The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) has announced the long list of films for the 2023 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award.

The list includes 11 films: Ariane Louis-Seize’s Humanist Vampire Seeks Consenting Suicidal Person (Art et essai; pictured); Chloé Leriche’s Atikamekw Suns (Les Films de l’autre); Banchi Hanuse’s Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun (Taxam Films); Gabor (TAK Films) by Joannie Lafrenière; In Flames (CityLights Media, Other Memory Media) by Zarrar Kahn; and Cody Lightning’s Hey Viktor! (North Country Cinema).

Asia Youngman and Kathleen Jayme’s I’m Just Here for the Riot (Michael Grand and James Brown); Fawzia Mirza’s The Queen of My Dreams (Baby Daal Productions, Shut Up & Colour Pictures); Kim Albright’s With Love and a Major Organ (Common Knowledge Films); Coaching While Black (Gamble Ave Filmworks) by Alex Eskandarkhah; and Seagrass (Experimental Forest Films, Ceroma Films) by Meredith Hama-Brown complete the list.

In 2022, the Discovery Award was renamed to honour late director Jean-Marc Vallée. The award’s jury is chaired by Danishka Esterhazy, along with Trevor Mack, Titus Heckel, Heather Young, Geordie Sabbagh, Andrea Martinez Crowther, Ariel Nasr and Yasmin Mathurin.

DGC president Warren P. Sonoda said in a statement that “these bold, fearless filmmakers are extraordinary new voices in the landscape of Canadian cinema. Striving to tell the stories that need to be told, these films are not to be missed.”

Paramount+ Canada, Black Screen Office partner to boost support for Black filmmakers

Paramount+ in Canada has partnered with Black Screen Office (BSO) to boost support for Black creators seeking international exposure.

The partnership will expand support for the Black Creators Festival initiative, which gives creators access to international film festivals and TV markets by providing festival accreditation, travel and accommodation assistance, and pre-festival guidance during industry events.

The program has supported 60 creators since launching in 2022, facilitating connections with buyers, producers, distributors, and financiers at MIP Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the European Film Market in Berlin, and the Cannes Film Festival, among other industry events.

NSI announces teams for Series Incubator

The National Screen Institute has announced the four teams of writers and producers selected for the second edition of its Series Incubator program.

The program links the teams from underrepresented communities with industry professionals as they develop their scripted series and comprises four phases, and was kicked off earlier this week in Winnipeg. A director will join in phase three “to enhance the creative process.”

The four selected teams and their projects include Toronto’s Kulbinder Saran Caldwell and Saskatoon’s Moniquea Marion (Demon Child); Winnipeg’s Aaron Merke and Lauren Cochrane (Megasis); Toronto’s Bill Taylor and Scotburn’s Scott Jones (My Fabulous New Orgasm); and Regina’s Dawn Bird and Saskatoon’s Ryan Moccasin (No “F” in Strikes).

Over the next 12 months the teams will participate in online and in-person workshops, presentations, masterclasses, and will also have hands-on learning opportunities.

The teams will have the opportunity to develop their series idea and produce a proof-of-concept for a stand-alone short film, or scene from the series or promotional trailer.

The program’s new faculty includes Anthony Q. Farrell and Ins Choi as writer facilitators, who join Jeff Peeler (NSI Global Marketing) as program advisor, Karen Lam (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Totally Television) as director facilitator and Josh Epstein (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First, NSI Totally Television) as producer facilitator.

New K-Story fund to support Korean Canadian and American filmmakers

TIFF has announced the CJ and TIFF K-Story Fund to support and champion Korean Canadian and American filmmakers.

The fund, presented in collaboration with CJ Cultural Foundation and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), will support three creative teams in developing their first or second feature film with an annual budget of $30,000 for a three-year period. The selected participants will also receive one-on-one mentorship on story development with CJ ENM.

Applications for the fund open in November, with the recipients set to be announced in 2024.

Photo by Pavlin Shawn