CaribbeanTales Media Group (CTMG) has selected 19 participants for its 15th Big Pitch competition on Sept. 8, in partnership with the Toronto International film Festival.

Participants are emerging and mid-career BIPOC filmmakers who were selected from CTMG’s three major training programs: the CaribbeanTales Black Incubator and Studio Access Program, the Cross-Continental Forum and the Creators of Colour Incubator.

The 2024 participants are Shana McCalla pitching Renew, a futuristic drama series; Priyanka Shailendra, pitching the feature Frozen; Oksana Sirju’s Rich People, an episodic comedy series; Kathy-Ann Thomas, pitching the feature Moving Day;  and Zehra Nawab’s feature Love Me There.

Other participants include Shane LaTouche, pitching the drama series Bashment City; Shaista Roshan’s series Forgotten Queens; Amreen Ghouse’s comedy series Boys in the Basement; Yemie Sonuga with the comedy series 30 Something; and Choltu Curlin with the feature doc Blackhurst.

Finding My Way Back to You is another feature doc, being pitched by Kamika Bianca Guerra – Walker; Alexander Nunez brings the crime drama The Morenos; Carol Harding will pitch the feature Moya’s Love; Hilda Afrakoma will pitch the thriller series Rosedale; and Graysen Sangster and David “Click” Cox will bring the feature doc King Reign to the World Presents.

Rounding out the participants are Kathryn Fasegha with the rom-com 2 Weeks in Calgary; Tope Babalola’s coming of age youth series Benjamin Ojo; and Adrian Wallace’s comedy-drama series The Philosophy of Love & Sex.

This year’s panel includes Lea Marin (head of development at CBC), Alexis McLaren (production executive, original programming at Bell Media), Angela Moritsugu (director of talent development programs at the Canadian Academy), Pasha Patriki (development and production at Hangar 18 and CEO of Purple Dog Post), Robert Young (founder and chief storyteller at Raconteur Seven, R7), and guest celebrity judge Lennox Lewis (World Heavyweight Champion).

The event is funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, the Canada Media Fund, Heritage Canada, Telefilm and the Ontario Arts Council.

Pictured (L-R): (Top) Shana McCalla, Priyanka Shailendra, Oksana Sirju, Kathy-Ann Thomas, Zehra Nawab; (second row) Shane LaTouche, Shaista Roshan, Amreen Ghouse, Yemie Sonuga, Choltu Curlin; (third row)  Kamika Bianca Guerra-Walker, Alexander Nunez, Carol Harding, Hilda Afrakoma, David ‘Click’ Cox; (bottom row) Kathryn Fasegha, Tope Babalola, Graysen Sangster and Adrian Wallace.

Image courtesy of CaribbeanTales