Categories

 

DOCUMENTARY & FACTUAL STREAM

 

Crime & Investigative Program

  • Non-fiction documentary or factual project with themes, stories, and/or subject matter dealing with crime and/or the investigative efforts thereof.
  • Please note, if submitting a crime and investigative program that is part of a strand, please identify the episode title and the date it first aired within the strand.
  • Duration: up to 60 minutes.
  • Ineligible: Fact-based fiction (including full-program reenactments) and all Reality and Reality-Competition programs.

 

Environmental & Wildlife Program

  • Non-fiction documentary or factual series and programs exploring themes and content pertaining to wildlife and/or the natural environment.
  • Duration: up to 60 minutes.
  • Ineligible: Fact-based fiction and content created solely for a subscription-free platform over the internet should be submitted to Web Non-Fiction Series.

 

History & Biography Program

  • Non-fiction documentary or factual series and programs that focus primarily on historical and biographical documentation and analysis of significant (renowned) individuals and/or events. 
  • Duration: up to 60 minutes per episode.
  • Ineligible: Fact-based fiction.

 

Science & Technology Program

  • Non-fiction documentary or factual series and programs whose primary emphasis is to educate audiences on and explore scientific and/or technological issues and discoveries.
  • May include biographical programs on scientists provided half the program focuses on the work, research, and discoveries of the subject versus the subject’s personal history.
  • Duration: up to 60 minutes per episode.
  • Ineligible: Scientific and/or technological fact-based fiction. Submit to the Sci-Fi & Genre-Based category.

 

Social & Current Affairs Program

  • Non-fiction documentary or factual series and programs about social issues and/or current world affairs that are either one-offs or part of a strand. Please note - if submitting a project that is part of a strand, please identify the project and the date it first aired within the strand.
  • Duration: up to 60 minutes per episode.
  • Ineligible: Fact-based fiction.

 

Web Non-Fiction Series

  • Non-fiction documentary or factual series with a minimum of three parts released via a subscription-free platform over the internet.
  • Eligible programs have only been broadcast on the internet and not distributed, as-is, via network, cable, satellite, SVOD, or terrestrial systems.
  • Duration: under 20 minutes per episode.
  • Ineligible: Fact-based fiction and all Reality and Reality-Competition programs.

 

CHILDREN & YOUTH STREAM

 

Children & Youth: Animation Program

  • Any children's program or series where the depiction of characters and settings is primarily (more than 65%) in the form of traditional, computer, 2D, 3D, motion graphics, and/or stop-motion animation.
  • Target age range: 16 and under. 
  • Ineligible: Animation programs for audiences aged 17+ should submit to Animation Program: Other under the Arts & Entertainment stream.

 

Children & Youth: Fiction Series

  • Live action series or programs with a fictional narrative and setting.
  • Target age range: 6-16 years old.

 

Children & Youth: Non-Fiction Series

  • Documentary or factual live action series or programs meant to educate and inform young audiences. 
  • Target age range: 6-16 years old.

 

Children & Youth: Interactive Content

  • Content with first public exhibition on one or more digital or mobile platforms. Eligible projects may include digital extensions of an established broadcast or cinematic program, web content, games, mobile applications or bonus content (behind the scenes, side narratives, online/motion comics, webisodes etc).
  • Target age range: 16 and under.
  • For the submission of digital apps or interactive links please review the submission guidelines to ensure inclusion of necessary codes, instructions and alternatives for international jurors where geo-blocking may cause interference.

 

Preschool Program

  • Live-action or animated series or programs meant to entertain or educate a preschool audience.
  • Animated programs from this category are also eligible for the Children & Youth Animation Program category.Separate entry fee applies.
  • Target age range: 5 and under. 

 

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT STREAM

 

Animation Program: Other

  • Any program or series where the depiction of characters and settings is primarily in the form of traditional, computer, 2D, 3D, motion graphics, and/or stop-motion animation.
  • Target age range: 17+. 
  • Ineligible: Animation programs targeted to audiences aged 16 and under; please submit such programs to the Children & Youth Animation Program category.

 

Interactive Content

  • Content with first public exhibition on one or more digital or mobile platforms for an audience aged 17 and up.
  • Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, digital extensions of established broadcast or cinematic programs, including web content, games, mobile applications or bonus content (e.g. behind the scenes, side narratives, online/motion comics, webisodes).
  • Ineligible: Interactive content targeted to audiences 16 and under; please submit such programs to Children & Youth Interactive Content.
  • For the submission of digital apps or interactive links please review the submission guidelines to ensure inclusion of necessary codes, instructions and alternatives for international jurors where geo-blocking may cause interference.

