FROM OUR DARK SIDE 2021

A national English language contest seeking the best genre project ideas by diverse, Canadian women. 

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED

Read about the 2021 winners here & Check out past projects here 

From Our Dark Side is made possible thanks to the support of Creative BC and Telefilm Canada.

NEW THIS YEAR: From our Dark Side is shifting to an Advanced Development model, and will now only accept full-length feature scripts instead of 5-page concept outlines.

Submit your full-length genre script by November 20 for the chance to be selected for an incubator program designed to advance your feature film project and increase your knowledge of the genre market.

• Projects must be for a feature film
• Projects should have a director and lead producer attached (preference is given to projects with director & producer attached; projects without will still be considered).
• Writers & Directors must be self-identifying women, with preference given to all-women teams
• First draft scripts are eligible, so long as they are complete
• From Our Dark Side Alumni and those who have submitted in the past are welcome to submit with full-length scripts.
• The program is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents only and productions must qualify as Canadian. 

What is a genre film?

Genre films are categorized as horror, thrillers, westerns, science fiction, and fantasy – or any imaginative combination of these.

What is From our Dark Side?

A jury of top genre creators will select five projects. Projects will participate in the From our Dark Side incubator program from March to July 2021.

From our Dark Side is designed to advance your career and your genre project through:

Workshops & conferences starting at the virtual Vancouver International Women in Film Festival (VIWFF) in March 2021

Consultations and group meetings on packaging, financing and pitching between March and July 2021

Participating experts will include: a pitch coach, a digital marketing strategist, a genre producer with expertise in independent budget & financing, a graphic artist to initiate the design of marketing materials.

The program will conclude at the Frontières International Co-Production Market in July 2021 at the Fantasia international film festival in Montreal. Projects will participate in a special From our Dark Side pitch session and meet with leading international genre industry professionals (*please note that participation details and available travel stipends will be subject to the structure of Frontières 2021; activities may be offered in a virtual setting only)

Women in Film and Television Vancouver believes in fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible environment, where all participants and contributors feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to building a program that reflects Canada's diversity of all of our communities and prioritizes voices from the Indigenous, BIPOC and LGBTQIA2 members of the Canadian genre industry. 

This WIFTV program is produced by Lindsay Peters, with Board members Sharon McGowan and Peggy Thompson, under the guidance of an Advisory Board of genre film experts that has included directors such as Karen Lam, Amanda Tapping, Rachel Talalay and Rupert Harvey.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• SUBMISSION DEADLINE: November 20, 2020
• PROJECT SELECTION ANNOUNCED: February 2021
• ATTENDANCE AT SELECTED EVENTS AT VIWFF 2021: MARCH 4-9 2021
• PARTICIPATION IN INCUBATOR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BETWEEN MARCH AND JULY 2021
• ATTENDANCE AT FRONTIERES CO-PRODUCTION MARKET: JULY 2021

Follow this link for more details and to submit your project on Film Freeway (NOTE: APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY CLOSED0

You will be asked for the following submission package in ONE PDF document:

1. Project title with submitter’s contact information
2. LOGLINE (a short sentence that states the genre of the film, protagonists, their goal and their main obstacle)
3. 50-word SYNOPSIS of the project that introduces the main character(s), summarizes the main plot, the conflict, and the overall arc of the story (beginning, middle, and end) using words that reveal tone, genre, and intended audience
4. Team List - name all creative team members followed by a two-sentence description of each member’s previous credits (maximum of 3) or experience
5. Budget & Finance Plan: Please list your estimated budget in CAD and outline your finance plan (intended sources of funding, including the percentage each source will contribute to your overall budget). If you have any confirmed financing, please indicate the amount and the source and also include proof of agreement with these sources.
6. Goals - Outline in 250 words maximum your goals & motivations for participating in the From our Dark Side Program (what you hope to achieve through the program), as well as your overall timeline for completing your project, and what types of partners you are currently seeking.
7. A full-length script, not more than 120 pages (please note the draft number and date of draft completion)

Questions? Please contact Lindsay Peters, Program Director: lindsay@womeninfilm.ca

Supported by:

Partners: