The Gotham Week 2024 Project Market 

CALL FOR ENTRIES 

(Market-ready narrative script or Documentary work-in-progress) 

Telefilm Canada is currently accepting market-ready narrative scripts and documentary works-in-progress on behalf of The Gotham Week – Project Market for its 2024 edition. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS 

To be considered eligible, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:

• be a Canadian-controlled corporation, as determined under sections 26 to 28 of the Investment Canada Act; 
• have its head office in Canada and carry out its activities in Canada; 
• operate as an audiovisual production company; 
• producers and other key production personnel exercising creative and financial control over the project must be Canadian^[1]; 
• be searching for partners, potential financiers, an international sales agent, theatrical and online content distributors and platforms, collaborators, etc. for the submitted project in the US market; 
• if selected, be able to submit the required information (in English) in connection with the project online on The Gotham Platform, including completed version of script by May 20, 2024; 
• if selected, be available to participate in the event which will take place from September 30 to October 4, 2024, it being understood that accreditation will be provided directly by The Gotham; and 
• if selected, agree after the event, to complete a survey for Telefilm Canada regarding the satisfaction and outcomes of the initiative. 
• Please note that applicants and filmmakers representing selected projects during The Gotham Week shall be required to comply with any applicable terms and conditions requested by The Gotham, as the organizer of the initiative. 

^[1] “Canadian” means for individuals, a Canadian citizen within the definition of the Citizenship Act or a permanent resident within the definition of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and for corporations, under Canadian control pursuant to the Investment Canada Act. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECTS 

To be considered eligible, a project must meet all of the following criteria: 

• intended feature length film (75 minutes or more) that is currently in the form of either a narrative feature script or a documentary work-in-progress; 
• have an expected total budget of less than $2.5 million (CAD); 
• be a film market premiere (not presented at other international financing forums); 
• be written and to be produced or completed primarily in French, English or an Indigenous language; 

• be under the ownership of the Canadian¹ applicant (including its copyright); 
• be written by a Canadian¹ screenwriter; 
• be directed by a Canadian¹ director; 

with respect to Canadian content certification, upon completion be either: 

• certified by the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO) as a “Canadian film or video production” with a minimum of 8 out of 10 points under the provisions of the Income Tax Act; or 
• recognized as a treaty coproduction by the Minister of Canadian Heritage; 
• be aimed primarily at the Canadian theatrical market, with a strong potential for international sales in the US market; and 
• conform to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Code of Ethics and to all other programming standards endorsed by the CAB or the CRTC, and not contain any element that is libellous under the Criminal Code or in any other way unlawful. 

In addition, for a project that is a narrative feature script, all of the following criteria must also be met: 

• have a completed feature-length screenplay, completed after September 2023; 
• have 20% or more of its project financing in place; 
• Producer has completed at least one narrative feature film that has premiered at a festival or been distributed domestically or internationally. 

In addition, for projects that are documentary works-in-progress, all of the following criteria must also be met: 

• be anywhere between an early financing stage (i.e. early development or in production) to nearing completion (i.e. in post-production or at a rough- cut stage); 
• Producer has completed at least one documentary film that has premiered at a festival or been distributed domestically or internationally. 

^[1] “Canadian” means for individuals, a Canadian citizen within the definition of the Citizenship Act or a permanent resident within the definition of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and for corporations, under Canadian control pursuant to the Investment Canada Act. 

ABOUT

Thousands of one-on-one pitch meetings are arranged. Meetings are pre-scheduled in advance by The Gotham at the buyer/producer’s request after reviewing project dossiers and selecting potential projects of interest. Filmmakers and buyers are provided with meeting schedules in advance. A primary outcome for all artists is the facilitation of career-spanning relationships with potential financiers, theatrical and online content distributors and platforms, producers, festival programmers, sales and talent agents, collaborators, and others. These invaluable relationships continue well beyond their time at Gotham Week. Past industry participants have included A24, HBO, IFC Films, Neon, Sony Pictures Classics, MUBI, Topic Studios, Sundance Institute, WME, SFFilm, SXSW, Tribeca, Hot Docs, and many more. 

MORE INFORMATION

If you have any questions regarding the submission process, you may contact Mahnoor Masood. Questions about The Gotham Week initiative can be directed to Myriam Blais. 

Promotion and Communication
Telefilm Canada, Montreal 
dl-festivals@telefilm.ca 
1 800 567-0890