Budding Canadian filmmakers will get a chance at Mark Burnett's and Steven Spielberg's upcoming reality TV competition, organizers announced Monday.

On The Lot will look for contestants from Canada because the country 'has produced some great movie-makers over the years,' said U.S. filmmaking icon Steven Spielberg.
(Katsumi Kasahara/Associated Press)

On The Lot, which is set to begin this spring, will pit 16 aspiring movie-makers against each other. The ultimate goal is a $1 million US development deal with Spielberg's DreamWorks Studio.

"From Louis B. Mayer and Jack Warner to Norman Jewison and David Cronenberg, Canada has produced some great movie-makers over the years," Spielberg said in a statement.

The man known for such modern classics as Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan added that the reality contest "could be the big break that the next great Canadian filmmaker is looking for."

Producers of the reality competition have extended their contestant search outside of the U.S. to Canada and other countries. All applicants are being asked to submit a self-directed, up-to-five-minute-long short film by Feb. 16.

The Hollywood-based show's producers will then travel to different cities, including to Toronto in March, to evaluate those who made the first cut.

Eventually, 16 finalists will be chosen and divided into teams.

Each week, with the help of professional writers, actors and crew, the teams will be charged with making a short film, in genres ranging from horror to drama. One by one, the finalists will be eliminated until only a single contestant remains.

The winner will be rewarded with a studio deal with DreamWorks, the film studio co-founded by Spielberg and now part of Paramount.

"Canadians have a great track record of competing with the best from around the world, both on reality TV and otherwise," Burnett said.

"We look forward to seeing what Canada has to offer."

On The Lot will be broadcast in the U.S. by Fox and CTV in Canada.

With files from the Associated Press.