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05.20.2016

09.28/29: Forum d'Avignon Toronto 2016 – Toronto

28th-29th of September 2016 - FORUM D’AVIGNON @TORONTO

The Forum d’Avignon partners with the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab) and the French Embassy in Canada to present opportunities for French and Canadian cultural and creative start ups

September 28th-29th - Corus Quay, Toronto, Canada

The French Embassy in Canada, CFC Media Lab and the Forum d’Avignon will be in Toronto next 28th and 29th of September 2016 to « Enterprise culture” with six French startups and six Canadian startups, and speakers from both countries.

For more than a year, the Forum d’Avignon put the highlight every week on cultural and creative startups? Last 31^st of March, the first Cultural and creative startup award, initiated and organized by the Forum d’Avignon, was awarded during the international meetings of the Forum d’Avignon @Bordeaux. Now we are taking our brand of cultural and creative start up acceleration opportunities abroad.

Our partner is renowned think tank, award-winning production house and product and company accelerator CFC Media Lab. Running Canada’s only digital entertainment accelerator called IDEABOOST, CFC Media Lab has supported cultural and creative start ups since 2012. During Enterprising Culture in Toronto, IDEABOOST will also host its Launchpad event where six start ups in their latest cohort will pitch to this French and Canadian audience.

The pre-program:

Day 1: September 28th

Opening remarks
Keynote speech
IDEABOOST LaunchPad
Cocktail reception and networking

Day 2 : September 29th

The Cultural Start-up Award ( 6 French start-ups / 6 Canadian start-ups – 3x4pitches)
Keynote speeches & panels with French & Canadian experts (number and content TBC – Leonard Anthony)
Lunch and networking

For the selected French start-up, an additional program with partners including Business France will be organized.

Call for Application - Toronto Cultural and Creative Industry Forum

Who can apply: Eligible entries to the start-up award in Toronto

Target participants:

Any creative start up in the digital culture, media and entertainment space is eligible to apply.

Target fields:

Innovative platforms, enabling technologies, tools, and products and services in visual arts, music, performance, film, television, radio, media/press, video games, virtual reality, and others.

Eligibility criteria - France

You must consider international development in the next 12–36 months to be a priority;
You have identified target partners in Ontario;
You are a corporation registered on the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés in France; and
You are capable of expressing yourself in fluent, professional English.

Eligibility criteria – Canada

You have been accepted into the IDEABOOST Network Connect Program (www.ideaboost.ca)
You have identified product/market fit and are looking to scale your business into Europe;
You must consider international development in the next 12–36 months to be a priority;
You have identified target partners in France;

How to apply: Download the application form

The application, including the promotional film, has to be in English (or English subtitles in the promotional film). In addition to the submission form you can add complementary material as PDF and JPEG. Please follow the instructions of the form carefully.

Your application can only be accepted if filled out correctly.

Procedure and timing:

Applicants must submit their completed applications before Friday June 24^th, 2016 at the following email address: contact@forum-avignon.org

Selection by a jury before July 14^th, 2016 of 6 French start-ups and 6 Canadian start-ups

Forum & pitching on September 28^th and 29^th, 2016.

Jury:

The jury will be composed of representatives of Business France, the French Embassy in Canada, the Forum d’Avignon, CFC Media lab and IDEABOOST and other partners.

The members of the Jury.

The Prizes:

The award for each winner (1 French start-up and 1 Canadian start-up) will include:

A financial endowment (amount is being validated)
For the French start-up: travel and accommodation and one intensive week of immersion and commercialization activities. These will be customized to match the needs of the company. The French team will be hosted by the CFC Media Lab and IDEABOOST Accelerator.
For the Canadian start-up: travel and accommodation and one intensive week of immersion and commercialization activities. These will be customized to match the needs of the company. The Canadian team will be hosted by Forum D’Avignon.

Additional benefits include for the French start-ups:

The six selected start-ups will go to Toronto on next September 28^th and 29^th (flight and a two-night accommodation offered by the French Embassy in Canada).
The six selected start-ups will benefit from a 1 hour and a half session, prepared and presented by Business France, to discover the Canadian market, during which the selected start-ups will grasp the cultural differences and reflect on the best way to adapt their product to this market.
Presentation of the six French start-ups in the Canadian press release.
The projects will be published on the event’s official website as well as in the program
During the Forum, the start-ups will be participating in pitching sessions so as to present their activities.
Six months after the Forum, the six start-ups will be invited by Business France to an interview to look back on the benefits of the event and to evaluate the progress of their Canadian project, and consider an action plan to support their development in Canada.

Additional benefits include for the Canadian start-ups:

The six selected start-ups will be invited to pitch on September 29^th in front of 300 executives and potential business partners
Presentation of the six Canadian start-ups in the press release, a featured editorial and across the CFC’s extensive social media network.
The projects will be published on CFC.creates official website as well as in the program.