BC’s Knowledge Network is inviting mid-career and senior BC producers to submit development proposals for premium limited documentary series of 3 to 4 one-hour episodes, for broadcast on our channel and streaming on Knowledge Prime.
We’re looking for resonant BC stories (contemporary or historical) that have been hidden from view or that are being reframed with new context and insight. These stories can reach beyond BC, but they need to have a BC anchor. They should turn the heads of audiences and make them ask, “why didn’t I know that”?
A maximum of 2 projects will be selected for development with the goal of moving 1 project into production in 2025. Financial support will be in the form of a development license fee and potentially an allocation from Knowledge Network’s CMF Development Envelope. (TBD based on confirmation of our development envelope amount in April 2024.)
This is the first year of a 3-year initiative with 3 limited-series in total moving forward into production. As part of Knowledge Network’s commitment to helping redress historic inequities in the screen sector, a minimum of 2 of the 3 projects selected for production will be with BC Indigenous and BPOC majority-owned production companies (51% minimum). If you are a BC Indigenous or racialized filmmaker and do not have the specified number of credits indicated in the eligibility criteria listed below but feel your accumulated experience in other documentary roles demonstrates the requisite skills/experience to lead on a project of this scope/scale, we will consider the argument you put forward. Please include details in your submission.
Eligibility Criteria for the Applicant
This stream is intended as a unique opportunity for BC documentary filmmakers to work on a larger creative canvas at the level of their ability and imagination in the service of our Knowledge Network audiences. High production values are a core expectation.
Deadline for Submissions – Tuesday, January 30th, 2024, at 5:00 pm PST. (Proposals submitted later than 5:00 pm will not be accepted.)
We will contact successful applicants in March 2024.
Questions? Please contact Nikki Beesley at 604.431.3114 or nikkib@knowledge.ca
Tell us about yourselves and your experience as filmmakers. This section is also an opportunity to let us know if you are from of a Diverse Community as defined in section 7 of the CMF Definitions and Essential Requirements: cmf-fmc.ca/document/appendix-a-definitions-and-essential-requirements/.
In your producer bio, please include an overview of the production budget levels you have previously worked with and successes you have had in accessing various Canadian and international sources of funding. We want to understand what budget levels and financing structures you have experience with.