The Black Creators Edition will amplify local stories and voices from Western Canada through funding and support for creators. This edition was specifically designed to address the underrepresentation of Black voices in the Canadian industry, and help jumpstart the careers of emerging creators.
Participants will receive $20K in production funding with mentorship and training provided by the National Screen Institute. The program is presented in partnership with the Black Screen Office.
The selected creators are:
Alberta
Adebayo Chris Katiiti – Unpacking Black Trans Legacy
Alex Eskandarkhah – Coaching While Black
Amadou Diallo – Trailblazing the Stampede
David Opoku-otoo – Journey For Justice
Emilia Eyo – Culture Shock
Faris Taha – Faris Hytiaa – The Lockdown Special
Ivan Touko – (The Rise of) Afro Beats in the Prairies
Jae Sterling – Riding Horses with White Men
Kamika Bianca Guerra-Walker – The Black Mustard Seeds
Leslie Bangamba – Amelie’s Second Chance
Love Nwigwe – I Can’t Breathe
Marlon Wilson – Untouchable Crew
Misha Maseka – Not That Deep
Oseremen Irete – Redeemed
Sammy Golom – Out of Frame
Sandro Augusto Santos Silva – Retraining the Brain
Rochelle-Ann Thomas – Scammed
British Columbia
Amira Anderson – Amara
Chukwumuobi Obasi – Lights
Dae Shields – The Pace
Daniel Code – Defining Human
Ilhan Abdullahi – Not For Us?
Janessa St. Pierre – Hair or No Hair
Joel Brewster – The Victoria I Know
Julio Montero – Sharing the Wealth
Parris JuRay – The Imagination Kid
Rose Patterson – My Journey Home: a BIPOC 60’s Scoop Return Home
Steeven Sampassa – The Adventures of T.C. The Kid
Tafadzwa Matamba – The Journey of The African Story Teller
Vanessa Fajemisin – The Making of the Black Arts Centre
Are you a woman on the producing path? Do you work in business affairs, or as a production manager or coordinator? Are you an emerging producer or associate producer who wants to add more fuel to their fire?
The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is seeking applicants for NSI Business for Producers – Atlantic Women’s Edition – a training program which fosters the growth of women producing professionals in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The program is designed to enrich the region’s production community, and its position across Canada and globally.
During this six-week, part-time online training program, six women* based in the Atlantic region will expand their producing skills and receive customized, expert training from regional and national industry professionals, advisors and business experts to develop and pitch their projects.
The program covers topics such as role of the producer; pitching and packaging a project; process of development and working with your team; business affairs / contracts; labour and employment law; fundamentals of running a workplace under COVID-19 rules; building and managing a production team (working with unions and guilds and receiving an outline of the production process); production financing (understanding tax credits, finance structures, cash flows, waterfalls and private financing); production case studies through a producer’s lens; and sales and distribution.
“NSI Business for Producers – Atlantic Women’s Edition focuses on cultivating the skills of storytellers within the Atlantic provinces. Guided by a team of expert faculty and advisors both from the region and across Canada, women producers will receive relevant, hands-on training to take their careers to the next level,” says National Screen Institute CEO, Joy Loewen. “We hope this new program not only contributes to building a network of producers, but also works to bring Atlantic creators to the forefront of the Canadian film and television industry.”
Participants will discuss the essentials of producing through interactive group discussions, presentations, relevant case studies, masterclasses and one-on-one consultations. These will take place as online ‘lunch and learn’ style sessions, held twice weekly for six weeks.
Each participant will also work with a content development consultant to prepare their pitch. The program will culminate in an online forum where participants will pitch their projects to a panel of industry experts for their feedback.
Program faculty includes National Screen Institute co-founder Jan Miller as program advisor and Amy Reitsma as program manager, both of whom are based in the Atlantic region.
* The National Screen Institute is committed to training participants from a diverse community of voices including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+), people with disabilities, those outside large urban centres, those from regional and remote areas and various religious groups.
Propelled by a visionary network of donors, private and public organizations, the National Screen Institute supports creators from across Canada to tell unforgettable stories. Through industry-informed training and mentoring in film, television and digital media, students and alumni find their voice and place on the global stage, inspiring us to shape a better world.
