The TIFF–CBC Films Screenwriter Award was created to support Canada’s emerging screenwriting talent and to fund the development of great Canadian screenplays. The Award provides $15,000 to a Canadian writer of an outstanding feature-film screenplay as well as mentorship opportunities, supporting them to develop their project.
The Award is open to all screenwriters who are from equity-deserving communities. Applicants must also have a writer or director credit on a feature film that has been presented at one of this Award’s recognized festivals.
Our commitment is to fund the development of high-quality productions that reflect, represent, and reframe diverse perspectives through character-driven stories at the centre of the Canadian experience.
The winner of the 2024 Award is Ariel Nasr, for his screenplay Daudistan.
Previous winners:
Ariel Nasr is an award-winning filmmaker and producer whose films include The Forbidden Reel (2019), The Boxing Girls of Kabul (2011), Buzkashi Boys (2012), Good Morning Kandahar (2009), and La Mosquée (2018), among others. He has won a CSA, been nominated for an Oscar, and currently serves as documentary producer at the National Film Board of Canada. A citizen of Canada, Afghanistan, and the USA, Nasr lives in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal.
Questions? Contact us by email at industry@tiff.net.
CBC Films supports feature films that reflect, represent, and reframe a range of perspectives at the centre of the Canadian experience. Committed to creative excellence, cultural relevance, and talent development, CBC Films prioritizes storytelling that amplifies equity-deserving communities, along with a parallel commitment to gender parity. CBC Films encompasses CBC’s continued investment in Canadian features, filmmakers and film industry, including the TIFF–CBC Films Screenwriter Award, now in its seventh year of supporting the country’s dynamic screenwriting talent. With a robust library of over 200 Canadian films available to stream on CBC Gem, CBC strives to create an unparalleled destination for Canadians to discover homegrown film.