The Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Independent Production Fund (IPF) have boosted the budget for the CMF-IPF Development Packaging Program: Short Form Scripted Series by $300,000.

The organizations announced the reopening of the program to applications this week, noting the total budget has increased from $600,000 to $900,000. Each project is eligible to receive a maximum of $30,000, according to a news release.

The program provides funding for developing and packing high-quality, original, Canadian scripted short-form series. In order to be eligible, projects must be new and original, scripted, episodic short-form dramatic content with episodic running times that are less than 20 minutes long. Applications are open until March 1 and will be evaluated by a selection committee managed by the IPF, with final decisions made by representations from the IPF and the CMF.

The Flying Sailor soars at Sundance

The Flying Sailor from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) won the Short Film Jury Award: Animation at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The Short Film Program Competition jurors included Destin Daniel Cretton, Marie-Louise Khondji and Deborah Stratman.

The honour was handed out on Jan. 27 at the festival in Utah and came just days after the film snagged a nomination for Best Animated Short Film for the 95th Academy Awards.

The Flying Sailor is written, directed and animated by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby and produced by NFB’s David Christensen. It follows a sailor who was blown into the air during the 1917 Halifax explosion.

Canadian writer Kat Sieniuc signs with UTA

Canadian screenwriter Kat Sieniuc has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation. Sieniuc, who grew up in Vancouver, began her writing career as a journalist in Toronto and New York City and was senior producer of Ana Marie Cox’s Crooked Media podcast With Friends Like These.

Her screenwriting credits include the Netflix horror series The Order and Amazon Studios’ adaptation of The Left/Right Game podcast.

A member of the Writers Guild of Canada and a Pacific Screenwriting Program alum, Sieniuc was also shortlisted for the Sundance Episodic Lab for her dark comedy pilot The Lift, while her dramedy pilot Guts N’ Glory was a finalist in the Austin Film Festival and is on the Coverfly’s Red list.

She’s currently pitching a feature project to producers and writing a new pilot, according to a news release. Sieniuc is also represented by Grandview and The Characters Talent Agency.

Woman Meets Girl set for world bow

Toronto-based Murry Peeters’ short film Woman Meets Girl is set to make its world premiere at both the Toronto Black Film Festival and Queer Screen’s 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney on Feb. 18.

Peeters wrote, directed and executive produced the project, which is starring and produced by Enuka Okuma (Workin’ Moms, Rookie Blue). It’s set and shot in Toronto and is an “emotionally charged Queer story about the unlikely connection between two seemingly opposite protagonists,” according to a news release.

Other producers on the film include Adria Budd-Johnson and Joe Gasparik. The team of executive producers also includes Anthony Q. Farrell and Aine Rock. The project received support from the CFC/Slaight Family Canadian Music Fund, CFC/Netflix Calling Card Accelerator, the Toronto Arts Council and Seed & Spark.

With files from Victoria Ahearn

Image courtesy of unsplash.com.