Toronto – CBC Breaking Barriers Film Fund and ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival today announced a new screenwriting fund to grant $10,000 in awards to Canadian writers of theatrical-length screenplays and treatments who identify as part of a disability community. With submissions now open, the CBC-REELABILITIES SCREENWRITER FUND is launching in conjunction with the upcoming 2nd Annual ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival from May 10-18th.

“We are committed to nurturing and supporting new voices in Canadian film including creators who have typically been underrepresented in the industry, and look forward to partnering with ReelAbilities to champion filmmakers with disabilities,” said Helen Du Toit, Interim Senior Director, CBC Breaking Barriers Film Fund. 

“Our mandate at RAFF includes the showcasing of Canadian disability culture and a focus on filmmakers with disabilities, so this partnership with CBC to encourage new work is an exciting one,” said Liviya Mendelsohn, Artistic Director, ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival, and Manager of Accessibility and Inclusion, Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre.

"I think it is wonderful that we are beginning to see ourselves represented in film,” said local Toronto filmmaker Michael McNeely, who is deafblind. “We still have a long way to go, and this Fund is designed as a catalyst.”

The CBC-REELABILITIES SCREENWRITER FUND will award a total of $10,000 in 2017. Screenplays are eligible for awards of up to $10,000. Treatments are eligible for awards of up to $2000. Amounts awarded will depend on the total number, type and quality of submissions received. Applicants must be persons with a disability.

Submissions must be original works in English, written or co-written (at least 50%) by the applicant. Book adaptations are not eligible unless the source material (novel or play) was also written by the applicant. Applicants may submit either a feature-length screenplay (85-120 pages) or a treatment (10-20 pages).

A jury chosen by Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, ReelAbilities Toronto and CBC will evaluate all submissions received by midnight on August 1, 2017. The jury will access all submissions based on the quality of the submission and writing. The chances of being selected as a fund recipient will depend on the number of total application packages received and the quality of the submissions. 

Full eligibility requirements and application information packages are available online at toronto.reelabilities.org/cbc-reelabilities-screenwriter-fund.

Winners will be announced online at www.cbc.ca/breakingbarriers/ and www.toronto.reelabilities.org on September 15th, 2017.

About CBC Breaking Barriers Film Fund

Offering new opportunities for filmmakers who have historically been at a disadvantage in accessing financing and making their unique voices heard, the CBC BREAKING BARRIERS FILM FUND helps finance English-language feature film projects that are written or directed by Canadian women, Indigenous persons, visible minorities and persons with a disability who have had at least one feature-length film showcased at a recognized film festival. Submissions are now being accepted with no formal deadlines. Further information and application guidelines are available at www.cbc.ca/breakingbarriers/.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada’s trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.

About ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival

ReelAbilities Film Festival brings together the community to promote awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. ReelAbilities Film Festival showcases films, conversations and artistic programs to explore, embrace and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience. This is the second annual ReelAbilities Festival in Toronto.

www.toronto.reelabilities.org

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Media Contacts:

ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival
Jackie Koffman
jkoffman@holmespr.com
416.628.5608

CBC
Teaghan Hawke
teaghan.hawke@cbc.ca
416.205.6863