Calling all female and non-binary Canadian filmmakers!

Do you need a passionate push to get your comedy stories on screen?

Do you need deadlines and accountability?

Do you love making comedic content?

 Canadian Film Fest and Firecracker Department are partnering to present…

THE COMEDY IGNITER

ELIGIBILITY & REGULATIONS

1. Key Applicants must self-identify as female or non-binary and be 18+. 

2. Key Applicants must be the writer, director, and/or producer of the project (1 - 3 individuals per team maximum). 

3. Key Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status. 

4. The final film must be a maximum of 6 minutes in length, including end credits. 

5. All films must include elements of specific PROMPTS that will be presented to applicants on January 31, 2025. 

6. All creativity and principal photography (writing/shotlisting/designing/shooting/editing/post-production/delivery) must occur during the official filming period, February 1 - February 28th, 2025. The majority of your film must contain footage shot or created within these dates.

7. The project must fit the comedy genre but is not limited to a genre hybrid so long as the work is intended to be humorous by eliciting laughter from the audience. 

8. The jury focus of the films will be on story, comedy and vision execution over production quality. Teams are encouraged to be creative with the resources available to them. Any type of video or film camera may be used.

9. The project can be in any language, however, English subtitles must be provided for dialogue other than English.

10. Applicants must have the rights to any music and clearance for art used in the film. 

11. Final films must be uploaded on FilmFreeway in its media formatted requirements. 

12. CFF/Firecracker Dept reserves the right to disqualify entries deemed to be inappropriate or otherwise non-compliant. 

13. Top films selected for screening will be determined at the jury’s discretion based on the number of submissions.

14. Canadian Film Fest and Firecracker Department require that you acknowledge Comedy Igniter’s support by including our company logos in the end credits of the project created. Logos and specifications will be provided to you. 

15. The protagonist must be female or non-binary (we want to see stories from these perspectives). 

16. More questions? Check out this FAQ. 

SIGN UP INFO

1. Sign up/login to FilmFreeway and create a new film project.

2. Label the project title COMEDY IGNITER for now (applicants are encouraged to change the title and update synopsis/film info upon delivery). 

3. Enter the main point of contact under “Submitter Information”.

4. Tell us who your key applicants are under “credits” (writer/director/producer). This can be updated/changed later. All must identify as female or non-binary.

5. No specifications or screenings/distribution needed at this time.

6. Save project.

7. Go to Canadian Film Fest Industry - Comedy Igniter 2025 , and hit the green “submit now” button with your selected “Comedy Igniter” project. Add to cart and checkout. The $200 (early bird deadline) / $225 (regular deadline) payment covers all your program fees, you’re officially an Igniter!

8. Please note that your judging status will remain “undecided” until after the final films have been submitted and juried in early March.

A CFF representative will be in contact via the email listed in your profile regarding next steps and workshop details.

If you have further questions please contact Director of Industry, Jen Pogue, jen@canfilmfest.ca