The Black Screen Office (BSO) has selected 16 scripts from Black and people of colour writers and producers for its first development fund.
Thirteen English-language projects — nine scripted, four unscripted — and three French-language projects were chosen for the inaugural cohort of the $750,000 fund launched in partnership with Rogers Group of Funds and the Canadian Independent Screen Fund (CISF) in June. TD has also boarded the Rogers/Black Screen Office Script Development Fund to support mentorship and pitch coaching from industry professionals — first as the writers begin their draft, and again when they deliver the final draft.
There were 150 submissions for the first round, according to the BSO.
The nine English-language scripted projects are Peace by Chocolate scribe Abdullah-Yahya Malik’s Conversion; Scarborough Pictures founder Amar Wala’s Welcome to Joyceville; Into Such Assembly filmmaker Helen Lee’s Parkdale;, playwright Christine Rodriguez’s Nina’s 80s; First One Out filmmaker David Ngandu’s Coloured Money; Jann writer JP Larocque’s Ali Knows Best; Utopia Falls writer Andrew Burrows-Trotman’s Blackstar; The Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker writer Ian Steaman’s Shine and TV playwright and screenwriter Tony Tran’s Ray.
The four unscripted English-language projects are Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme filmmaker Kevin John Fitzgerald White’s The Art of Dance; A Kandahar Away filmmaker Aisha Jamal’s The Theft; Black Caper Films founder Kalainithan Kalaichelvan’s Gervacy; and Osas Eweka-Smith’s Beyond Curls & Kinks.
Rounding out the selected projects are three scripted French-language titles, including Malcolm Odd’s Busboy; Evangeline Kabuya’s Les petites éternités; and visual artist-turned writer/cinematographer Justice Rutikara’s Bass-couture.
“The overwhelming number of applications speaks to the need for more funding for projects by Black and people of colour creatives,” said Lalita Krishna, CISF’s co-chair, in a statement. “We thank our jury who had a difficult time making choices from so many outstanding projects.”
Pictured (LtoR, top to bottom): Abdullah-Yahya Malik, Aisha Jamal, Andrew Burrows-Trotman, Christine Rodriguez, David Ngandu, Eva Kabuya, Helen Lee, Ian Steaman, JP Larocque, Justice Rutikara, Kalaithan Kalaichelvan, Malcolm Odd, Osas Eweka-Smith and Tony Tran.