Newly formed Calgary-based non-profit organization Spindle Films Foundation has launched a mentorship program for transgender, non-binary, two-spirit and gender-diverse filmmakers in Canada.

Spindle Films is founded by Calgary-born filmmaker J Stevens (Slo Pitch; pictured) who is one of the first openly non-binary members of the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), according to a news release.

The six-month mentorship program begins with an in-person intensive in Banff, Alta., which includes networking events and educational workshops. Following the intensive, participants will participate in job shadowing and placements on film and TV sets, and receive monthly check-ins.

The ultimate goal of the program is to help “overcome the systemic barriers to career advancement,” Stevens said in a statement.

The inaugural year of the program is focused on directing and screenwriting work, and the application deadline is Sept. 30. Mentors will be announced in the coming months, the release said.

The Spindle Films Foundation was founded to help break down barriers for gender-diverse filmmakers and push for the creation of “explicit, actionable policies and practices on-set.” It is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, along with additional support from Calgary non-profit Skipping Stone Foundation, the DGC, William F. White International, and the apps Scriptation and Shot Deck.

“Spindle Films Foundation aims to bring together this community and amplify these underrepresented voices to accelerate change within the industry,” said Stevens. “I know firsthand how isolating it feels to be misgendered on set. Spindle Films Foundation aims to educate and introduce new policies that will make the wider industry more equitable.”

Image courtesy of Spindle Films Foundation