Toronto-based Canadian Film Fest (CFF) recently launched the You-CAN Pitch Competition, aimed at providing emerging Black Canadian filmmakers with the opportunity to pitch their projects.

The competition is open to both individuals and teams and officially kicked off on Feb. 18. Up to five finalists will be selected to pitch their film projects to a panel of industry experts. According to a release, participants will engage in organized meetings with select panelists for further discussions and networking opportunities. The finalists will also receive CFF passes.

Prizes include a $10,000 gift certificate for Sunbelt Rentals and a $5,000 gift certificate for Mississauga-based PurpleDOG Post Production with more to be announced, a spokesperson for CFF told Playback Daily.

At press time, the jury members include Toronto directors Shawn Gerrard (Jane), and Duane Crichton (Home); Calgary-born R.T. Thorne (40 Acres); East Preston, N.S.-born Floyd Kane (Diggstown); and Carolyn Mauricette, Fantasia International Film Festival’s director of Canadian programming. Additional jury members are Game Theory Films’ co-president Hilary Hart and New Metric Media’s business affairs consultant Alan Bacchus, according to the spokesperson.

The competition is developed and hosted by CFF programmer Richard Pierre (pictured). You-CAN Pitch is sponsored by Shaftesbury and Rhombus Media.

The deadline for submissions is March 3, and participants will be notified by March 14.

In January 2024, CFF and Firecracker Department launched a comedy film program for emerging women and non-binary filmmakers.

Image courtesy of @tarsipix for @shawngoldbergphotos