The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, September 1, 2009. 

CALL FOR DOC OR DRAMA PITCH SUBMISSIONS: 2009 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival DOCUMENTARY & DRAMA PITCH:

Exclusive Professional Training & Pitch Sessions

Do you have a great idea for a short, long or series drama, OR a short or feature documentary? Enter our competition to pitch your idea to a panel of commissioning editors and acquisitions executives from the major Canadian broadcasters - who will provide valuable feedback and development advice. You will also have a chance to win imagineNATIVE's Documentary Pitch or Drama Pitch prizes to help your idea become a reality.

Four documentary pitch contestants & Four drama pitch contestants will be selected by imagineNATIVE's Programming team to receive a free, six-hour intensive "How to Pitch" workshop with creative producer and award-winning director Deborah Day. This workshop will provide invaluable insight and instruction on the pitching process and advice on improving individual pitch ideas. The intensive workshop will take place on Wednesday, October 14th in downtown Toronto.

Each pitch will then be presented to the panel of commissioning editors and acquisitions executives during the festival's "Pitch Competition for Dramatic Works" and "Documentary Pitch Competition" on Friday, October 16th. One winner from each category will be selected by the panel of industry professionals. Best Documentary Pitch will receive ONE-MONTH USE OF CBC NEWSWORLD'S SONY HDV CAMERA and a $2500 gift certificate from William F. White International. Best Drama Pitch will receive a $5,000 DEVELOPMENT DEAL WITH APTN and a $2500 gift certificate from William F. White International. The winners will be announced at the imagineNATIVE Closing Night Awards, Sunday, October 18th.

If you are not selected to pitch, you are still invited to attend the pitch session on Friday October 16th as a wild card pitch. Please note, wild card pitches are not eligible for pitch prizes.

Last year's documentary pitch panel included representatives from TVOntario, CTV Television, Canwest,and CBC Newsworld. Drama Pitch panel; representatives included as well as representatives from CTV Television, Canwest, Aboriginal People's Television Network and CBC.

Eligibility Criteria:

* The producer or director representing the pitch project must be Aboriginal and a Canadian resident.
* Pitch teams must be in Toronto for both the training session on October 14th and the pitching session October 16th. (Please note: Documentary Pitch Winner must be able to access camera prize in Toronto)
* Pitch teams must cover their own expenses

To Submit your Pitch:

For more information and to download a submission form, please visit our website at www.imaginenative.org

The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, September 1, 2009.

Please note: Travel and other expenses are not provided.

Questions? Please contact Programming Coordinator Daniel Northway-Frank at programming@imagineNATIVE.org or 416-585-2333.