$60K up for a web series in BC or Alberta

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Michael Korican

Storyhive is changing things up and looking for web series for its next round.

Season two is open to creators in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. Fifteen teams in each province will receive $10,000 to produce the pilot episode of their web series. One winner will be chosen and receive $50,000 funding for the remaining episodes. Everything gets streamed on TELUS Optik TV On Demand.

The deadline to submit is November 3, 2014. See the FAQ.

My take: this is a derivative of CineCoup, without the on-going missions. I think one of the most interesting aspects of Storyhive is the Creator Directory. This has a great potential to build collaborations between artists.

$10K to show ‘Movies Matter’

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Michael Korican

The CFC‘s Reel Challenge is back.

This year they want you to show how movies matter to Canada.

“In 2011, the film and television sector supported 262,700 full time equivalent jobs, while contributing over $5 billion to the Canadian economy through production and distribution alone. From special effects studios and soundstages that create jobs, to film festivals that bring in tourists and all of the jobs and people that are supported by the film industry, movies are more than just entertainment.”

The rules: keep it clean and under 60 seconds. There are no categories this time.

The prize: $10K to the winner, $5K to the runner up.

The deadline: Sunday, January 26 at 11:59 PM EST.

The details: here.

My take: Always fun! Nice that they’ve limited them to one minute. Enter if you’ve got the chops. Disclosure: I am not bitter for not winning with my animation: Right to Copy.

Sundance by the numbers: not pretty

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Michael Korican

Cultural Weekly has released a sobering infographic asking ‘Are Indies the 8th Studio?’

Analyzing Sundance data from 2014, they conclude that the 4,000 plus feature films submitted had combined budgets of over $3 billion, making Independent Film the ‘Eighth Studio’.

“There are seven major movie studios: Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, Sony/Columbia, Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount. Can we now reasonably call independent filmmakers the Eighth Studio, because their aggregate production expenses clearly put them in the major studio league?”

The sobering news? Sadly, less than 2% of that money is ever recouped.

In other words, more than 98% of that money is, I won’t say ‘lost’ but rather, locked up in the produced films. I believe the goal of the new mediascape is to find a way to unlock this value.

Other insights: the odds are four times better on getting a feature into Sundance than a short. And the supply of new films continues to rise in spite of flat demand from Sundance.

Check out a hi-res version of the infographic.

My take: if you’re going to spend real money making a film, you need a serious business plan outlining how you’ll recoup it. Something radical that goes straight to your viewers, perhaps skipping festivals and traditional distribution channels. Or, don’t spend real money.

The new 10 commandments of low budget filmmaking

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Michael Korican

Elliot Grove and the Raindance Film Festival have issued ten new commandments of low (no) budget filmmaking.

They are:

Thou shalt have a fantastic screenplay.
Thou shalt understand keywords and SEO tools.
Thou shalt secure some development finance.
Thou shalt spend proper time in pre-production.
Thou shalt understand the shoot and exploit it to maximum advantage.
Thou shalt not fix it in Post-Production.
Thou shalt clear all music in your film.
Thou shalt prepare professional publicity and marketing materials.
Thou shalt use film festivals to launch your film.
Thou shalt create a distribution strategy.

See the annotated version.

My take: I can get behind all of these except number nine. Seems to me that’s really part of number 10. Not having much, if any success, at film festivals, I’m not convinced. I guess what I really need is a paid-for-performance film festival agent. Any suggestions?

NSI updates short film funding list

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Michael Korican

Kellie Ann Benz of the National Screen Institute has updated their list of funding sources for short films in Canada.

“In our third year of updating this funding list, we note an extraordinary amount of Canadian films getting made and programmed into festivals around the world. This is thrilling.”

She lists national and provincial sources of money, marketing, training and cash prizes for shorts and their makers.

See the list here.

My take: join your local media co-op, learn everything you can and make your first short for coffee money, because you can. Then graduate to these programs so you can step up your game and actually pay your collaborators.

Hot Docs named Academy Award Qualifying Festival

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Michael Korican

With Hot Docs unspooling later this month in Toronto, I want to emphasize it’s now an Academy Award® qualifying festival.

From the media release:

“Hot Docs is thrilled to announced that it has been chosen as an Academy Award® qualifying festival for short documentaries (documentaries no longer than 40 minutes). Recipients of Hot Docs’ Best Short Documentary award will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.”

I admit I have a soft spot for Hot Docs. Not only do I love good docs, I’m very happy they’ve taken over the Bloor Cinema; I used to manage the place in the mid-eighties for Tom and Jerry.

My take: Another great reason to support documentary films in Canada.

How to get your short to Cannes

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Michael Korican

Telefilm Canada is currently accepting submissions for Not Short on Talent.

Not Short on Talent will showcase Canadian short films in the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival.

See the Eligibility, Submission Guidelines and Selection Process. The deadline is March 1, 2013.

“The selection of shorts will be done by Danny Lennon, a well-known programmer on the festival circuit and founder of Prends ça court!, who will look for quality and diversity, as well as an appropriate regional balance. Priority will be given to films that have never been presented in public (world premieres).”

My take: Go for it! Danny Lennon is extremely well regarded and Cannes is Cannes!

Short Circuit Deadline Extended to Friday, February 22, 2013

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Michael Korican

CineVic has extended the deadline for submissions to the Second Annual Short Circuit Short Film Festival to Friday, February 22, 2013.

Short Circuit will unspool in Victoria, British Columbia in the beautiful VIC Theatre on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20.

“Filmmakers from British Columbia, the Yukon, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon are invited to submit narrative, experimental, or documentary short films (under 20 minutes) that have been completed after January 1, 2011 to the second annual Short Circuit Festival. Submissions must be sent as DVD screeners or password protected online sites. If accepted, presentation copies must be sent to Short Circuit as HDCam, 16mm, 8mm, or a ProRes 422 file. Filmmakers may also pay their fees using Paypal sending $15 to director@cinevic.ca“

My take: What are you waiting for? If you’re a Pacific Northwest filmmaker, submit your work ASAP!

Disclaimer: I sit on the CineVic Board of Directors and the Short Circuit Jury.

Support Canadian Film? Wanna make $7,500?

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Michael Korican

The Canadian Film Centre has announced the latest incarnation of The REEL Challenge Contest: Celebrating the Movie and Television Industry at Work: Behind the Scenes.

Make a sixty second (or less) short or PSA, upload it and get a chance to win.

Up for grabs are two prizes of $7500 each, in the categories of the most innovative and dynamic animation or comedy.

The deadline is February 15, 2013.

My take: If you have a killer concept, go for it! I predict less than 100 entries in each category, so your odds are good! Remember, there will be less animations than comedies.

Best Canadian Film is Now Worth $100K

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Michael Korican

Congratulations to Sarah Polley for winning the Toronto Film Critics Association’s 2012 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award.

The award comes with $100,000, making it by my estimation Canada’s riches post-release prize.

The TFCA is a group of about 40 film writers. The award used to be $15,000 but Rogers Communications has recently upped the ante.

Polley won with Stories We Tell, a personal documentary, and also won in 2006 with her debut feature Away From Her.

My take: all the more reason to make excellent movies in Canada. $100K is not bad profit for any Canadian film. Second and third place get $5,000 as well.

More details here.

Michael Korican Thinks

Thoughts on Independent Filmmaking and the Emerging Economic System

Category Archives: Festivals and Awards