Docs on the Spot

Lunenburg Doc Fest (LDF) is shining the spotlight on Nova Scotia's aspiring filmmakers! The Launch: Documentary Development & Pitch Contest, a barrier-breaking initiative aimed at nurturing the talents of emerging underrepresented filmmakers, returns to Lunenburg Doc Fest, September 23, 2023.

Thanks to the generous support of CBC and the Bell Fund, LDF’s The Launch offers the finalists a chance to win invaluable mentorship and a prize package to bring a short documentary to life over the upcoming year. Five finalists will step into the limelight at the 2023 Lunenburg Doc Fest to pitch their documentary projects, competing for a $10,000 prize package including cash and in-kind filmmaking services.

Pamela Segger, Executive Director of Lunenburg Doc Fest, states, "The Launch initiative helps dismantle barriers for budding diverse filmmakers who aspire to create their debut or sophomore documentaries. The professional growth, industry exposure, and exceptional rewards built into this program can be truly transformative, empowering fresh voices and Nova Scotian narratives to light up our screens."

This finalists’ journey begins with a series of professional development workshops that focus on elevating story and pitch presentations. The participants will be introduced to regional and international decision-makers within the film industry. The finalists will also be granted exclusive all-access passes to the tenth edition of Lunenburg Doc Fest, including The Dock Market industry conference and a variety of networking events taking place from September 21 to 27, 2023.

The Launch finalists will take centre stage at Lunenburg Doc Fest on the afternoon of Saturday, September 23, 2023. The pitch contest will captivate a live audience and professional jury comprised of screen industry stakeholders. The winner will be unveiled that very evening. The audience can win too – all audience voters will be entered for a chance to win a Lunenburg Doc Fest prize package including local goodies and a Film Pass to Lunenburg Doc Fest 2024.

The winning filmmaker will be matched with an expert mentor, ensuring personalized guidance as they craft their documentary over the next year. The short documentary created through this program will premiere at the 2024 Lunenburg Doc Fest.

The finalists of Lunenburg Doc Fest’s 2^nd The Launch $10,000 pitch contest include:

Brandon Boyd, born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is an autistic independent filmmaker with a goal of telling neurodiverse stories in the film industry and has a vision for a new wave of neurodivergent / disability content. Brandon believes representation matters and in the industry there are not a lot of stories being told about his experience. He wants to become one of the many to voice advocacy in their projects.

Saif Chowdhury, an emerging filmmaker from Bangladesh, embarked on a transformative journey when he moved to Halifax as an international student nine years ago. His academic background in Psychology and Global Development Studies, combined with training in TV Broadcasting, has equipped him with a diverse skill set. Passionate about storytelling, Saif brings a well-rounded approach to crafting socio-cultural documentaries that foster a deeper understanding of the human experience and inspire meaningful conversations.

Israel Ekanem is a Nigerian-born award-winning storyteller. At a young age, his grandmother introduced him to the art of storytelling, and it quickly became his passion. His writing, directing and producing credits include the award-winning, Drown the Lovers, Kill Your Masters, Good Earth: The Pots And Passions Of Walter Ostrom and A Walk In The Sun. He believes that a story properly told can change the world, one person at a time.

Alek Green is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker currently based in Atlantic Canada. He is most influenced by nature and community and love.

Brody Weaver is a white-settler media artist, researcher and educator living and learning in Kjipuktuk. She has a BA in Art History and Contemporary Culture from NSCAD U and was a Media Art Scholar at the Centre for Art Tapes from 2022-23 in collaboration with Elliot Ciz, where she made a feature length documentary on trans* people, relationship(s) to health care, and the depth of knowledge that this community holds.

To learn more about this remarkable opportunity visit https://lunenburgdocfest.com/industry/the-launch/.

The Launch 2023 is made possible with the generous support of our partners, including the Bell Fund, CBC, the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP), Centre For Art Tapes (CFAT) and Village Works.