This year, Crazy8s hit a new record of 201 video pitches, and after reviewing them tirelessly over the past 2 weeks, the Pitch Jury unanimously decided to choose 42 film pitches to advance to the live-pitch stage!

The live pitches will be held November 25 & 26th, in front of a new jury of film and TV industry professionals. The Top 12 final pitches will then advance to the script stage, announced November 27th!

Here are the Crazy8s 2018 Top 42!

In alphabetical order by Film Title:

@Eloise – Director Jesse Boyko, Writers Jesse Boyko & Jenna Mae Diamante – SciFi

Black or Blue – Writer Murry Peeters – Drama

Bob – Directors Daniel Jeffery & Graeme Achurch, Writers Graeme Achurch & Daniel Jeffery, Producer Geoff Manton – SciFi / Comedy

Bordered – Director / Writer Anaïsa Visser – Drama

The Candy Bar War – Director / Writer David I. Strasser, Producer Jessica Randall and Graem Luis – Historical Drama

Cat in the Postman’s Bag – Director Kaio Kathriner, Writer Tom Malenica – Comedy

CC – Directors / Writers Kailey Spear & Sam Spear, Producer Natasha Wehn – SciFi / Drama

Cherry Blossoms in March – Director / Writer Riley Rheyan, Producer Thomas Emann – Art House / Drama

Cloaks and Daggers – Directors Kristina Hampton & Jordan Dueck, Writer Kristina Hampton, Producer Jonathan Chawla – Drama

The Companion – Director / Writer Michelle Brezinski – Comedy

Concrete – Director / Writer Milton Ng – Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Comedy

Dazzle Ships – Director Kristyn Stilling, Writer Jasmine Pullukatt & Kristyn Stilling, Producer Jasmine Pullukatt – Comedy

Defence – Director / Writer Hannah Drew – Drama

Extra-Ordinary Amy – Director Christopher Graham, Writer Zlatina Pacheva, Producer Kris McRonney – Dark Comedy / Horror

Film-Making The Musical – Director Ed Witzke, Writers Ed Witzke & Matt Ewart, Producer Ed Witzke & Matt Ewart – Musical

The Future of Me – Director Ray Raghavan, Writer Ray Raghavan, Producer Haydn Wazelle – SciFi / Drama

Gemini – Director / Writer Mily Mumford, Producer Phillip Planta – SciFi

Girl – Director Kathleen Mann, Writer Alison Brierley, Producer Alison Brierley, Producer Kathleen Mann – Drama

Girlship – Director Lucie Guest, Writer Lucie Guest, Producer Synnöve Godeseth – Comedy

The Hermit’s Couplet – Director Alex Miro, Writer Alex Miro, Producer Stefania Indelicato & Amanda Konkin – Comedy

Hero Singh – Director / Writer Jasleen Kaur – Comedy / Drama

How Did We Get Here? – Director / Writer Laura Adkin, Producers Lisa Durupt & Victoria Angell – Drama

Imperfect Harmony – Writer Jennifer Laporte – coming of age fantasy

The Jobs We Don’t Want – Director Larke Miller, Writer Larke Miller, Producer Justine Warrington – SciFi / RomCom

The Long Halloween – Director Akash Motwani, Writer Akash Motwani, Producer Satinder Dhillon – Drama

Long Way Down – Director/Writer Michael P. Vidler – Drama

My Blue Balloon – Director Trish Neufeld, Writer Steve Berry, Producers TBC – Drama

My Life with John Paul II – Director Ricardo Plaza, Writer Ricardo Plaza & Bobby Gorman, Producer Ryan Silva & Bobby Gorman – Comedy

Nut-Cracker – Director, Writer Jennifer Nicole Stang – Action / Comedy

OCD: Obsessive Christmas Disorder – Director Ellie Harvie, Writers Brenda Whitehall & Lynda Finch – Comedy

The OOO Block – Director Erik Horn, Writer Erik Horn, Producer Amanda Verhagen – Comedy

Power – Director / Writer Crystal Lowe, Producers Ashley Alexander & Phil Planta – Drama

(?) Questioning – Director Harrison Houde, Writer Kim Chinchilla, Producer Kimi Alexander – Dramedy

