LAS VEGAS (CP) _ CTV has signed on as the Canadian broadcast partner of a new U.S. reality series from Hollywood powerhouses Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg.

"On The Lot," a show about the search for the next great filmmaker, will feature aspiring filmmakers, including those from Canada, interested in winning a $1 million development deal with Spielberg’s DreamWorks Studios.

Susanne Boyce, CTV president of programming, made the announcement Monday at a meeting of the National Association of Television Programming Executives in Las Vegas.

As of Monday, short films can be submitted as entry into the first part of the competition at www.thelot.com. To enter, applicants 13 years of age and older must submit a self-directed short film, up to five minutes in length, before Friday, Feb. 16.

Producers will then visit Toronto in March for an invite-only casting call for Canadian competitors.

"On the Lot" airs on Fox in the U.S. and will debut this spring. Each week over the course of the summer, 16 filmmakers selected from applicants from around the world will produce short films in every genre. Viewers will vote on the productions and eliminate one filmmaker every week. The last filmmaker standing will take home the deal with Dreamworks.

Both Burnett and Spielberg had kind words for Canadian filmmakers in a statement on Monday.

"Canadians have a great track record of competing with the best from around the world, both on reality TV and otherwise," said Burnett. "We look forward to seeing what Canada has to offer."

Added Spielberg: "From Louis B. Mayer and Jack Warner to Norman Jewison and David Cronenberg, Canada has produced some great movie-makers over the years. ‘On The Lot’ could be the big break that the next great Canadian filmmaker is looking for."