The TIFF–CBC Films Screenwriter Award was created to support Canada’s emerging screenwriting talent and to fund the development of great Canadian screenplays. The Award provides $15,000 to a Canadian writer of an outstanding feature-film screenplay as well as mentorship opportunities, supporting them to develop their project.
The Award is open to all screenwriters who are from equity-deserving communities. Applicants must also have a writer or director credit on a feature film that has been presented at one of this Award’s recognized festivals.
Our commitment is to fund the development of high-quality productions that reflect, represent, and reframe diverse perspectives through character-driven stories at the centre of the Canadian experience.
The winner of the 2023 Award is Yasmine Mathurin, for her screenplay Sorry Pardon Madame.
Previous winners:
Eligible applicants must:
The Award is open to all screenwriters who are from equity-deserving communities.
Submissions must be original works in English, written solely by the applicant. Adaptations of books, plays, or magazine articles are eligible, provided the applicant has secured the necessary legal rights. There is a limit of one submission per applicant.
In order to be considered for the Award, the applicant must submit all of the materials listed below via the online application by 11:59pm EST on January 8, 2024:
Applicants should carefully read the Terms and Conditions set out on the application form on FilmFreeway and abide by these.
Questions? Contact us by email at industry@tiff.net.
CBC Films supports feature films that reflect, represent, and reframe a range of perspectives at the centre of the Canadian experience. Committed to creative excellence, cultural relevance, and talent development, CBC Films prioritizes storytelling that amplifies equity-deserving communities, along with a parallel commitment to gender parity. CBC Films encompasses CBC’s continued investment in Canadian features, filmmakers and film industry, including the TIFF–CBC Films Screenwriter Award, now in its seventh year of supporting the country’s dynamic screenwriting talent. With a robust library of over 200 Canadian films available to stream on CBC Gem, CBC strives to create an unparalleled destination for Canadians to discover homegrown film.