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Crow's Theatre and Mongrel Media Announce Partnership on Stage to Screen Writers Retreat

Sep 14, 2020

CROW’S THEATRE LAUNCHES FIRST NATIONWIDE OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR PROJECTS IN THEATRE, FILM, TV & DIGITAL PLATFORMS

In a year that has closed doors to playwrights and theatre-makers around the world, Crow’s Theatre is launching two initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for creators in theatre, film, television and other media, as well as augmenting the company’s own producing vision. The first is the Crow’s Theatre/Mongrel Media Loughborough Lake Writer’s Retreat, a stage-to-screen writer’s retreat launched in partnership with Mongrel Media, a leading independent film distributor, and its founder, Hussain Amarshi. The second is an open call for multi-platform submissions for creators telling stories on stage, television, film, and other digital formats.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Mongrel as we launch the first of two new initiatives that will will create pathways for theatre creators to make or adapt work for the digital, film and media spaces,” says Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director, Chris Abraham. Hussain Amarshi, Founder of Mongrel Media adds, “The Loughborough Lake Writer’s retreat will help create more visibility and advancement opportunities for dramatic writers at a time when stages are darkened.”

The Loughborough Lake Writer’s Retreat is a stage-to-screen incubator and lab for writers and creators. Held biannually, the week-long lab is open to artists from across Canada and will take place at a newly constructed private retreat on Loughborough Lake, three hours from Toronto. The retreat fosters skill development through guided workshops, individual and group-based story-editing sessions, as well as networking opportunities aimed at forging relationships between creators and visiting industry professionals. The retreat will accept 10 artists every iteration. The inaugural iteration will take place May 30, 2021 – June 4, 2021 and will be led by Canadian playwright and screenwriter, Daniel Goldfarb.

Daniel made his Broadway debut with MARTIN SHORT: FAME BECOMES ME. His plays include LEGACY (Williamstown Theatre Festival), CRADLE AND ALL and SARAH, SARAH (Manhattan Theatre Club), THE RETRIBUITIONISTS (Playwrights Horizons), MODERN ORTHODOX (Dodger Stages), and ADAM BAUM AND THE JEW MOVIE (Blue Light).  On television, Daniel is a writer/producer on seasons two, three, and four of Amazon’s Emmy and Golden Globe winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and his pilot, Julia, for HBOMax is set to shoot, starring Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child.  Daniel is a graduate of The Juilliard School and NYU’s Department of Dramatic Writing at Tisch (BFA, MFA), where he is an Assistant Arts Professor and was Area Head of Playwriting from 2013-2017. 

Daniel has been Emmy-nominated this year for Season 3 of THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. 

As part of our commitment to inclusive storytelling, at least 50% of the individuals selected to attend the retreat will be drawn from IBPOC communities, with additional priority placed on creators representing other equity-seeking groups.

Applications Open: Now!

Deadline to submit: October 11th, 2020 @ 11:59pm (DEADLINE EXTENDED). For submissions details and criteria, see below.

NATION WIDE MULTI- PLATFORM OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

In addition to the Crow’s Theatre/Mongrel Media Loughborough Lake Writer’s Retreat, Crow’s Theatre is delighted to announce an open call for submission to storytellers with interests in dramatic storytelling across a wider array of platforms – film, television, documentary, limited series, podcasts, audio-plays, or stage. Our first Nationwide Multi-Platform Open Call For Submissions will be open to Canadian artists nationwide. The call will be supported by an initial $100,000 investment spread across approximately 7-12 selected projects through option agreements and commissions (to be negotiated with individual creators once selected).

“In keeping with our curatorial vision to nurture creativity, foster innovation and stimulate dialogue and exchange, Crow’s Theatre is inviting artists from different storytelling practices, backgrounds and cultural communities to collaborate with us. We hope to meet with creators who want to write new, or adapt existing material, for screens, stages, and digital platforms. We look forward to embarking on new development relationships with creators that bring new insights, ideas and concepts that illuminate the pivotal narratives of our times,” says Sherrie Johnson, Executive Director

Rouvan Silogix, Associate Artistic Director - New Play, Media Projects and Artist Development adds,  “We’re already developing new television projects of our own, including our previously announced partnership with Sienna Films and CBC to develop a 30-minute television adaption of Stars:Together. As we advance in this space, we really look forward to blowing open the possibilities of who and how we collaborate with creators. We hope this call will interest artists across all platforms, while still encouraging those creating new work for the stage to submit.”

