Telefilm’s Talent to Watch Program (formerly the Micro-Budget Program) supports the production, digital distribution and promotion of a first feature-length film or other format of narrative-based audiovisual content made specifically for online distribution.

Inside Out LGBT Film Festival is a Designated Partner of Telefilm’s Talent to Watch (formerly the Micro-Budget Program), and will be able to recommend projects for funding of up to $150,000 through Telefilm’s Selective Stream.

The recommended projects must be fictional or documentary audiovisual projects produced in English, French or an Indigenous language that are either:

· feature-length films of 75 minutes or more; or

· any other type of narrative-based audiovisual content made in a format specifically designed for online audiences. These types of projects can be comprised of one or more segments which, in total, must be more than 10 minutes in length.

The key members of all recommended projects must be emerging talent, i.e. they must have previously produced, directed and/or written at least one short film but cannot have previously held the same key position on a feature-length film. Note that producers who have previously produced one feature film that has received funding under this Program will also be considered as emerging talent.

Furthermore, the key members must be Canadian citizens, within the definition of the Citizenship Act, or permanent residents within the definition of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

You can look over a detailed explanation of guidelines and eligibility here.

Applications are currently closed.

All submissions must include the following:

1) A completed screenplay;

2) Presentation video: a link to a pitch video of a maximum of 5 minutes that will:

• state the project’s working title;

• identify the genre, the type, and the length of the project;

• identify the key creative team involved in the project and their individual track records (including samples of past work if applicable or relevant);

• provide a brief synopsis of the story from beginning to end;

• outline the creative team’s vision/visual treatment of the material;

• outline any other relevant information that sets the project apart (e.g.: personal connection to the story material, confirmed appearance by an established actor, successful crowdfunding campaign, relationship with VFX professionals or animators);

• identify the target audience;

• include 1-minute segment of the director’s previous short films;

Note: the video must NOT include footage from other projects that are not the team’s own work.

3) Supporting material:

• Synopsis of the project, maximum of 750 words, which includes the main story developments, and tells the basic story from beginning to end;

• Director’s vision (up to three pages in length);

• A promotion and distribution plan (up to two pages in length) which identifies the project’s audience (age, sex, sensibility, culture, etc.). It must also identify how the team will find and access this audience and why will they connect with the project;

• Creative team Filmography (producer, writer and director): submit a filmography using the template available on the Website, which will indicate training, education, experience, accolades, outline past projects and history of team collaboration;

• A production schedule (from pre-production to digital release) that will ensure completion of the project within 24 months of the receipt of Telefilm’s invitation to apply, as described below;

• The budget top sheet for the project (see template available on Telefilm’s website);

• Up to one page detailing any other information that sets this project apart (e.g.: personal connection to the story material, successful crowdfunding campaign, confirmed cameo or role by a well-established actor, established fan base on social media);

• Letter of support from the designated industry partner: a brief letter outlining why this team was chosen to represent the designated industry partner;

• Projects submitted under the Indigenous component and all other projects with Indigenous content shall address the issue of how the team sought to engage the various Indigenous communities that will be impacted by the project. Suitable means of achieving this may include the following, as applicable: letters of support from the community, letters of support from Indigenous advisors, contracts between the communities and the creative team for the project, community engagement plans, etc.

4) A link to previous work

The selected project for our 2019 Partnership was:

I Am Syd Stone
Director: Denis Theriault

I Am Syd Stone is a web series written and directed by Denis Theriault, and produced by Gharrett Paon. An Inside Out alum, Denis Theriault’s third short film, The Gift Giver, had its World Premiere during the 2017 Toronto LGBT Film Festival.

The selected project for our 2018 Partnership is:

Jump, Darling
Director: Philip J. Connell
Writers: Philip J. Connell, Genevieve Scott (story editor)

Jump, Darling is a feature film written and directed by Philip Connell, and produced by Katie Corbridge and Hayley Brown. This film was one of the featured projects that participated at Inside Out’s LGBTQ Film Finance Forum in 2017, a landmark event that brought Canadian and international film projects-in-development with a slate of industry executives for professional development and pitch meetings.