Registration is now open for the first edition of Pitch Impact Picbois!

What is Pitch Impact Picbois?

Pitch Impact Picbois, presented as part of Rendez-vous Pro Québec Cinéma, gives a group of creators the opportunity to present their original impact documentary projects in a public pitch on April 27. The cohort selected for the Picbois Impact Pitch will receive support and training to prepare their pitches. This is an opportunity to obtain development support from Picbois. The pitches will be presented to industry members.

Pitch Impact Picbois and its training sessions will be conducted exclusively in French. Selected candidates will be required to pitch their projects in French.

Picbois is looking for

Good stories, good topics, bold angles, and hot topics.
Documentary projects in series, feature film, or single-episode formats, for both television and theatrical release. The format should serve the story and the subject.
Creative professionals in the field, including screenwriters, directors, journalists, and concept developers. From all regions of Quebec.

Who is eligible?

The call for projects is open to screenwriters, directors, creators, journalists, and creative professionals working on the development of an impactful documentary project that meets the following criteria:

Be 18 years of age or older at the time of registration;
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and reside primarily in Quebec;
Not be contractually bound to a producer or production company for this project;
Submit an original project for which the creators hold exclusive copyright;
The documentary formats sought are: series, feature films, or single episodes, for both television and theatrical release;
Be available on April 9 and 16 for training sessions and on April 27, 2026, in person for the pitch.

Through this initiative, Picbois seeks projects with the potential to become impactful documentaries, supported by innovative marketing and distribution strategies designed to engage audiences and inspire social change.

Prize offered by Picbois

Participants selected to join the 2026 cohort will receive:

Two (2) training and coaching sessions from Picbois to help them prepare their pitches (April 9 and 16, 2026).
One (1) accreditation for all Rendez-vous Pro activities for selected participants.

Picbois will select one (1) winning project that stands out during the public pitch session, which will receive a prize worth a total of $10,000, including:

$5,000 in compensation for project development.*In accordance with the current and applicable collective agreements.
One (1) year of professional coaching from the Picbois teams for the duration of the project’s development.

Selection criteria

The strength of the subject and its quality as an impact project.
The project’s ability to reach and engage a wide audience.
Uniqueness of perspective and/or angle.
The boldness of the proposal.
The creators’ personal and professional experience in relation to the proposed project.
Particular attention is paid to historically underrepresented populations: Indigenous peoples, people of African descent, racialized peoples, LGBTQIA2+, women, and/or people with disabilities.

How to apply?

Eligible applicants are invited to submit the following items via this application form before March 30 at 12 p.m. (noon):

A presentation document in French (maximum 3 pages) outlining the subject, its angle, format, progress, and any other information deemed relevant by the creators;
A letter of intent: why you want to do this project and why you want to be part of the Pitch Impact Picbois cohort (maximum one page);
An up-to-date resume or filmography;
A short biography (maximum 250 words);
Relevant visual material (optional).

Eligibility criteria

The project must be in the development stage.
Be 18 years of age or older at the time of registration.
Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and reside primarily in Quebec.
Not be contractually bound to a producer or production company for this project.
Submit an original project for which the creators hold exclusive copyright.
Be available on April 9 and 16, 2026, for training sessions and on April 27, 2026, for the pitch.

Schedule

Preparing for the pitch

Call for projects closes: March 30, 2026, at noon.
The selected cohort will be notified by April 7, 2026, at the latest.
A training session entitled Pitch 101 will be given by Picbois Productions to all cohort participants on April 9, 2026.
A group work session with all cohort participants will be held on April 16, 2026, to prepare for the public presentation of the projects.

Pitch day

On April 27, 2026, as part of Rendez-vous Pro, the cohort will present their projects to a panel of industry professionals selected by Picbois and the Rendez-vous Pro audience.
On site, you will receive constructive feedback on your projects from the panel and industry professionals in attendance.
The winning project will be selected on site, on the day of the event.