Open Call for STORYHIVE Scripted Edition – Canada

Deadline: 21 May 2024

STORYHIVE Scripted Edition is offering new and emerging filmmakers $20,000 in production funding to produce a 20-45 minute locally reflective narrative film.

In addition to the funding, selected projects will also receive mentorship from the National Screen Institute and distribution on TELUS Optik TV and the STORYHIVE YouTube channel.

They’re thrilled to embark on a cinematic journey with the new STORYHIVE Scripted Edition: a journey from script to screen, tailored exclusively for scripted genres. Bring your locally reflective scripted 20-45 minute film project to life with $20,000 in production funding, training, mentorship with the National Screen Institute and distribution on TELUS Optik TV and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel. Unleash your creativity in crafting diverse and captivating short to mid-length fiction films or community TV pilots, from uproarious comedies to intense dramas, and everything in between. Join them on this exciting journey of cinematic storytelling!

Each STORYHIVE 2024 Scripted Edition project will consist of a 20-45 minute locally reflective scripted (narrative) Main Program plus a 30-60 minute locally reflective Bonus Content program. This is a chance to make some content that matters to you and retain the intellectual property rights to your produced work.

Eligible Projects

Each project must:
- Fall into the category of scripted film or scripted series pilot episode;
- Include a 20-45 minute scripted program plus 30-60 minutes of Bonus Content;
- Be locally reflective. To be considered “locally reflective”, the Project elements must meet the following criteria:
  - The Project Lead currently resides in the community, town or city indicated on their application to the STORYHIVE edition (the “Community of Residence”);
  - No less than 80% of the filming and production of the Project will take place in the Project Lead’s Community of Residence;
  - The Project must be set in the applicant’s community of residence (Note – It does not have to be set in the present day. It could be set in the past or even the future.) and it must be about characters, topics or events that are relevant to and reflective of your community of residence.
- Be in compliance with all laws, regulations and policies governing content, taste, community reflection and diversity of voices including the Broadcasting Act, CRTC Best Practice Code, and other relevant Canadian legislation pertaining to the nature of acceptable content (please consult the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council website for further information);
- Qualify for a G or PG rating; must not contravene the law, promote hatred or contempt towards other individuals or groups; must not contain obscene or profane language or imagery or false or misleading factual content;
- Be in a format that can be delivered for distribution on IPTV and online (i.e. meet technical requirements for delivery for both video on demand and online) Note: submitted videos must be in a High-Definition format; additional 4K delivery (in addition to HD) is optional;
- Not have been already shot and seeking completion funding. STORYHIVE will allow a maximum of 15% of a Project to have previously been shot;
- Not have been previously licensed to a broadcaster or appeared on a major network;
- Not include financing for the production from a broadcaster (i.e. conventional television network like CBC, CTV, Global or City TV, over-the-top Internet-based service provider such as Netflix, or discretionary (specialty) service such as History TV, Documentary Channel or Food Network); and
- Be in English or be able to be subtitled or versioned into English.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to receive a Grant from TELUS, Project Leads must meet all the eligibility requirements outlined below. The Project Lead will act as the primary applicant and accept responsibility for the obligations under these Terms and, if chosen to receive a Grant, under the terms of the TELUS Grant Agreement.
Project Leads can be first time producers/filmmakers; previous experience is not required in order to be eligible.
Each project lead must:
- Be the age of majority, or older, in their province of residence (British Columbia or Alberta) as of the STORYHIVE Edition intake deadline date, May 21, 2024 at midnight PT;
- Be a resident of one of the following communities in British Columbia or Alberta:
- Be a resident of the community from which they are applying (see eligible communities listed above) and be able to supply current proof of residency for the address listed on their submission;
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
- Be able to provide complete, clean, unencumbered chain of title for the Project, must have all the rights, releases and clearances necessary to produce, own and exploit the Project and for deployment of the Project on required TELUS Platforms (including synchronization and master use rights for any music used in the Project), and must enter into a TELUS Grant Agreement with TELUS;
- Acknowledge they have read, understand and will adhere to the STORYHIVE Community Code of Conduct;
- Not be an individual associated with TELUS, including but not limited to the following: the employees, contractors, agents and representatives of TELUS, Optik TV, TELUS Satellite TV or another broadcast distribution undertaking (a BDU) such as Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct or any other Canadian cable or IPTV service provider, or any external partners of TELUS who enter into an agreement with TELUS to assist in any way with this STORYHIVE Edition. For clarity, these excluded Individuals may participate in a Submission and a Project as a member of the video production crew provided they are not the Project Lead;
- Not be working within the traditional Canadian broadcast system or a media professional widely known to the public, and must not have received a broadcast licence from a Canadian broadcaster in the last five years. Please note that funding for STORYHIVE programs is reserved for applicants with zero to limited experience. Applicants with extensive professional experience in the film industry or distribution deals outside TELUS STORYHIVE are ineligible.
- Accept sole responsibility for all budget overages for the Project.
- In the spirit of inclusivity, endeavor to work with crews that also create opportunities for women and non-binary creators in key creative roles wherever possible. It is not a requirement of the program to have a crew in place at the time of application. Key creative roles include: Producer, Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor, Sound Designer, Composer, Production Designer.