Caribbean nationals 18 years and older have been given a new opportunity to take their film or content ideas to the big screen.

That opportunity comes through the Pitch Perfect Film Treatment Competition, launched by advertising agency and production company, The Limners and Bards Limited (The LAB) which has invited writers, filmmakers and storytellers across the region to submit entries, whether individually or as a group, in any of three categories – Episodic TV series, TV movies and documentaries.   

BUILDING CAPACITY AMONG CONTENT CREATORS

With those entries, the competitors will have a chance to have their work selected and later developed into world-class films.

Kimala Bennett, CEO of The LAB, said this was about building capacity among content creators who can tell their stories and benefit from the LAB’s global distribution network and ultimately growing the regions film and television industry.

According to The LAB, the competition helps bridge the gap between storytellers and the global distribution network where before they may not have had the chance to submit works on that level.

Similar to many international film pitch competitions, the Pitch Perfect Competition is said to have started with a belief that the next big content idea can come from people from anywhere and not just those who currently dominate the industry.

“This is an opportunity for big thinkers across the region  to showcase stories or topics that help preserve the history and culture of the region,” Bennett said.

To enter the competition, persons will need to submit their two-page treatment with a log line via the application form on the competition’s official website.

The best three treatments will be selected and the writers of the treatments will each be paid US$2,000  for their ideas.

Treatments will then be developed into scripts and produced and the writers of the top three treatments will also have the opportunity to be a part of the script development and production process.

This will include access to writer’s workshops, script development assistance, and involvement in the actual filming of the script  

Treatments will be judged by a panel made up of knowledgeable and experienced film practitioners, literary writers and international film production and distribution personnel. The panel will focus mainly on the writer’s ability to build and maintain the strength of the story and characters, plus display a strong level of creativity and ease of production.

The LAB will own the rights to the treatments submitted; however, if the entries are unsuccessful, all ownership will return to the writer. Also, treatments that are currently part of another competition or are being reviewed by other entities will not be accepted.

The competition closes on October 9. The best three treatments will be selected and the announcement will be made on or before November 14.

For more information

• Visit the competition’s website: thelabjamaica.com/pitchperfect
• Call: (876) 908-4080 or (876) 908-4989
• Email [email protected].