Pitch is back and bigger than ever for Reel Asian’s 26th annual festival! Bring your best short film ideas to this year’s So You Think You Can Pitch? Competition.

We’re looking for submissions of short film proposals by emerging filmmakers and are open to all great film ideas, whether dramatic, comedic, documentary, musical or experimental.

A shortlist of 4-5 finalists will advance to the Pitch Competition Finale, hosted during the 26th Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. The winning applicant or team will walk away with our amazing prize package to kick-start and/or finish their short film, including a cash award, in-kind support and the opportunity to premiere their work with us at next year’s festival!

Eligibility 

1. Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status
2. Open to Ontario applicants
3. An emerging filmmaker is defined in this competition as someone who has not made more than five short films, or been in an ‘above-the-line’ position on a feature-length film 
4. Films must feature an Asian (Asian-identifying) in a key creative role (director, writer, producer). Please specify this role(s) in your application 
5. Film projects must either be in development or production stage (post-production only projects will not be eligible) 
6. Finished films cannot exceed 20 minutes 
7. Films can be dramatic, comedic, documentary, musical or experimental
8. Films can be in any language 
9. Projects originating on film are acceptable, but the filmmaker is responsible for bearing transfer costs to digital (for the post-production phase)

Pitch Winner Prize Package

• $8,000 prize to kick-start and/or finish a short film
• Comprehensive in-kind package to support the pitch winner; which may include Business affairs & legal consultation, access to equipment rental, acting support (if applicable). More details to follow
• Two one-hour consultation sessions with an experienced filmmaker. This is your chance to ask any questions related to your production schedule, casting, distribution strategy, etc

Pitch Finalist Package

• $1,000 prize to all runners-up for participation 
• All-Access Pass to the 26th Reel Asian Film Festival

Schedule

All finalist teams will be required to:

1. Participate in a pre-festival Bootcamp, an industry program stream for the Reel Asian community
2. Attend the Pitch clinic, where Pitch mentors will coach and offer their insights, strategies and feedback on navigating the film pitch 
3. Pitch in front of a live jury and a live audience (Nov 9-20, TBD) to win our prize package!

Deadline – Applications must be received by July 25th, 11:59PM EST.
Please submit your application here.

1. A completed ‘Reel Asian’s Emerging Filmmaker Pitch Competition’ Google Application Form.
2. A description of who you are as an artist, 300 words.
3. A detailed description of the project, 500 words. Include a logline (1 or 2 sentences).
4. Script or Treatment (This is your chance to pitch your project in more detail; character development, story arc, visual style and inspiration)
5. A brief production schedule outlining generally which facilities will be used with approximate dates of when they will be needed. Your production must be complete by August 1st, 2023. 
6. A detailed budget that includes all sources of funding, confirmed and pending. The expense and revenues of your budget must balance along with copies of any contracts/letters of agreement from confirmed revenue sources (if any). 
7. Letters of agreement from key personnel (if applicable), including rights to an adapted work (i.e. short story), or music, if integral to the film. 
8. A video/filmography and/or curriculum vitae. If the project is a collaboration, CV’s for both artists must be included.

Registration is now closed. Please subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the next pitch competition.

AMA Info Session
June 28th, 6 – 7PM ET
@REELASIAN IG LIVE

For questions or additional support please contact samir@reelasian.com