Makila launches its call for projects for the 2021 Inkubator

Deadline: November 9th at midnight. Answers in early January.

Do you have an audio-visual idea that you would like to develop into a full written proposal? Makila, a Montréal-based digital media co-op, is opening a call for media creators to submit their projects to participate in a ten-month incubator program – which will include a one-to-one mentorship and a pitch & networking session. Two Inkubator groups will be available: one for emerging creators and one for mid-career creators.

Eligibility

Participants should reside in the greater Montreal area (although due to the current pandemic, the winter & early spring meetings will happen online)
Be an emerging or mid-career* media creator.
The call is open to members and non-members of Makila.**
All formats, short, medium, long, episodic, narrative, thematic.
Open to documentary, fiction and experimental.
Projects can be submitted and developed in either English or French (participants need to be fluent in one of the language and have a basic understanding of the other language in order to provide feedback to their peers)

A diversified peer committee will select 4 to 8 participants. The Inkubator fee for those who are selected to attend is 25$.

*mid-career defined by having created 2 or more projects (school projects not included)

** selected non-member participants will have to become members (100 $ refundable if the candidate wishes to leave the coop after completing the Inkubator program)

The Program in a nutshell

Two Inkubator groups of four participants each will meet once a month
Each group can have documentary and fiction projects together
Each participant will develop a project from the idea to a full written proposal including a one-pager, a character or theme description, a long synopsis or documentary treatment (min 5 pages), an artistic approach, a director’s intention note, and a target audience identification.
The projects participating in the final Pitch & Networking session will also create visual material to support their proposal.
Each group has a leader who coordinates the monthly sessions, the delivery of homework and the private mentorship
In these meetings you discuss the projects, give each other feedback and set monthly objectives
Each participant will have a dedicated mentor (an established professional in the field)
At the end of the incubation period, finished projects will receive a pitch training, in order to attend our final networking event to producers, experts and colleagues onsite and online.
At least one project will be selected by vote to take part in a second round of incubation and mentorship by Makila to create a demo or trailer and be supported to seek production funding (ex. Making budgets, calendars, approaching producers, broadcasters, distributors, funds etc).
The Inkubator will run from January to December 2021, with a two-month pause during the summer.

Selection criteria

What sort of impact could the project have in the world today?
Is the creator bringing something unique to the story?
Does it have a distinct audiovisual approach?
Can Makila and its resources make a significant contribution to the project?
Conforming a diverse group of people, perspectives and experience is also important to us.