Shuttlecock – Director / Writer Melanie Jones, Lead Actor Rhona Rees – Comedy

Small Fish – Director / Writer Maxime Beauchamp, Producer Kent Donguines – Visual Drama

Sophie in the Mirror – Director Greg Melanson, Writer Ren Kennedy, Producer Nadia DiMofte – Drama

Sparks! – Director Hayley Gray, Writers Hayley Gray & David Chin, Producer David Chin & Tina Korki – Comedy

Suburban Desert – Director Shelby Wilson, Writers Shelby Wilson & Matt Seeley, Producer Justin MacGregor & Matt Seeley.- Action Thriller

Take Shelter – Director / Writer Jesse Pickett, Co-Producers Kathleen Mann & Brigitte Patenaude – Post-Apocalyptic

The Traveler – Director / Writer Kay Metchie, Producers Valerie Lopez & Hannah Kess – Action / Thriller

Vivid – Directors / Writers Athena Russell & Tiarra Sulyk, Producers Athena Russell & Tiarra Sulyk – Drama / Fantasy

Waiting for Ganesh – Director / Writer Jacques Lalonde, Producer Arun Fryer & Pat Bermel – Musical Comedy

Break a leg to all the filmmakers!

Meet the #Crazy8sFilms18 Top 12 in person at the Raindance Booze N’Schmooze – 7pm-10pm on Monday, November 27th at the Blarney Stone.

The post Crazy8s 2018 Top 42 Announcement appeared first on Biz Books.

After much deliberation, we are pleased to announce the Top 12 finalists who now advance to the script stage. Over the past weekend the incredible Top 40 pitched to our In-Person Jury comprised of our own Catherine Lough Haggquist, Glen Schaefer, Jem Garrard, Kaare Andrews, Katie Weekley and Zach Lipovsky. This was quite a difficult year for narrowing down the list! We seriously encourage everyone who pitched their film to keep persevering and get it made!

Here are the Crazy 8s 2016 – Top 12 Finalists!

Arranged
Director: Rohit Chokhani
Writers: Rohit Chokhani and Ashley Rose
Producer: Ashley Rose

An inter-racial couple embarks on a journey to bring an understanding of eastern traditions and western values to arrange their own wedding. How much will each family need to adapt to the others’ culture? Will they be able to coexist?

A Family of Ghosts
Director and Writer: Shannon Kohli
Producer: Rob Meekison

Even the grave can’t stop Abigail’s grandparents from ruining her love life.

Grocery Store Action Movie
Director: Matthew Campbell
Writers: Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson
Producers: Ryan Silva, David Kaye and Jameson Parker

A man on the brink of checking out realizes he has forgotten the crackers. In a race against time he will risk life and limb in an attempt at the impossible: retrieve the crackers before the person in front of him pays…

I Love You So Much It’s Killing Them
Director: Joel Ashton McCarthy
Writers: Joel Ashton McCarthy and Mike Doaga
Producers: Nach Dudsdeemaytha & Marena Dix

An unconventional rom-com told from the perspective of a serial killing accountant with a heart of gold

Iteration 1
Director: Jesse Lupini
Writers: Jesse Lupini and Lucas Kavanagh

A man must complete a series of bizarre puzzles with the help of his literal past lives, after waking up in a strange white room where his progress resets every 60 seconds

Meet Cute
Director: Patrick Currie
Writers: Patrick Currie and Brendan Green
Producer: Michele Picard

An unexpected first kiss initiates an unravelling in the lives of two strangers as they discover their undeniable attraction challenges everything they thought they knew about themselves.

Mystery Meat
Director: Jim Van Dijk
Writer: Hannah Van Dijk

When a Food Critic with the power to make or make or break her new restaurant comes for dinner, talented but anxious chef Harriet must battle her insecurities – which appear in the form of a giant pink rabbit – in order to create the perfect dish.

NPC
Director: Katherine Hill
Writer: R. Morgan Slade
Producers: Annette Reilly and Greg Delmage

After mysteriously losing out on one too many performance awards, a determined type-A desk worker must discover the truth behind her undeserving losing streak before her last chance at recognition is handed to the company’s current favourite: the office clown.

