Annual competition offers Canadian creators a unique opportunity to refine their craft and reach an audience of peers, studio executives, and potential buyers; semi-finals and finals take place during TAC, which run September 25-27.
The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), in partnership with Ottawa-based animation studio Mercury Filmworks, as a part of the OIAF’s The Animation Conference (TAC), is now accepting applications for its annual Pitch THIS! Competition. Open exclusively to Canadian creators, the program provides a unique opportunity for new voices to refine their craft and connect with a large audience of their peers, studio executives, and potential financiers.
Canadian creators can now submit their original animated series concepts. The deadline for consideration is 11:59 pm EDT on June 17, 2024.
“So much incredible work has been showcased over the years at Pitch THIS!,” said OIAF managing director Kelly Neall. “We greatly appreciate Mercury Filmworks and the event's other partners' continued support in helping TAC develop fresh talent and getting their work on screen, especially as we celebrate 20 years of our industry conference.”
The opportunity is open exclusively to Canadian projects spanning all target demographics, from preschool to adult series. Creators from underserved and marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply, particularly BIPOC, people living with disabilities, women, gender non-conforming, and 2SLGBTQIA+ members of the animation community.
“At Mercury Filmworks, we are driven by a passion for storytelling and, more specifically, stories told through the medium of animation,” said Mercury Filmworks chief content officer Heath Kenny. “Our passion and commitment to telling stories with integrity and bold creative points of view have taken us far beyond even what we thought was possible. It is this desire that brings us back for the fourth consecutive year in partnership with the OIAF to be part of the Pitch THIS! event for 2024.”
This year’s Pitch THIS! winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Mercury Filmworks, an annual Toon Boom Harmony license and Harmony Fundamentals on-demand videos from The Animation Study, $1,000 in legal services courtesy of Edwards Creative Law, and two TAC Animapasses to OIAF 2025.
“Over the last few years, we have seen the quality of projects and the passion for storytelling go from strength to strength,” added Kenny. “We are excited to again pair up an amazing group of industry mentors with Canada’s future storytellers. Our belief is that together as a community we can reach higher and go further to create opportunities for Canadian storytellers to be seen on the global stage.”
Interested applicants can submit their proposals through the Pitch THIS! application form. A maximum of two submissions per creator will be accepted. Applicants should review the pitch requirements on the OIAF website before submitting their application.
Here's how it works:
Following the application process, the selection committee chooses 10 semi-finalists and pairs them with an established industry mentor to fine-tune their pitch in preparation for the Pitch THIS! semi-finals on September 25, 2024, at TAC’s new venue, the National Arts Centre. From the 10 projects, judges will select two pitches to go head-to-head against one another in the finals on the TAC mainstage.
Pitch THIS! semi-finals and finals take place during TAC (The Animation Conference), running from September 25-27, 2024.
Source: OIAF
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