As part of our commitment to inclusive storytelling, at least 50% of the individuals tapped to work with Crow’s through the Multi-Platform Open Call will be drawn from IBPOC communities, with additional priority placed on creators representing other equity-seeking groups.

The Nationwide Multi-Platform Open Call for Submissions is open to artists across all platforms: theatre; scripted & unscripted television; films, web-series; audio plays; and podcasts, and allows for the potential for projects to begin on stage and move through multiple exhibition formats.

This Nationwide Multi-Platform Open Call For Submissions is open to projects in all stages of development. From completed un-optioned pilots, to not-yet-written film treatments or plays, Crow’s Theatre is interested in optioning and developing projects, opening doors to new relationships with artists at any stage of a project’s cycle.

The different categories our submissions fall under are: (1) Theatre, (2) Television (On-Going or Limited Series), (3) Feature-Length Film, (4) Documentary / Nonfiction (Film or Limited Series), (5) Podcasts, Audio-Plays, and Audio-Based Projects, (6) Multi-Platform Projects and (7) Other / Miscellaneous.

Applications Open: September 21st, 2020.

Deadline to submit: October 18th, 2020 @ 11:59pm

For full submission details for both programs, see below, or visit www.crowstheatre.com/pages/writers

Media Contact: Tanya Doroslovac | Director of Marketing & Communications | Crow’s Theatre
tanya@crowstheatre.com 
647-968-5510

About Mongrel Media & Crow’s Theatre

Mongrel Media is a leading independent film distributor focused on bringing the best of local and world cinema to Canadian audiences. Founded in 1994 by Hussain Amarshi, Mongrel Media has built a reputation as a distinct and innovative brand with discerning taste. Mongrel Media prides itself on building bold and bespoke distribution strategies for each film, with Quebec distribution handled by Métropole Films. Mongrel Media is the exclusive distributor of Sony Pictures Classics films in Canada.

Starting with THE SILENCES OF THE PALACES, the Mongrel library has grown to thousands of titles, including Palme d’Or winners SHOPLIFTERS, I, DANIEL BLAKE, TASTE OF CHERRY, THE WHITE RIBBON and THE CHILD; Oscar winners CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, A FANTASTIC WOMAN, THE GREAT BEAUTY and AMOUR; some of the best Canadian films like Aisling Walsh’s MAUDIE, John Crowley’s BROOKLYN, Deepa Mehta’s WATER, Sarah Polley’s AWAY FROM HER and STORIES WE TELL, Jennifer Baichwal’s MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES and Kim Nguyen’s REBELLE; and acclaimed films by some of the world’s finest directors such as Joel & Ethan Coens’ INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Pedro Almodovar’s TALK TO HER and Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD.

Crow’s Theatre is distinguished as a preeminent cultural destination for its far-reaching imagination, ideas, exchange, diversity and grassroots belief in how artists and their work can change and sustain the life of communities. Crow’s Theatre is accessible to people of all backgrounds and ages. Crow’s Theatre is a catalyst in the community focusing on transformative experiences in unexpected places through the universality of the arts. We seed projects and collaborations with Canadian artists and companies that are engaged in the examination of our culture’s pivotal narratives in ways that are direct yet complex, entertaining and challenging; a process that leads us to regularly reconsider, reimagine and redefine the possibilities of the theatre.

In our home at Streetcar Crowsnest, Crow’s Theatre is a unique addition to the ecology of Toronto’s non-profit arts scene, filling a long-standing need for a year-round venue in the East End of Toronto.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

The Loughborough Lake Writer’s Retreat

Submissions are open to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have reached the age of majority in their residing province.

All applications will be reviewed by the Crow’s Theatre artistic team. We may contact artists for more information where required. Successful applicants will be informed of the results of the submission process by Dec. 15th, 2020.

 All applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

  • Quality of project
  • Potential for project to be taken from stage to screen
  • Impact the retreat can have on progressing the project

The program, workshops, training, meals, and accommodations are provided at NO COST to all accepted participants. Artists are responsible to coordinate and provide their own travel arrangements*. 

As part of our commitment to inclusive storytelling, at least 50% of the individuals selected to attend the retreat will be drawn from IBPOC communities, with additional priority placed on creators representing other equity-seeking groups.

To submit, please provide: 

  • OUTLINE of project you wish to take to screen (1-pg)
  • WRITING SAMPLE of the project, or similar, relevant sample (5-pg MAX)
  • RESUME / BIO

Please submit your materials to Associate Artistic Director, Rouvan Silogix as one (1) PDF document to submissions@crowstheatre.com with subject heading: “LOUGHBOROGH LAKE WRITER’S RETREAT - (project title)”. 

*Crow’s Theatre will provide a letter of support for artists applying to the CCA or other organizations for travel grants and similar bursaries.

Disclaimer
Crow’s Theatre reserves the right to change all timelines and procedures without notice or explanation if it is deemed necessary or if it will better serve the application and review process. Crow’s Theatre is not responsible for any troubleshooting and other problems that may go wrong during the electronic application process. The artist is responsible for making sure all application materials have been received in full by the Crow’s Theatre artistic team before the deadline. Crow’s Theatre has sole discretion to determine eligibility and reserves right to change eligibility requirements at any time. Crow’s Theatre also reserves the right to select workshop participants as it sees fit.

Applications Open: Now!

Deadline: Sunday, October 11, @ 11:59pm. (DEADLINE EXTENDED)

Nationwide Multi-Platform Open Call For Submissions

The Nationwide Multi-Platform Open Call For Submissions is open to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have reached the age of majority in their residing province.

All applications will be reviewed by the Crow’s Theatre artistic team. We may contact artists for more information where required. Shortlisted projects and artists who move on to Stage 2 will be contacted via e-mail for a meeting (or e-meeting). Selected projects will be supported through commissions and optioning arrangements with Crow’s Theatre. These terms will be agreed to in conjunction with the artist, tailored to how we deem we can best progress and serve your project.

Artists MUST own all global copyrights for any projects submitted. 

All applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

  • Quality of project
  • Clarity of proposal, and the correlation of the project to its desired medium
  • Potential for Crow’s Theatre to significantly contribute to the further development of the project

As part of our commitment to inclusive storytelling, at least 50% of the individuals tapped to work with Crow’s through the Multi-Platform Open Call will be drawn from IBPOC communities, with additional priority placed on creators representing other equity-seeking groups.

To submit, please follow the instructions carefully. 

The Project Categories we are currently considering: 

  1. Theatre
  2. Television / On-Going Series
  3. Feature-Length Film
  4. Documentary / Nonfiction (Film or Limited Series)
  5. Podcasts / Audio-Plays / Other Audio-Based Projects
  6. Multi-Platform Projects
  7. Other / Miscellaneous (Projects that do not fit any other listed category). 

If you have any questions, please send them to Rouvan Silogix at rouvan@crowstheare.com. 

 

Applications open: September 21st, 2020

 

Deadline to submit: October 18th, 2020 @ 11:59pm 

  • Online Form: Fill & submit your projects basic information on our online form (found at www.crowstheatre.com/writers). Form fields:
  • Name of artist(s) / collective / organization
  • Union Affiliations
  • Contact Phone number & E-mail address
  • Project Title
  • Project Category
  • Logline (MAX 1-sentence)
  • Short Description (MAX 1-paragraph)
  • Project Materials: E-mail the following as 1 PDF to Associate Artistic Director, Rouvan Silogix at submissions@crowstheatre.com) - Please title your e-mail “MULTI-PLATFORM OPEN CALL - (Project Title)”
  • Outline:  Please outline your idea and synopsis. Why do you want to tell this story? Why is it important? Discuss the bigger ideas of your project. Where relevant, tell us about the form, genre and/or style of your project. Please include any development history the project may have had. (MAX 2-pages).
  • Bio: Please submit bio(s) of only the lead artists.
  • Submission Release: ALL submissions MUST be accompanied with our standard submission release form which will be released when applications open. Submissions without this release attached will not be considered.

Disclaimer

Crow’s Theatre reserves the right to change all timelines and procedures without notice or explanation if it is deemed necessary or if it will better serve the application and review process. Crow’s Theatre is not responsible for any troubleshooting and other problems that may go wrong during the electronic application process. The artist is responsible for making sure all application materials have been received in full by the Crow’s Theatre artistic team before the deadline. Crow’s Theatre has sole discretion to determine eligibility and reserves right to change eligibility requirements at any time. Crow’s Theatre also reserves the right to allocate funds as Crow’s Theatre sees fit. Selected artists understand that an option or development agreement must first be signed with Crow’s Theatre before any funds will be distributed.

All applications materials will be handled with privacy, being available only to the Crow’s Theatre artistic team for the single purpose of this open call. No materials or information will ever be published or shared publicly or privately.

All applicants understand that entries are not complete until you have acknowledged and accepted all rules, regulations, and policies by signing and attaching the submission release. The submission release will be made available as soon as applications open.