Local movie producer/director Jonathan Chuby just won the $36,000 production prize package at the Whistler Film Festival during the Power Pitch Competition that sees creators get six little minutes to do their best to convince industry leaders that their idea for a movie is worth making.
So being a born, raised and thriving physiotherapist in Prince George, Jonathan took the idea from a home movie of his dad in a Prince George Duck Race back in the 90s, fleshed out the premise and floated the idea to a panel of entertainment powerhouses. They started out with 500 national entries and whittled those down to five and Jonathan won.
“I’ve only ever done two pitches and somehow I won both,” Jonathan said.
His other successful pitch was years ago for his production of Jeff and The Ninja.
This pitch was for a family-geared comedy.
“In National Lampoon style the movie is about a father who is trying to get his family the Hawaiian vacation he’s always dreamed of but to get there he has to run this corporate duck race for the local gas company,” Jonathan explained the concept.
A duck race was a popular method of fund raising in Prince George, especially back in the day. Here’s how it worked: people would buy a numbered rubber ducky – or more – and hundreds would be dropped from a local bridge and away the rubber duckies would go floating down the river. The first one across the finish line would win a grand prize sponsored by a local business.
Jonathan decided to take the idea and run with it. For his efforts he gets the grand prize that includes a $25K production package featuring a post-production credit from Company 3 Method Ltd., plus a $10,000 lighting and grip production credit and $1K cash prize from William F. White, and a coveted spot in the WFF 2023 Producers Lab.
“It was tough,” Jonathan said about the six-minute time limit. “It’s its own beast, right? Everyone in the competition was very lucky because we had Kevin Wright, who does workshops for pitching to Hollywood people – that’s what he does for a living, so as part of the program we had time to work with him to help refine our pitches and he was extremely helpful. He really helped me understand what’s important and what’s not in the pitching kind of world.”
Here’s what an industry expert had to say about Jonathan’s pitch.
“The winning film embodies the same humour, values, and family dynamics which made films like Vacation, The Great Outdoors, and Are We There Yet such enduring holiday classics,” Adam Steinman, vice president, creative, format, development and sales for Warner Bros. International TV Production, said. “At a time where news is too often full of darkness and conflict, it’s a movie like Duck Race which ultimately lifts the human spirit and makes you laugh and feel.”
This year’s jury included Stefania Scarfo, head of content and strategy at Paramount+ Canada, and Gosia Kamela, head of CBC Films and CBC scripted content, English services.
Power Pitch is supported by Creative BC, Company 3 Method Ltd. and William F. White International Inc.
This year’s finalists were:
- Sina Sultani (BC) – TRACE
- Kate Kroll (BC) – WHAT COMES NEXT
- Jen Walden (NT) – MOTHER
- Brendan Prost (BC) – STIFLE
- Jonathan Chuby (BC) – DUCK RACE
For more information visit whistlerfilmfestival.com.