Resuscitate
Director: Chris Aitken and Denis Ogrinc
Writers: Chris Aitken and Denis Ogrinc
Producer: Rory W Tucker

Jon, an unambitious lifeguard, shocks a CPR dummy to life during his first aid training. Jon and the dummy become best friends during an adventurous afternoon and the two learn something about themselves they could not have done without each other.

Trying
Director and Writer: Shauna Johannesen
Producer: Lulu Pan

A seemingly simple decision becomes a wholly unsexy obsession for a 35-year-old high school teacher and her husband trying to penetrate the mysteries of biology and get knocked up.

Unintentional Mother
Director and Writer: Mary Galloway
Producer: Jaykaybie Brown

For an Aboriginal girl who must choose between running from her abusive father or staying as a devoted nanny, family is all about perspective.

Unlock
Directors: Orsy Szabo and Krista Rand
Writers: Alexandra Shewan, Orsy Szabo and Krista Rand

Unlock is a love story that follows Helena across Canada by train, as she retrieves a love lock and reclaims her freedom

The post Crazy8s 2016 Top 12 Finalists appeared first on Biz Books.

We are happy to share the Top 40 Finalists, as selected by the video pitch jury: Bill Hurst, Meghan Elie, Caitlin Byrnes, Paul Armstrong, Ines Eisses, and Kristyn Stilling.

Meet the Crazy 8s 2016 Top 40 Finalists!

Alphabetical by Team / Film Title

Abigail Kinch (Breathing Room)
Alayna Silverberg & Sean Tyson (The Mooner)
Andy Canete (Launey)
Antony Packer (The Trial)
Ashley Evans & Will Fitzgerald (Herculean)
Chelsey Moore & Carolyn Yonge (The Barber)
Chris Aitken (Resuscitate)
Connor Gaston & Ryan Bright (Smiley)
Darren Borrowman, Tom Belding & Bob Woolsey (Erwin)
Eric Boychuck & Lettie Costea (The Glitch)
Feet Banks (Are You Ready?)
Fiona Vroom & Jessie Fraser (Not Another Vampire Movie)
Greg Delmage & Annette Reilly (N.P.C.)
Hannah van Dijk & Jim van Dijk (Mystery Meat)
James Danderfer (Jass)
James Kingstone (Wheels on the Curb)
Jesse Lupini & Lucas Kavanagh (White Room)
Joel Ashton McCarthy & Nachapol Dudsdeemaytha (I Love You So Much It’s Killing Them)
Karen Nielsen, Christena Zatylny & Chelsey Stuyt (Perfection)
Kyle D’Odorico (Like A Thief In The Night)
Lelinh Du (You’ve Been Served)
Linda Rumney (Rehearsal)
Madeleine Davis (Transient in Stasis)
Marguerite Royer (Sky Divas)
Mary Galloway (Unintentional Mother)
Maya Saxell & Kim Oxlund (Edible)
Michael Campbell, Chris Wilson, Peter Carlone, Jameson Parker & Ryan Silva (Grocery Store Action Movie)
Natalie Goyarzu (Grasp)
Natalie Moon (Uncommon Courtesy)
Olesia Shewchuk (Sidewalk Battles)
Orsy Szabo & Krista Rand (Unlock)
Patrick Currie (Meet Cute)
Pauline Egan & Montgomery Burt (Lloyd’s Automotive)
Rohit Chokani & Ashley Rose (Arranged)
Sara Daruvala (The Chronic Blink)
Shannon Kohli (A Family of Ghosts)
Shauna Johannesen (Trying)
Tyson Laidler (East and West)
Veronika Kurz (20 Minutes to Life)
William Minsky (First Job)

The Top 40 pitch finalists will now go ahead and pitch November 27th & November 28th to our next set of judges who will select 12 teams to advance to the script stage of the competition.

The In-Person Pitch Jury:

Catherine Lough Haggquist (actor and owner of BIZ Books)

Glen Schaefer (film journalist, The Province)

Jem Garrard (director ‪#‎Crazy8sFilms‬ 15 ‘The Wolf Who Came to Dinner’)

Kaare Andrews (director and artist Marvel Comics)

Katie Weekley (producer ‘The Birdwatcher’)

Zach Lipovsky (director ‪#‎Crazy8sFilms05‬ Crazy Late)

The post Crazy 8s 2016 Top 40 Pitch Finalists appeared first on Biz Books.