In tune with the Ontario Film Development Corporation’s new post-ofip reality, the corporation has launched the first two initiatives from its Skills Development and Marketing Initiatives division. The new programs – Market Mentorships and Partnerships in Training – will be joined shortly by a $300,000 short film program designed to help emerging filmmakers build a bridge to long-form work.

During last summer’s restructuring phase, the ofdc identified skills development and understanding of the international marketplace as mandates in the development of emerging talent, and explored ways of forging results-oriented partnerships with the private sector.

‘Our focus is the entry-level, freelance community,’ says ofdc ceo Alexandra Raffe. ‘It’s an area that’s in need of support to help it mature to a point where it can maintain itself.’

Market Mentorships, with an annual budget of $100,000, is designed to provide applied market exposure and experience to junior producers and will launch at mip-tv in April. Participants will be matched with mentor companies at the market and will be privy to a series of workshops held in advance of each event and on location.

Other events on the short list include natpe, Cannes, the Berlin festival, the Amsterdam Documentary Forum, the afm and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Raffe says the number of producers the program will be able to accommodate depends on the logistics of each individual market. For example, four or five producers may attend mip whereas the Toronto festival may create an opportunity for as many as 20 to 25.

Partnerships in Training, the second program from the sdmi division, is already underway and involves ofdc support for skills development activities through private-sector industry organizations. The initiative, which has a little over $100,000 at its disposal, will also provide financial assistance for producers to attend key programs outside the province.

As for the long-awaited short film program, Raffe says the details are being hammered out with an industry partner and she hopes to make an announcement within the next few weeks. Raffe expects the program will be able to assist in the production of about 10 short projects annually.