LIVE OPTION! presented by Raindance Canada and Without A Flock is Canada's first-ever live pitch/feature screenplay acquisition competition!

The Grand Prize winner will receive CAD$1,000 cash PLUS a 2-year option deal from Without A Flock Films & Distribution.

"At Without A Flock we want to create relationships with the next wave of screenwriters by meeting them and their original scripts at an event that mimics the pressure of production. Ali, Neil and I are excited to partner with Raindance Canada and hear the original screen stories of the most innovative voices entering our industry."
- Without A Flock Producer Al Magee (Highway 61, Trailer Park Boys, Little Mosque on the Prairie)

How it works:
1) Submit your feature screenplay online exclusively at FilmFreeway

2) The Top 10 Finalists will be notified on October 23 and invited to attend a free pitch workshop in Toronto on November 11 hosted by Raindance Canada and led by the Without A Flock partners -- Al Magee, Ali Mashayekhi and Neil Huber

3) Finalists pitch their screenplays at the LIVE OPTION! pitch event on November 13 hosted by Raindance Founder Elliot Grove and juried by the Without A Flock partners

4) The Grand Prize winner and 2 Runners-Up will be selected by the jury that night!

**Raindance Members receive USD$15 off the submission fee by using the code RDCMEMBERLATE when submitting**

Grand Prize
CAD$1,000 cash plus a 2-year option deal with Without A Flock Films & Distribution

1st Runner-Up
Raindance Canada film training package worth CAD$1,000

2nd Runner-Up
Raindance Canada film training package worth CAD$500

All Top 10 Finalists
- Free one-day pitch workshop with the Without A Flock partners worth CAD$225
- One-year membership at Raindance Canada worth CAD$125

1. Scripts submitted to the competition must NOT have been previously optioned, purchased or produced at the time of entry.

2. Scripts submitted to the competition must not have received awards from other competitions at the time of entry.

3. Scripts submitted to the competition must not have received grants from other organizations at the time of entry.

4. Co-written material is permitted. In the event a winning script has multiple writers, the writers must provide a partnership agreement before any award may be granted.

5. Scripts must be feature length and submitted in proper format and must not exceed 110 pages.

6. All genres will be accepted.

7. All scripts must be original. If any script is found to violate this rule, it will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from consideration.

8. Submitters must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

9. Submitters, including all co-writers, must be at least 19 years old by the time of the Live Event.

10. All finalists must be available to travel to Toronto to attend the pitch workshop on November 11 (10am to 5pm) and to pitch their screenplay at the live event on November 13 (7pm to 11pm). Travel and accommodation will NOT be provided by LIVE OPTION!

11. All finalists must sign a media release provided by LIVE OPTION!

12. The LIVE OPTION! readers’ decisions are final.

13. LIVE OPTION! is not responsible for screenplays lost due to technical difficulty.

14. LIVE OPTION! does not guarantee submitters will receive any feedback.

15. Submitters must agree to all Terms and Conditions before submitting any material.

16. Screenplays must be submitted online through FilmFreeway and in pdf format. Hard copy via regular mail will not be accepted.

Awards

- Top 10 Finalists, chosen by LIVE OPTION! shall be invited to attend a Pitch Workshop and Live Pitching Event

- The winning script will be awarded with a CAD$1,000 cash prize and granted a 2-year option agreement by LIVE OPTION! partner Without A Flock Distribution; the winner must execute the option agreement before receiving the CAD$1,000 cash prize; if the winning script has multiple writers, all writers must execute the option agreement and the cash prize will be divided evenly

- Two runners-up will also be selected and be granted film training prizes by LIVE OPTION! partner Raindance Canada

- All Top 10 finalists will be granted a one-year membership to Raindance Canada

Key Dates

- Submissions open: August 16, 2017
- Regular deadline: October 7, 2017
- Late deadline: October 17, 2017
- Top 10 Finalists announced: October 23, 2017
- Pitch Workshop: November 11, 2017
- Live Pitching Event: November 13, 2017

Overall Rating
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Value
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  • Ryan George

    Great competition. The workshop was very informative and the pitch was a lot of fun!

    November 2017