HELPING ADVANCE DIVERSITY IN GENRE
(Application Deadline Oct 1, 2024)
Apply
Blood in the Snow Film Festival was created to push the envelope with Canadian genre film, specifically, and has dedicated the last ten years promoting our independent genre cinema. This niche film festival also strives to be the leader in supporting diversity in genre films. We have showcased films representing diverse folklore and culture, including Indigenous and French-language films and actors with disabilities. It's our goal to represent as many communities as possible in the already underrepresented genre film arena. The programming team makes a concerted effort to select based on content, representation, and quality of films so that our diverse audiences feel represented.
Blood in the Snow has also prioritized diversity by hosting panels with esteemed guests from the Black, Asian, Indigenous, and Latinx communities during the Deadly Exposure Industry Market, a well-received and sought-after industry event connecting filmmakers to industry professionals and opportunities to promote their work. They have become areas where frank discussions with filmmakers and industry insiders take place to incite change. Topics at past panels included: 'Kickass Women in Canadian Horror," "Diversity in Genre Film," and "Undoing Tropes with Cultural Sensitivity." These discussions are essential to expanding Canadian filmmakers' views to become more inclusive with their stories and casting and encourage those who may not have felt there was a space for them.
We have also partnered with other festivals in the community to boost the visibility of diverse genre films to different audiences. Recent collaborations include partnering with the Toronto Black Film Festival to present the South African horror The Tokoloshe and the ImagiNATIVE Film Festival midnight horror shorts program, which we have co-presented for several years.
As much as we advocate for diverse genre films in Canada, there is always a need for more representation within the Canadian genre film spectrum. As a part of the 2024 Deadly Exposure industry conference, the Blood in the Snow Horror Development Lab was created to boost BIPOC, LGTBQ+, women and other underrepresented creators in genre film across Canada. With this program, the festival facilitates the advancement of filmmakers from these communities in the filmmaking process to ensure their projects are taken from script to screen with the help of industry professionals.
HORROR DEVELOPMENT LAB SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Apply
The BITS Horror Lab is a development program focused on facilitating business and production opportunities for genre (horror, sci-fi, action, thriller) scripted projects and shorts films by traditionally underrepresented BIPOC, women, and LGBTQ+ Canadian filmmakers and content creators. The Horror Lab will support 12 short-form film concepts or web series in development with the intention of moving these concepts into a feature film or a web series project.
This program is less aimed at mentorship and more about access to business development. Accepted participants will meet with top industry professionals during the Blood in the Snow Film Festival from November 18 to 20, 2024. Participants and industry professionals will follow up on projects and initiatives in early 2025. Horror Lab participants will have scheduled workshops with established industry professionals focusing on developing their projects. All participants will also have access to the Deadly Exposure Industry Market during the festival.
The Horror Lab participants will receive the following:
-
Filmmakers will receive advice and feedback on their short-to-feature pitches from established directors, producers, and broadcasters.
-
Industry leads and will challenge the participants to push their vision through to the very end by identifying and navigating through any development obstacles and changes.
-
A curated itinerary including a focus on marketing and distribution, scheduled market meetings with attending industry advisors and leads, and short film screenings and pitch feedback.
-
Each participant receives a few post-festival industry advisor sessions from January to March 2025 with a program "Industry Leader."
-
Participants will leave with advice on how to revise their package and move forward with it.
-
Participants will leave with important film business insights and connections.
-
Industry/peer networking opportunities.
-
Participants will receive a free Screening & Industry Pass to attend the 2024 Blood in the Snow Film Festival + Deadly Exposure.
Who can apply?
-
Black
-
Indigenous, Metis or Inuit
-
Person of Colour
-
LGBTQ2IA+*(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual, and other identities that fall outside cisgender and heterosexual paradigms.)
-
Women*
-
Disabled (visible and invisible)*
* For all applicants, priority acceptance will be given to projects with BIPOC representation in front and behind the camera.
If you applied to the 2023 Horror Lab and DID NOT make the program, you can apply again. Please DO NOT apply again if you were accepted last year. You are, however, able to apply for the 2026 program.
The lead Lab particpant also must:
-
Must be a Canadian citizen
-
Must plan to shoot their film project primarily in Canada
-
Must have completed at least one polished, completed short film (3 to 30 minutes in length)
-
Must feel that they are ready to make a feature film (or multi-episode web series)
-
This is a HORROR development lab, so the film needs to be some type of "genre" project that is horror, sci-fi, action or thriller
What do you need in your application?
All applications this year will be submitted through
Film Freeway and must include the following:
-
At least one previous completed short film that is either its own project or short done as proof of concept. (under 30 minutes)
-
A 2 to 3 page pitch book/proposal (in pdf) uploaded to Film Freeway describing the project. Please include a story description, bios of the team attached, a general budget summary and anything else you'd like to tell us about the project.
Other important details:
-
The attendee can be the Producer/Director and/or primary writer of the project and have the full rights to the proposed project.
-
All rights remain with the filmmaker, and BITS has no proprietary interest in any of the projects.
-
Although the mentor lab will be in English, Francophone, Indigenous language, and other language projects are welcome and encouraged.
-
Applicants must commit to attending the program in person from November 20 to 25, 2023, in Toronto, Canada.
-
Applicants must be Canadian citizens and reside in Canada.
-
Applicants must demonstrate ownership of or option on all underlying rights (if any) to your film project.
-
Up to two people per project will be allowed to attend the program (budget permitting).
-
You DO NOT need to be alumni of the Blood in the Snow Film Festival to be a part of the program.
- You can apply for both the festival and the lab with the same application on Film Freeway. There is an option when you apply for the lab to also be considered for the festival.
- We strongly suggest that you upload a second version of your film on Film Freeway if it's already there so that the file for your pitch isn't visible for your other festival submissions you may be doing. If you are unable to do this, please contact us at carolyn@bloodinthesnow.ca, and we can make other arrangements.
KEY DATES
October 1, 2024
Final Application deadline.
October 15, 2024
Notification date to know if you were accepted.
November 18-20, 2024
Horror Development Lab in downtown Toronto. Three days of development and two days of intensive Deadly Exposure events (including panels and round tables). Your pass to the lab will also include a screening pass to all the films in the evenings.
January-March 2025
A series of one-on-one meetings (online) with your assigned Industry Lead for followup.
OUR SPONSORS
