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So You Think You Can Pitch? 2023

Bring your best short film ideas to this year’s So You Think You Can Pitch? Competition at Reel Asian’s 27th annual festival!

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 27th 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. 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. Please submit a sample of a previous work, in order to assess your level of filmmaking experience 
  3. Film projects must either be in development or production stage (post-production only projects will not be eligible) 
  4. Finished films cannot exceed 20 minutes 
  5. Films can be dramatic, comedic, documentary, musical or experimental
  6. Films can be in any language 
  7. 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

  • Cash 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, production consultation. More details to follow 
  • Acting support (if applicable) including consultation, coaching, and more with ACTRA Toronto
  • Two-hour studio rental at Armstrong Acting Studios for casting (if applicable)
  • A production workflow consultation with Charles Street Video, which includes 
    • $3,000 in edit suite access and/or production-equipment rentals 
    • One-year membership
    • $500 cash award/artist fee for third-party equipment rental
  • Opportunity to premiere work at the 2024 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (subject to review), with full festival accreditation

 

Pitch Finalist Package

  • An honorarium for participation 
  • $350 equipment-rental credit plus one-year membership to Charles Street Video
  • All-Access Pass to the 27th Reel Asian Film Festival

 

Schedule

All finalist teams will be required to:

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

*Specific session dates TBA. Timeline subject to change. Additional consults scheduled as necessary.

Deadline – Applications must be received by Tuesday, August 8th, 11:59PM EST.

  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, 2024. 
  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.

Submissions are now closed.


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Rewatch this year’s live info session with Industry and Education programmer Samir, where you can learn more about the program and get all your questions answered.

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

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