Crystal Van Pelt is the winner of the inaugural Picture Box Television Distribution Mentorship, announced Monday by Women in Film and Television – Toronto.

The initiative provides an emerging Canadian female professional with a three-month internship at Toronto-based Picture Box Distribution, headed up by partners Marilyn Kynaston and Kate Sanagan.

“By focusing on the sales and distribution side of the business, this mentorship fills an important training gap. Crystal is set to gain valuable work training and exposure, including on-the-ground experience at the premiere international trade market,” said WIFT-T exec director Heather Webb in a statement.

Van Pelt will join Picture Box in February 2013 to learn about distribution, marketing and selling of Canadian factual and youth-oriented programs internationally.

She will attend meetings with international broadcasters and producers, and learn about content packaging for international markets, in addition to receiving a monthly stipend.

She will also work with Kynaston and Sanagan in preparing for and attending MIPDoc and MIPTV in April.

Regina-based Van Pelt is production manager for a CBC Doc Zone one-hour doc and part of the team at independent film collaborative Echolands Creative.

She has also worked as a production manager for Nature of Things documentary MS Wars: Hope, Science and the Internet, and producer of documentary On RoughRiders: A Century of Saskatchewan RoughRiders Football.

Van Pelt, who was chosen by a selection committee comprised of WIFT-T and Picture Box staff, will be acknowledged at the Crystal Awards Gala Luncheon on Dec. 4th in Toronto.