Returning for its third year, the CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund, presented by CJ Cultural Foundation and TIFF in collaboration with KOFIC, is a programme that aims to foster, support, and champion Korean Canadian and Korean American filmmakers looking to develop their first or second feature film.

Eight writers or writer-directors will be selected to participate in a four-month story development process with support and guidance from CJ ENM, a leading global entertainment company that creates must-see dramas, award-winning movies, and amazing reality entertainment.

After the mentorship, three projects will be selected by a jury and awarded $10,000 CAD each to further their Korean Canadian or Korean American feature-length films and their careers.

All successful projects awarded with funding are required to include TIFF and CJ Cultural Foundation logos in the final credits of their completed film.

Benefits:
○ Eight selected projects will receive up to four mentorship sessions with CJ ENM from March to June, 2026
○ Mentorship from TIFF: The Market team
○ Inclusion in TIFF Talent alumni network

After the mentorship, three selected scripts will each be awarded:
○ Development prize of $10,000 CAD
○ Travel and accommodations to attend TIFF 2026
○ Three additional months of mentorship from CJ ENM

APPLICATION MATERIALS

The following materials are required for your project submission:

1. Script treatment (5-15 pages)
2. Applicant resume/CV and filmography (2 pages)
3. Applicant biography (150-300 words max) & headshot (.jpg format)
4. One project pitch video (2 minutes max)
5. One video sample of work written by the applicant (1 minute max)
6. Completed custom form submission

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST - Before starting and submitting your CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund application, please review the checklist below and make sure you meet all criteria.

1. ELIGIBILITY
You meet the eligibility requirements for the CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund and agree to provide all the required submission materials. Please see below for all eligibility requirements.

2. PROJECT FILE
You have created a new video project under the “My Projects” section of your FilmFreeway profile for this specific programme application.

Name your video project submission “FIRST AND LAST NAME – CJ & TIFF K-STORY FUND – 2026”

3. VIDEO MATERIALS
You have uploaded the following materials listed below to your video project submission:

A video pitch (2 minutes maximum) about your narrative feature film script. The video should tell us: a bit about your project; your creative approach/voice; and why you’d like to participate in the CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund.
○ The jury will not be evaluating the quality of the video but the statements made by the applicant. Your pitch video can be recorded on a cell phone or laptop.

○ UPLOADING: Please upload your pitch video to the “Add an Online Screener” section of your FilmFreeway Project page.

A clip (1 minute maximum) from a previous project on which you are credited as writer or writer-director. Please follow these guidelines for your clip submission:
○ After the project title on the video file, include in parentheses if the clip is from a short, feature, or series.
○ Your video sample must be from a narrative project.
○ Clip must include English subtitles if the language spoken is not English.
○ Not accepted: demo reels, trailers, commercials, and music videos, full films or episodes with time codes.
○ You must provide context in the “Clip Description” box in the Custom Form as to how your selected clip is relevant to your submitted project.

○ UPLOADING: Please upload your sample clip in the “Add a Trailer” section of your FilmFreeway project page.

4. WRITTEN MATERIALS
The following supporting documents added as PDF documents to the “Files & Attachments” section of your FilmFreeway project page:

○The applicant’s resume/CV and filmography (project title, year, role or roles, festivals/platforms screened, and a maximum of five awards or nominations received per project)
○ A film treatment of at least 5 pages but no more than 15

5. APPLICANT BIOGRAPHY AND HEADSHOT
Please upload your headshot as a JPEG to your project in the “Director” section of your FilmFreeway video project. Please copy and paste your professional biography into the “Director’s Bio” section on the same page.

6. CUSTOM FORM
After saving your new project, return to the CJ & TIFF K-Story Fund FilmFreeway event page to fill out the Custom Form application in full.

Rules & Terms

Applications are open to emerging or mid-career screenwriters or writer-directors who are Korean Canadian or Korean American.

Applicants must provide proof of residency in Canada or the United States but do not have to be citizens or permanent residents.

Applicants must be at least 18-years of age at the time of submission.

Applicants may be post-secondary students, if they are currently in a graduate program.

Applicants must have at least one writing credit on a previously completed (short or feature) film and may have additional credits as actors, producers and/or art directors.

Applicants cannot be a co-writer on the project. Projects submitted can only have one writer attached, and the writer must be the applicant.

Applicants must be the rights holder of the script and all related materials.

If submitting an adaptation, the applicant must be able to provide a fully executed copyright agreement that clearly states that they own copyright on all materials related to the project.

Only one submission per applicant will be considered.

Submitted scripts and application material must be in English, although the final film may be a Korean-language film.

In order to be considered for one of the $10,000 CAD development awards, participants must submit a first draft of their screenplay by July 3, 2026. Scripts not complete by this date will not be considered for the award.

After the programme, recipients of the development award must submit a new draft of their screenplay by November 2026.