TORONTO – The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is partnering with RBC on a new initiative called the Music Video Production Project (MVP Project) to support and promote emerging Canadian recording artists and filmmakers.
Established by RBCxMusic and the Prism Prize, the MVP Project will be administered by The Canadian Academy, and will enable Canadian creatives to explore their craft, hone their filmmaking skills, and encourage growth within their respective industries, reads the news release. The Canadian Academy has also officially acquired the Prism Prize, which will be fully integrated into the national organization.
The MVP Project is open to recording artists and/or directors who identify as "Emerging Artists". Over two rounds of funding support for artists and storytellers will be offered through music video production grants valued between $5,000 and $15,000, and each round will also include a curated component to foster an existing director/recording artist relationship. In addition to the grants, successful candidates will receive mentorship and networking opportunities.
Applications will be assessed by a peer-based jury of music and media professionals with representation from all Canadian regions. Submissions for the first round of the MVP Project open October 1 through November 1, 2018, and the second round of applications will open in January 2019. Successful applicants will be announced eight to 12 weeks after the final application deadline for each round.
"Canadian music video directors are bringing into the world some of the most exciting, creative and genre-busting visual stories of our time," said Louis Calabro, programming VP for the Canadian Academy and founder of the Prism Prize, in the release. "We see an undisputed urgency and relevance to the work of music video and we could not be more excited to welcome these often-overlooked filmmakers into the Canadian Academy fold."
The new MVP Project is part of the RBC Emerging Artists Project, which helps artists to bridge the gap from emerging to established, and supports organizations that provide the best opportunity to advance their career trajectory.
