Pitch THIS!
Sponsored by:
Presented in partnership with Mercury Filmworks, the OIAF’s annual Pitch THIS! pitching contest is an opportunity for Canadian creators to get noticed and kickstart their animated series concept!
This year ten Pitch THIS! semi-finalists have been selected and paired with established industry mentors. Over the course of the summer, semi-finalists will meet with mentors to refine their 10-minute long pitches before presenting them live at The Animation Conference (TAC) in September.
The Pitch THIS! 2023 semi-finals will be held in front of the TAC audience on September 20th. Two projects will then be selected by the semi-finalist judges to go head-to-head against one another on the TAC mainstage the following day! These pitches will be presented before a live audience of TAC attendees, studio executives, and potential project financiers.
Pitch THIS! 2023 Schedule:
Wednesday, September 20
9:00 am – 11:40 am Pitch THIS! Semi-Finals, MacDonald Room
Pitch THIS! is TAC’s signature pitching contest. Ten semi-finalists present their projects to a jury of industry professionals, who will determine the two projects selected to compete in the next day’s finale.
TAC AnimaPass or TAC Only Pass is required for entry.
Thursday, September 21
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Pitch THIS! Finale, Drawing Room
Pitch THIS! is TAC’s signature pitching contest. The two finalists will present their projects to the TAC audience and a jury of industry professionals, who will determine the winning pitch.
The winner will be awarded a grand prize including:
- $5,000 cash prize from Mercury Filmworks
- Toon Boom Harmony Premium Annual license and online training
- Two TAC AnimaPasses to OIAF 2024
TAC AnimaPass or TAC Only Pass is required for entry.
2023 PARTICIPANTS
Projects:
Allison Lownie and Onyka Gairey, Best Witches
Beccs Champagne, Ghost Stories
Daniela Smith-Fischer, Claudia Heights
Elton Su, Crimson Mandate
Emma Fiorante, Earth to Schneider
Hugo van Essen, Ferdinand The Self-Aware NPC
Justin Smith-Fischer, Marley and the Underdogs
Paula Peroff, The Breakfast Guild
Sadaf Amini, Maple Treehouse School
Shannon Fewster, Monster Problems
Mentors:
Casey Gonzalez, VP of Development, FredFilms
Emerald Wright-Collie, Director of Development, Sony Pictures Television Kids
Kris Pearn, Director, Sony Pictures Animation
Niki López, Creator/EP/Showrunner/Writer/Designer, Nickelodeon Animation Studios
Rikke Asbjoern, Writer/Director/Executive Producer
Semi-final Jury:
Grégory Magné-Grand, Original Content Director, Tonic DNA
Marney Malabar, Children’s Media Consultant
Sam Chou, Director/Creative Director, Look Mom! Productions
Semi-final Host:
Spencer Moreland, Animator/Filmmaker
Finale Jury:
Kirsten Hurd, Commissioning Editor, Kids TV, TVO Kids
Lauren Martinez, Vice President, Original Series and Movie Development, Cartoon Network
Lisa Cinelli, Executive in Charge of Production, CBC
Niki Williams, Sr Manager, Production and Development for Pre-K, Nickelodeon
Tommy Gillespie, Senior Director, Content Production, PBS Kids
Finale Host:
Heath Kenny, Chief Content Officer, Mercury Filmworks