Program Overview
The GEMS – Whistler Film Festival (WFF) Market Preparation Mentorship is a development program that provides a producer, director or writer the opportunity to take a feature film or series concept to market.
The chosen mentee will receive a WFF Industry Pass to attend the Whistler Film Festival + Content Summit on December 4—8, as well as a personal coaching session with an experienced producer prior to the festival. This private coaching session will cover several topics to prepare the Mentee to pitch their project(s) during the WFF Content + Summit.
Key Dates
Program Outline
The goal of the mentorship will be to provide the recipient with an opportunity to prepare their project pitch for presentation to potential collaborators, funders and partners at the Whistler Film Festival. The recipient will receive valuable insight into how to pitch their project, and build their career.
Prior to the festival, the mentee will participate in personal coaching sessions with a mentor personally chosen by WFF and GEMS.
Topics for personal coaching may include:
- Creating a one-sheet
- Pitching advice
- Who is buying what?
- Which funders to target with your project
- How to add cachet and marketable elements to your project
- How to build an audience for the project
- How to market your project
Following the personal coaching session, the mentee will attend the festival to pitch their project.
Cost and Payment
The program is free of cost. GEMS will cover accommodations for three (3) weeknights in Whistler. The mentee is responsible for all other travel and expenses while at the festival.
There is an application fee ($30 + GST). We are committed to removing barriers for underrepresented filmmakers. If this fee poses a significant barrier, please email shay@gemsvancouver.org.
Please ensure you have an active membership and are logged in to access the payment widget below.
Applicant Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if you:
- Are a current voting member of GEMS (you may join at the time of application)
- Identify as female or gender diverse
- Reside in British Columbia
- Are a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, and are aged 19 or over
- Have a feature film project or a series project (documentary or fiction) in development suitable for pitching at the festival
- Own the intellectual property rights of the submitted project
- Are available to attend WFF in December
- Can create social media posts for GEMS and WFF during the festival dates
- Are willing to actively participate in social media engagement to promote the festival and GEMS programs
- Will complete a final report within two weeks of completing the mentorship, to be submitted to both WFF and GEMS
Application Requirements
- Completed Application including upload of Required Materials (listed below)
- Application Fee paid
Please have the following ready when submitting your application:
-
- A one-page synopsis of your feature film or series project
- Applicant CV with filmography (max. 2 pages)
- A one-page description of the project’s development history to date, and listing any attached key creatives (include bio/info links, if possible)
- A one-page letter outlining how you and your project will benefit from the mentorship
- Receipt of your payment to GEMS
Please note that each of the required materials should come as a single PDF file, and should be named using the format FIRSTNAMELASTNAME_COMPONENT (for example: JANEDOE_LETTEROFINTENT, etc).
Application Instructions
The application requires three steps:
- Verify your eligibility (purchase a membership if you don’t already have one), and pay the application fee via the link above.
- Fill out the application form via the link above.
- Submit your materials via the Dropbox link in the form.
If you have any questions about the application process or require accessibility support, please email shay@gemsvancouver.org.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed and selected by an independent jury of industry professionals and WFF representatives and will be announced by GEMS in early October.
Mentors & Project Pairing
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Full participation is required. Applicants will have an opportunity to declare any barriers to their full participation such as childcare, travel or accommodation, when applying. If selected, GEMS will provide funds to assist with barriers.
All copyright remains with the mentee.
You have to be a current voting member and you must log in to access the payment system.
Program Partner
The Whistler Film Festival Society is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must-attend festival for artists, industry and audiences in Whistler. Find out more at whistlerfilmfestival.com.
