic town where the Saguenay River meets the St. Lawrence River. It is a popular spot to go whale watching because the waters are very cold and deep.

The program was founded by the late director Bill Glassco. It takes place in his old family home. In remembrance of Bill’s commitment to the fostering of the dialogue between cultures, languages, and experiences, through the development and translation of work for Canadian stages, the residence is being renamed this year in his honour.

The deadline for applications is April 15, 2011.

Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC) announces Short Film Fund

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC) announced the creation of the Short Film Fund. This is a completion fund for short films in post-production or which have been recently completed. The fund will award up to $1,500 to successful applicants.

The completed films must be no more than 15 minutes in length, including credits. The CSSC will accept applications from around the world.

The Short Film Fund does not have a deadline. They will accept applications on an ongoing basis and will award up to three awards per year at their discretion. They ask that filmmakers not apply more than twice annually.

There is no fee to apply for the Short Film Fund.

Call for applicants: imagineNATIVE & LIFT 7th Annual Mentorship Program

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) are offering an opportunity for emerging Indigenous filmmakers in the Toronto region to create a 5-minute short film. You'll be given mentorship by LIFT staff, access to their facilities and equipment, 1200 feet of film stock from Kodak, post-production services and a bursary for production costs.

To apply, all you will need to provide are a one-page short film idea, a half to one-page statement on why you want to participate and how you'd benefit, a short bio, and your contact info. Successful applicants will have an opportunity to screen their films at the 12^th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto, which will take place October 19-23, 2011.

The deadline for applications is Friday, January 7, 2011 at 6pm.

Call for applications: Crazy 8s 2011 - Dec. 12 signup

The Crazy 8s filmmaking competition is back for another year and the deadline for applications is next week on December 12. A great opportunity for filmmakers, the Crazy 8s is a very popular annual competition in Vancouver to make a film in 8 days.

Applicants are first invited to make a 5-minute pitch of their movie idea. 40 people are then selected to pitch live to a jury of industry professionals. The jury will select 12 finalists are paired with professional story editors who will workshop their scripts in a day-long workshop. The scripts are then submitted to the jury which selects 6 winners to make a film. The winners will be given $800 and eight days to make a short film.

They will also receive a support package which includes an HD Camera, sound recording equipment, a lighting and grip package, the services of a casting director, full production insurance, free location permits, discounts on vehicle/props/costume rental, a binder with all required paperwork, access to edit suites if required, on-line editing including title generation, colour correction, and a professional sound mix.

Call for proposals: Inside Out Queer Video Mentorship Project

The Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival has announced a call for proposals for their mentorship program. Eight people between 17-24 years of age or over 55 and who self-identify as LGBTTI2QQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Queer and Questioning) will be selected to participate. They will be guided through the process of filmmaking by Inside Out in partnership with Charles Street Video and will then each make their own short video.

The deadline for submissions is December 6, 2010. Instruction begins in January of 2011. The short videos will be shot and edited from February to April, in time for the Inside Out Festival which takes place in 2011 from May 19-29. The completed films will be given a screening during the festival.

2011 Sundance/Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant

In addition to running one of the leading North American film festivals, the Sundance Institute also provides support and assistance to independent filmmakers. The Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant is a $20,000 screenplay development prize offered to writers of stories based on science and scientists. The grant is for those who wish "to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology; and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in the popular imagination."

The award is named for the noted but controversial philanthropist who was president and CEO of General Motors in the early- to mid-20th century. Applicants need not reside in the U.S. but the project must be in the English language. The postmark deadline for applications is September 24, 2010.
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2011 Sundance/Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant

My good news from Bravo!FACT

I was the recipient of some good news earlier today. I found out that I was approved for a grant from one of the private granting agencies in Canada, Bravo!FACT. They are one of the few remaining resources in Canada for filmmakers as the government and broadcaster funds are starting to dry up. I have been fortunate to receive two grants from them before, and they have been exceptionally supportive and helpful in my own personal artistic development. This time, I’ll be directing a project called Notes From the Kuerti Keyboard in collaboration with producer Katarina Soukup of Catbird Productions and Canada’s foremost pianist, Anton Kuerti.

Bravo!FACT is a unique program offered by the broadcaster Bravo! (not affiliated with the American network Bravo) which was part of the City-TV family and has since been bought out by CTVglobemedia. They offer to fund a portion of the budget of short film and video projects that are a maximum of six minutes in length. They have 4 grant deadlines every year, usually just before the change of seasons. The next deadline is coming soon on March 13, 2010. You can find out more about them at their website http://www.bravofact.com/

Unfortunately, because of its success it has become an extremely competitive program. The following is an updated list of some tips for filmmakers thinking of applying for this program. Many of these tips are valid for any other application process too.