Guidelines – Canadian Independent Screen Fund

Rogers-BSO
Development Fund
Guidelines

About The Fund

The Rogers-Black Screen Office Development Fund supports Black and People of Colour writers to develop original content, from outline to first and second drafts of the pilot episode, with a one-sheet for scripted projects; and from concept to outline, treatment, and character reel for documentaries. Applicants must own 100% of the rights/intellectual property (IP).

Pitch Treatment

The core of the application is a one-page Pitch document that best summarizes the project.

Please do not submit any script bibles, visuals, videos, or URL links. These are not required nor will they form part of your application’s assessment.

Eligible Formats

SCRIPTED series projects must be 30-min or 60-min episodes, ongoing or limited series.

DOCUMENTARY projects must be 30-min, 45-min, or 60-min, ongoing or limited series, or one-off projects.

Ineligible Formats

Soap Operas, Lifestyle Programs, Short Films, Feature Films, Movies of the Week (MOWs).

Eligibility Criteria

one episode of a TV show that has been broadcast
a feature or short film that has been released theatrically or premiered at an international film festival; List of eligible festivals, or
a full-length produced play.

Writers are not required to have a producer or team attached to be eligible to apply.

Writers are only eligible to apply with one submission to the fund.

Writers who have received funding for either Round 1 or Round 2 are eligible to apply for Round 3.

Writers who have already received two rounds of funding are not eligible to apply to Round 3.

Please note: Applications in this round must be submitted in English OR French only.

Assessment Criteria

Projects will compete for funding according to a selective process. To make its funding decisions, an independent jury will use the criteria noted below to evaluate the pitch document submitted by Applicants. It is important for Applicants to note that revisions will not be accepted once a project is submitted.

Projects will be evaluated by the jury based on the following criteria:

Originality
Premise
Plot
Characters
Structure
Themes

Writing Samples

SCRIPTED Writing Samples

A script of a TV hour or half hour series (not including news programming)
Multiple episodes of a web, animation or children series (20+ pages)
A scripted short or feature film
A full-length play.

Scripted writing samples are not required to have been broadcast on TV or released theatrically. We encourage you to submit a sample that best reflects your voice as a writer.

UNSCRIPTED Writing Samples

As most documentaries do not have a script, we require a one-page synopsis of a previous documentary film that has been broadcast on TV, released theatrically or premiered at an international film festival. List of eligible festivals.
You must include your credit on the film, dates of broadcast, release, or premiere, and name of broadcaster or exhibitor.

In order for all projects to be fairly assessed, writing samples submitted must NOT be connected to the pitch treatment included in the application.

Submission Requirements

Applications must include the following:

Pitch document that best summarizes the project – beginning, middle and end (one-page max)
Completed Application Form
Completed Attestation Form
Completed Questionnaire (with short bios and main credits for lead creatives – clearly identifying their role in the project.)
One Writing Sample

Applicants must:

Self-identify as Black or a Person of Colour,
Have reached the legal age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence
Be Canadian citizens or permanent Canadian residents.

Selection Process

A jury of Black and People of Colour screen content creators will select a minimum of 10 projects in this round.

Self Identification

Black people: people who trace their roots to Sub-Saharan Africa including those with origins in the United States, Caribbean and Latin America

People of Colour: people who are from one or more of the following communities:

Latin Americans (Latino, Latina, Latinx)
Middle-Easterns and North Africans
South Asians
Southeast Asians
East Asians
Multiracial (a combination of any of the above categories or any of the above categories with White or European ancestry)

Deadline

Applications must be completed in the CISF portal and submitted by July 17, 2023, 8:59 pm PT / 11:59 pm ET. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Submissions will not be returned and feedback will not be provided to unsuccessful applicants. The BSO will not take responsibility for applications that are not submitted on time due to internet issues or technical problems.

Successful Applicants

Successful applicants will be featured in a press release including, a photo, short bio, title and the script logline.

Selected projects will be granted industry standard fees for the following:

GENRE	MINUTES	WRITER FEE	TOTAL
Scripted	30	$9,330	$9,330
	60	$18,658	$18,658
Unscripted (Documentary)	30	$7,660	$7,660
	45 – 60	$15,321	$15,321

**Writers are not required to have a producer or team attached to be eligible to apply.

Deliverables

Successful applicants in the scripted category will receive funding to complete an outline and a final draft of one episode.

Successful applicants in the documentary category will receive funding to complete an outline, a full treatment, and a 2-min character reel (can be produced using properly lit and framed iPhone or Zoom interview(s)).

Application Assistance: If you have barriers to access, including but not limited to language, Internet, or physical barriers, please contact info@independentfund.org if you require support.