The Voyage-Cartel Partnership:

Dear Storyteller:

If you have a story in any form - short story, screenplay, book, treatment, life story, even an idea in your head…

Voyage is now receiving select movie pitches to fulfill on our newly minted partnership with global financing and distribution powerhouse, the Cartel.

Both Voyage and the Cartel recognize that demand for Originals is surging (up 500% since 2014 and an additional 30% since Covid-19 struck) and the Partnership intends to discover, develop, and finance 5-10 movies over the next 4 years.

Contemporary Horror - fun, scary, escapist stories in a contemporary setting. Nothing literary or period (set in the past), no fantasy worlds. Could have a sense of humor, does not take itself too seriously. Nothing too heady, elevated or gory. PG-13 and semi-contained (simple locations). We are also looking for hot teen slashers (think the horror version of Riverdale) and female-driven suburban slasher type stories.

Competition-Themed - Stories about underdogs with something to prove, laying it all on the line for a high-stakes trial that will make them or break them.

Teen Flicks - Goofy, raunchy, indie-vibed or simply out there - good comedy is rooted in good characters.

Family - Lovable characters in slightly outrageous situations bring grown-up and children dynamics to life in funny adventures that feel fresh and are watchable time and again.

Female Biopics – true stories and memoirs about famous women with remarkable stories. Overcoming social conflicts or tragic events. “Ripped from the headlines” - existing press and media coverage required. Contemporary. Big musical icons work well. Looking for diverse stories that reflect minority experiences.

Female Inspirational Movies - Women-centered. Bigger stories, overcoming odds, obstacles. We are interested in faith and hope and inspiration. Inspirational memoirs that are not public figures that are just great stories could work. These can be "Hidden Figure” type stories as well.

Thrillers - The perfect thriller delivers a story we have not seen before, sets it at a relentless pace, and shoots killer dialogue along the way, always rising above the formulas we know.

Female-Driven Thrillers – fiction thrillers that feature a lead female role in a contemporary setting, suitable for cable networks and streaming services. Stories about characters who blur moral or ethical lines and find themselves in more jeopardy than they bargained for.

Rom-Com – feel-good, fun romantic comedies. Looking for both young adult (teen, coming of age) stories and adult stories suitable for cable networks and streaming services. Concepts with Christmas or Holiday themes move to the front of the line!

Grounded Holiday Movies - These are more formulaic - romance at the center and/or the story has to be intrinsically tied to Christmas (ie. if we took out the holiday from the story, the story wouldn’t make sense). There has to be some kind of family storyline in it. The female lead has to have some sort of support or family. We want our movies to reflect the world we live in aka diversity, inclusion.

• Register by clicking the link below
• Voyage will contact you by email within 72 hours with instructions for how submit your story/materials
• Our producers will review your submission and assess its fit for The Partnership, and you will be contacted within 2-4 weeks with results and next steps

After you register, Voyage will email you with instructions for how to submit written materials. The key documents you will need to submit are a 1-5 summary or treatment of the story. You may also submit your full-length screenplay or book if you have one.

If you wish to submit more than one story, you will need to register for each one. All submissions documents will need to be either Microsoft Word or PDF files. We will not accept any mail or printed copies.

The Cartel has requested not to be contacted directly during this submission process. If you contact them directly, your submission will automatically be rejected.

Voyage is a first-of-its-kind studio incubator designed to meet the growing demand for Original film and television. The incubator pairs fresh and original storytellers with A-list producers and develops marketable projects for its strategic financing and distribution relationships.

Meet A Few Of Our 50+ Producers:

The Cartel is a feature film and television production, management, and financing company representing top-tier show runners, show creators, writers, directors, producers and production companies in film, TV and new media.  The Cartel has offices in Los Angeles, London, Winnipeg, and New York.

Am I giving away my story as part of my submission?

No. You retain 100% ownership of your project. You will be granting Voyage a 3-month exclusive ‘shopping right’ to submit the project to the Cartel only. You will still be allowed to shop your project to any other company during this period.

What is a ‘shopping right’?

A shopping right gives us 3 months to submit to the Cartel, perform due-diligence on your project, and make you an offer to get your project financed and made. It is very similar to giving a real estate broker the exclusive listing to sell your house. And just like a real estate broker doesn’t own your house and can’t set the price, a producer cannot sell your project or set its price without you at the negotiation table.

What happens if my project is selected?

If your project is selected and ready for financing, we will make you an offer to acquire the right to finance and make the movie. In most cases, this will include some form of ‘purchase price’, ‘back-end profit sharing’ and ‘credit’. You are not obligated to accept any offer.

What can I expect in terms of money and credit?

Every project and every genre/market is different so there is no one-size-fits-all answer. As a general rule of thumb, it is not uncommon for the owner of story rights to get a fee equal to 2.5% of an approved production budget and also 2.5% of net profits. Various credits can include ‘executive producer’, ‘co-producer’, ‘story by’ and/or ‘based on the book by’. If you are also the screenwriter, you can receive fees and credit for the screenplay itself. 

Credits and fees are discussed and mutually agreed upon during the due-diligence process, and you are not obligated to accept any offer.

What happens if my project is not selected?

If your project is ready for market, but not a fit for The Partnership, we will advise you by email and schedule a phone call with you to discuss other opportunities we may have.

If your project is a fit for The Partnership but needs more work, we will advise you by email and schedule a phone call with you to discuss our advice and any next steps we recommend.

If your project is neither a fit for The Partnership nor ready for market, we will advise you by email.

That Answers My Questions. I Want To To Submit Now: