The Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award application
The deadline to apply is Friday, July 11, 2025
The Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award recognizes the impressive potential of an up-and-coming producer of Canadian feature film or series projects, including short form series, showcasing their potential to shape the future of the industry.
The Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award includes a $10,000 prize.
Five nominees will be selected from the applicants by a jury consisting of three industry leaders, chaired by the previous year’s Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award winner.
The jury will spend a significant amount of time reviewing answers to the questions posed in the application form. It is recommended that applicants take care and provide detailed, thoughtful responses. Your effort in writing up your answers can influence the jury’s evaluation of your submission.
Nominated producers are encouraged to attend the awards, in person, in Toronto, ON, on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The CMPA will provide a travel stipend for the nominated producer to attend the event, if they are based outside of the Greater Toronto Area.
Eligibility criteria
- Applicant(s) must apply with one “qualifying project.” This can be a feature film, a series or a short-form series.
- Eligible applicant(s) may have produced, in aggregate, three or fewer projects, inclusive of feature film, series or short form series. The combination of projects may include the following: up to three feature films, up to two short form series, one full length series, as long as the total number of projects produced is three or fewer.
- Individuals who have produced more than the maximum number of projects outlined above can apply for either the TV Producer Indiescreen Award or Feature Film Producer Indiescreen Award.
- The qualifying project must:
- Be a CAVCO-certified Canadian production (in the case of co-productions, the film must be a majority Canadian production);
- Have premiered or aired, or be slated to premiere or air, at a film festival, through a broadcaster, or any streaming service in the 2025 calendar year; and,
- If the project is a series, it must have two or more episodes to be considered a “qualifying project”. Series formats for consideration include kids and adult animation, unscripted/factual, lifestyle, game shows, comedy, drama and limited series.
- The qualifying project cannot be submitted by another applicant for any of the other Indiescreen Awards categories.
- Winners of the Kevin Tierney Emerging Indiescreen Producer Award may apply again only after three years have passed since their win, including this year’s applications.
- Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
- Applicants are not required to be CMPA members.
Materials needed:
- Headshot(s) of producer (or producing team)
- Screener link for the qualifying film or one completed episode of the series (with screener password, if applicable)
- Publicity still(s) for the qualifying project
Please ensure headshot(s) and publicity still(s) are high-quality images, suitable for printing.
Apply below:
FAQs
Any independent producer who has produced, in aggregate, three or fewer projects, inclusive of feature film, series or short form series. The combination of projects may include the following: up to three feature films, up to two short form series, one full length series, as long as the total number of projects produced is three or fewer.
No, you do not need to be a CMPA member to apply for the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award.
Previous winners of the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Indiescreen Award winners may apply again after three years, if they meet the published eligibility requirements.
The winners will be announced at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), in an awards ceremony on Thursday, September 4, 2025. More details to come