The Black Screen Office (BSO) has named the 13 participants selected for the third round of the Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund.

Launched by the BSO in 2021 in collaboration with the Rogers Group of Funds and the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for Black and People of Colour creators (CISF), the fund provides writers identifying as Black or a person of colour with financial support, in line with Writers Guild of Canada standards, to bring a project from early development to a scripted treatment or teaser.

Of the 13 participants in this year’s cohort, seven hail from Toronto: Lindsey Addawoo, Zaki Farow, Jane McLean Guerra, Sandy Hudson, Adnan Khan, Shasha Nakhai and Ian Steaman.

Another four come from Montreal: Lamia Chraibi, Aïcha Diop, kimura byol lemoine and Ranang Rousseau. Rounding out the cohort are Vancouver’s Brishkay Ahmed and Winnipeg’s Ian Bawa.

The 2023 program will kick off with a three-day writing retreat outside of Toronto. Facilitated by Meridian Artists founder Glenn Cockburn and Magee TV president and executive producer Al Magee, the retreat provides the participants with mentorship with industry professionals and dedicated coaching sessions on pitching. The participants are expected to deliver their treatments or teasers in 2024.

CISF executive director Sally Lee said in a statement that this third round of the fund was “our most competitive round to date,” demonstrating “the depth of talent among Black and racialized creators across Canada.”

“Together with partners such as the Rogers Group of Funds and the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for Black and People of Colour creators, we are weaving a tapestry of sustainability, where creativity flourishes, stories resonate, and representation becomes the cornerstone of a vibrant entertainment industry,” added BSO executive director Joan Jenkinson.

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