The National Screen Institute (NSI) has launched a rebranded version of the EAVE On Demand Access Program, now known as Access BIPOC Producers.

The submissions process is now open until March 17 for the program, which is part of a partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and is presented by the European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE).

Originally launched under the old name in November 2021, the program is for mid-career producers in Canada, with or without a project in development, who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. It’s open to producers from both English and French-speaking communities.

NSI senior programs manager Ursula Lawson tells Playback Daily that they wanted to shorten the program name “so it more directly addressed who the training is for and who it serves.”

Access BIPOC Producers provides training and mentorship to producers to develop their skills, their companies and a feature film or series for the global market. Its curriculum features workshops on developing global relationships, growing companies, advancing financing, and exporting and coproduction of IP.

Recent EAVE graduates have seen a 182% increase in coproduction projects after participation, according to a news release.

This year, the part-time, 10-month intensive program will select up to 20 participants rather than the 42 who were selected in March 2022, as each participant receives customized feedback and guidance that will be more effectively facilitated with smaller group sizes, according to a spokesperson for the NSI.

Tamara Dawit, VP of growth and inclusion at the CMF, said in a statement that “the program is a core part of the CMF’s equity and inclusion strategy to help build robust production companies led by Indigenous and racialized creators that will showcase extraordinary Canadian stories at home and abroad.”

Image courtesy of unsplash.com.