Àlọ́ is an international writers initiative that aims to discover budding writers with unique story ideas that pay homage to Africa’s cultures, diversity, heritage and people. Writers have been invited to submit their materials and apply for a chance to be selected as a finalist to enter into a series development deal with EbonyLife Media and Sony Pictures.
Successful candidates will have the opportunity to receive a fee of Ksh. 831,750 (USD 7,500) and enter into a series development deal with Sony Pictures and EbonyLife under the Àlọ́ Initiative. Once completed, the projects will be pitched to major international broadcasters for their consideration to potentially be made into TV series.
Eligibility criteria
- Applicants can reside in any of the eligible countries but must be of African heritage.
- The Initiative is only open to legal citizens and/or legal permanent residents and/or first generation children of legal citizens of one or more of the fifty-four countries in Africa.
- The Initiative is open to writers (or teams of 2 writers) residing in the Initiative Territories who are either born in, or became citizens of, one of the 54 countries of Africa or became a legal permanent resident where applicable OR their children.
The Initiative territories
- The United States of America, its territories and possessions
- Canada
- Countries of the European Union
- United Kingdom
- All countries of Africa (excl. Sudan)
- Australia/New Zealand
Writing teams are limited to two members. Both members will need to do the following
- Meet the eligibility requirements
- Complete the Application and enter identical Entry Materials
- Read the Official Rules, Submission Release and Privacy Policy
- Electronically sign the Application.
Each team member will need to include their other team member’s information in their Application. If selected as a Finalist, both team members will be required to sign the Acquisition Agreement and will share equally in any fees payable under the Acquisition Agreement.
Applicants will then be required to submit a pilot script formatted using approved software (30-35 pages for ½ hour and 60-65 pages for 1 hour) and a series document (max 8-12 pages) in English (or translated in English) that contains the following:
- Logline
- Number of episodes (minimum 6)
- Genre and language
- Country of Origin
- Summary (1 paragraph)
- World Overview/Background (1 page max)
- Character Descriptions (1/4 pages per main character, 1-2 sentences for minor characters)
- Plot overview (3-5 pages max)
Once materials are submitted, Àlọ́ will not accept revisions or changes. If they require any changes, they will notify applicants directly.
Deadline for submission of entries is 4th November, 2021. You can apply here.