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Series Accelerator

Applications are now open!

Returning for the second year at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the TIFF Series Accelerator programme, presented by Canada Media Fund, will offer tailored mentorship for eight emerging Canadian series-creator teams from under-represented communities to refine their pitches and develop a business plan for their projects.

The two-day mentorship intensive will have 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
• Production — budgets, casting, crew
• Story and audience
• International financing, distribution, and sales

These meetings will feed into developing a business strategy so that participants can use the remainder of the Festival to identify and pitch to partners, and further develop their project.

What’s included

• A two-day series development intensive, taking place in-person during the 2023 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 in both expanding the participants’ creative network and developing their project
• Access to the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival
• Access to TIFF Primetime programming
• Access to TIFF’s Industry Conference, Business Centre, and Delegate Resources
• A complimentary one-year TIFF Membership, which includes discounts on film tickets at TIFF Bell Lightbox
• Selected participants not based in the Toronto area will be provided with travel and accommodation support to attend the programme

Eligibility

• Applications are 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 a producer (with one feature-film or series credit as producer) and a writer or writer-director
• Only one submission per applicant team will be considered

Key Dates

Submission Guidelines

• Applicant teams must fill out the application in full, attaching itemized supporting documents as per the guidelines below, to be considered.
• Applications must be completed by applicant teams themselves and 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 completed project.

Application Materials

Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documents:

• A copy of the applicant team’s (producer and writer/writer-director) resumes in PDF format
• The applicant team’s filmographies (project title, year, role(s), festivals played, and a maximum of five awards or nominations received per project) in PDF format
• A short version of professional biographies (maximum 50 words) for the applicant team
• The applicant team’s high-resolution headshots in colour (format: .jpg; orientation: portrait; minimum resolution: 300 dpi)
• A video pitch (up to two minutes in duration). The applicant team should comment on their submitted project and creative approach, as well as why they want to participate in TIFF Series Accelerator.
• A 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

Please note: TIFF’s Industry team takes applicants’ confidentiality seriously and will ensure that submitted materials (excluding headshots and bios) are not shared with any third parties without the owners’ explicit consent. The material will be downloaded by the TIFF Industry team and the selection committee.

Questions?

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