Series Accelerator

Applications now open!

The two-day mentorship intensive has two priorities: refining the pitch and project materials with mentorship from a pitch coach and industry professionals; and developing ideas and strategies for finding international partners and moving projects forward. Teams will receive guidance on topics such as:

• International broadcasters, co-producers, and how to work with international partners
• Project packaging and sales readiness
• Finding your audience
• International financing, distribution, and sales

What’s included

• Two-day series development intensive, taking place in-person during the 50th Toronto International Film Festival
• Mentorship from TIFF’s programming team and industry experts
• Peer-to-peer mentorship from other creator teams in the programme
• Support for expanding participants’ creative network and developing their projects
• Access to TIFF 50, including Primetime programming, TIFF’s Industry Conference, Business Centre, and Delegate Resources
• Participants outside of the Greater Toronto Area will receive travel and accommodations support

Eligibility

• TIFF Series Accelerator is open to emerging Canadian series-creator teams from under-represented communities, including Indigenous people, racialized people, women, 2SLGBTQ+ and non-binary people, people with disabilities, and people from official language minority communities
• Applicant teams must include one producer (with one feature-film or series credit as producer) and one writer or writer-director
• Only one submission per applicant team will be considered

Key dates

Submission guidelines

• Teams must fill out the application in full, including supporting documents per the guidelines below. Incomplete applications and incorrect file formats will not be considered.
• Applications must be completed by the teams themselves, not by third parties (e.g. assistants, co-workers).
• Participant teams selected for the programme will be required to acknowledge TIFF Series Accelerator in the credits of their project.

Application requirements

Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documents:

• Copy of the applicant team’s (producer and writer/writer-director) resumes in PDF format
• Applicant team’s filmographies (project title, year, role(s), festivals played, and a max of five awards or nominations received per project) in PDF format
• Applicant team’s high-resolution headshots in colour (format: .jpg; orientation: portrait; minimum resolution: 300 dpi)
• Video pitch (up to two minutes) covering the submitted project, creative approach, and why they want to participate in TIFF Series Accelerator
• One-minute clip from a previous project on which the applicant team’s producer is credited as producer
• The following written materials from the submitted project, in PDF format:
  • Pilot script
  • Series bible

Questions?

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