The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has announced the 40 emerging producers selected for its 2023/2024 mentorship programs.

The producers will participate in 20- or 40-week placements, and will be paired with established producers at CMPA member companies. The participants will receive training in all stages of production, from development to post-production to financing and distribution.

Sera-Lys McArthur has been selected for the CMPA’s Bob Crowe Mentorship Program for Emerging Indigenous Producers, and will be mentored at White Bear Films.

A total of 10 have been selected for Mentorship Program for Diverse Producers. They include Chantele Sitaram with marblemedia, Christopher Collington with OYA Media Group, Gurjit Briyah with Naltobel Productions, Jade Blair with Parrhesia, Japneet Kaur with Jugaad Sisters, Krizia Victoria with 100 Dragons Media, Lesley Marshall with Animal Pride Productions, Rachael Ransom with Black Rhino Creative, Sydney Gauthier with Kistikan Pictures and Wesam Debek with Border2Border Entertainment.

Among the 19 set for the CMPA Production Mentorship Program are Abdurahman Uyghur Ozturk with Jenkinson/Goode Productions, Akilah Newton with Verite Films, Chala Hunter with Wango Films, Derek Sands with Wanderer Entertainment, Derek Sharp with Edge Entertainment, Fritzi Adelman with Buffalo Gal Pictures, Kenny Welsh with RealWorld Media, Ladan Siad with New Metric Media, Luc Trottier with Club Red Productions, and Megan Robinson with Eagle Vision.

Also taking part in the program are Nada Cheddadi with Intuitive Pictures, Pete McCauley with Gearshift Films, Shantae Gibson with Rezolution Pictures, Shayna Ross-Kelly with Film Forge Productions, Steven Suntres with Hemmings Films, Temilola Gafaar with Hungry Eyes Media, Travis Williams with GAPC Entertainment, Victoria Sullivan with LoCo Motion Pictures, and Violet Elliot with Hitsby Entertainment.

The seven producers selected for the British Columbia Production Mentorship Program are Brooklyn James with Cube Productions, Cicy Nie with Screen Siren Pictures, Cole Vandale with Mosaic Entertainment, Cortney Gilbert with Wild Bus Films, Sonja Osberg with Canazwest Pictures, Lynnette Kissoon with Optic Nerve Films, and Will Hughes with Infinity Filmed Entertainment Group.

The three producers included in the Export Development Mentorship Program, which is funded by Telefilm Canada, are Caroline Kan-Hai with 4AM Film Studios, Karidia Guerra with Quiet Revolution Pictures and Nico Ansari with Forte Entertainment.

Several Canadian series shortlisted for Content Innovation Awards

Ottawa-based Gusto TV’s The Wizard of Sauce is among several Canadian series shortlisted for the Content Innovation Awards at MIPCOM in Cannes, France.

The Wizard of Sauce was shortlisted for Factual Entertainment Program of the Year. Gusto TV was also nominated in The Representation & Inclusion Award – Unscripted and Distribution Innovation categories.

Other Canadian series nominated include Little Bird (Rezolution Pictures, OP Little Bird), Reginald the Vampire (Cineflix Studios, Great Pacific Media, Modern Story, December Films), and SisterS (Shaftesbury, Peer Pressure) for Best New Scripted Series.

Sort Of (Sphere Media, Abacus Media Rights) and Hudson & Rex (Shaftesbury, Pope Productions), have been nominated for The Representation & Inclusion Award – Scripted. Both series have also been nominated in the Best Returning Scripted Series category, which also includes Departure (Shaftesbury).

Ruby and the Well (Shaftesbury) and Macy Murdoch (Shaftesbury) have been nominated for Best Live Action Kids Drama; Jane (Sinking Ship Entertainment) and Ghostwriter (Sinking Ship Entertainment) for Best Live Action Kids Programme; and Builder Brothers Dream Factory (Sinking Ship Entertainment, Scott Brothers Entertainment, Nelvana Enterprises), and Cracké Family Scramble (Productions Squeeze) for Best Animated Kids Programme.

Other Canadian titles shortlisted include Sloppy Jones (Susan Nation, Hop To It Productions) for Best Short-Form Series; and Indefensible (Pixcom, Calinos Entertainment) for Best New Scripted Series Non-English Language.

The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony on Oct. 18.

WFFS elects new board members

The Whistler Film Festival Society (WFFS) has announced three new appointments its board of directors, including producer John Ritchie, Liane Bedard, Dipo David Ziwa. The new board members were elected for a three-year term and announced at the WFFS Annual General Meeting on Aug. 24.

Ritchie heads his own eponymous independent company and is the chair of the BCIT Broadcast and Media Communications Industry Advisory Board. He has been an executive producer on series such as Border Security, The Bachelor Canada, First Dates, The Audience, Keeping Canada Alive and Keeping Canada Safe.

Bedard is director, revenue management, at Fairmont Chateau Whistler, while Ziwa is senior legal counsel at HSBC.

WFFS also re-elected previously serving members Sue Brouse, who is an independent consultant, and Ann Chiasson, managing broker, Remax Sea to Sky Real Estate, for a three-year term.

NLFDC rebrands as PictureNL

The Newfoundland & Labrador Film Development Corporation (NLFDC) has rebranded as PictureNL.

The organization’s CEO and film commissioner Laura Churchill said in a statement that the “new identity serves as a catalyst for change, allowing us to embrace the future armed with our competitive incentive programs, rich storytelling legacy and a deep-rooted commitment to nurturing the growth of the film and television landscape.”

The organization was established in 1997 as a Crown corporation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to promote the development of the film and television industry. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation (TCAR) is the sole shareholder of the corporation.

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