 

Lifestyle Program

  • Factual series or programs that highlight lifestyle, social trends and pop culture.
  • May include features on food, garden, health, fashion, the arts, sports, or travel. Also eligible: talk and interview shows.
  • Ineligible: Any factual program with a competition or game element should consider submitting to the Reality Program category.

 

Arts & Music Program

  • Factual series or programs showcasing musical acts or performers, dance, visual arts, circus or any mix of other arts presentation.
  • Ineligible: Music videos. Sketch comedy, standup, and variety programs should submit to the Comedy & Variety Program category.

 

Comedy & Variety Program

  • Series or programs showcasing sketch segments, standup comedy showcases or festivals, or any mix of other talent generally considered ‘variety’ entertainment.
  • Eligible in this category are awards shows, or other programming that mixes segments of different styles of performance within a single program.
  • Ineligible: Telethons and other variety shows where the intention is to raise money, and content directly associated with promoting political campaigns. Musical, dance and visual arts programs should submit to the Arts & Music Program category.  Scripted comedy series featuring a narrative structure should submit to the Comedy Series categories.

 

Reality Program

  • Series or programs depicting real-life situations with non-fictional characters within circumstances that can be heightened or constructed.
  • May also include competition-style programs where contestants compete for a prize.
  • Ineligible:  Game shows.

 

SCRIPTED STREAM

 

Comedy Series: English Language

  • Continuing live-action narratives with recurring principal characters and a focus on comedic elements that have a minimum of 6 parts. Can include sitcoms and dramedies.
  • Duration: 21-60 minutes of content per episode
  • Comedies presented in less than 6 parts should be submitted in the Limited Series category.
  • Ineligible: Sketch comedies, standup or parodies; these programs should be entered in the Comedy & Variety Program category.

 

Comedy Series: Non-English Language

  • Non-English language continuing live-action narratives with recurring principal characters and a focus on comedic elements that have a minimum of 6 parts. Can include sitcoms and dramedies.
  • Duration: 21-60 minutes of content per episode. 

 

Drama Series: English Language

  • Continuing live-action narratives with recurring principal characters and a focus on dramatic elements.
  • Duration: 21-90 minutes of content per episode, 6 to 29 episodes per season. 
  • Ineligible: Predominantly genre-based series (e.g. horror, action, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller). These programs should be submitted to the Sci-Fi & Genre-based category.

 

Drama Series: Non-English Language

  • Non-English language continuing live-action narratives with recurring principal characters and a focus on dramatic elements.
  • Duration: 21-90 minutes of content per episode, 6 to 29 episodes per season. 
  • Ineligible: Predominantly genre-based series (e.g. horror, action, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, thriller). These programs should be submitted to the Sci-Fi & Genre-based category.

 

Limited Series

  • Narrative fictional presentations telling a complete story in 2 to 12 episodes. 
  • May have some recurring elements and even casts of repertory players, but story arcs must not extend over multiple seasons.
  • Duration: minimum total runtime of 150 minutes. 

 

Serials, Soaps & Telenovelas

  • Continuing dramas transmitted for a minimum of 30 episodes per season/year.

 

Sci-Fi & Genre-Based Series

  • Programs or series in science fiction or another genre-based style including works in horror, action/adventure, mystery, thriller and fantasy.
  • Includes anthology formats presented in a particular genre, time, or theme, but in which each episode features a new plot, setting and characters.
  • Duration: 21 to 100 minutes per episode. 

 

Television Movie

  • Narrative fictional presentations originally produced for and released on television that airs in one part.
  • Duration: 90-200 minutes. 

 

Web Fiction Series

  • A fictional drama or comedy series with a minimum of three parts released via a subscription-free platform over the internet.
  • Eligible programs have only been broadcast on the internet and have not been distributed, as-is, via network, cable, satellite, or terrestrial systems.
  • Duration: Less than 20 minutes per episode.

 

Rogers Prize for Excellence in Canadian Content

  • Celebrating the best in Canadian-created entertainment content, this award serves to foster Canadian-grown talent and invest in future content development from independent Canadian producers.
  • A CAD$25,000 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of this award from Rogers Group of Funds.
  • All submissions from independent Canadian producers are automatically entered to be eligible for the prize. Please refer to Eligibility page for more details.

 

Rockies Francophone Prize

  • Awarded to the jury’s highest scoring French-language submission.
  • All French-language submissions to the Rockies contend for this award, in addition to the category in which they are submitted.
  • Each project’s first-round score is also entered into the Rockies Francophone Prize contender’s pool and the highest score is considered the winner. In the event of a tie contending entrants will be submitted to the Grand Jury for final selection.