BIPOC TV & Film, job site Indeed, Hillman Grad Productions and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) have named the five candidates to participate in the inaugural Rising Voices Canada program.

The program is a career accelerator for emerging Canadian Black, Indigenous and persons of colour filmmakers, offering them tangible skills, resources and networks to build their careers in film.

The cohort consists of five Toronto-based creatives: Tochi Osuji, Sara Rangooni, Mitchell LeBlanc, Janet-Rose Nguyen and Shanele Soares. Writer-director-producer V.T. Nayani (This Place) joins the program as a mentor-facilitator.

Indeed launched Rising Voices in 2021, in collaboration with Lena Waithe, Hillman Grad Productions, Ventureland and 271 Films. The program aims to discover, invest in and amplify stories created by BIPOC filmmakers and storytellers.

Since its launch, Rising Voices has created more than 2,000 jobs, from production to cinematography, for its 30 films, and has received over 1,600 applications.

As part of the Canadian program, the filmmakers will take part in feature film development sessions, workshops and networking conversations with other directors, writers and producers, led by Hillman Grad and BIPOC TV & Film.

The candidates will also have access to TIFF facilities and memberships through TIFF’s support of the program, and will be invited to attend the Rising Voices season four premiere, with the potential opportunity to pitch concepts to industry professionals.

“Our five selected filmmakers came together in Toronto for the first of many times this week, representing a huge milestone not only for the Rising Voices Canada program but also for Canadian film. We look forward to continuing to support these filmmakers on their journeys and can’t wait to see the impact they have on our industry at large,” said Marsha John-Greenwood, VP of people and culture at TIFF, in a statement.

“As an industry, we’ve made substantial progress in amplifying diverse voices, but none of it is possible without programs and mentors willing to invest in the next generation of filmmakers,” added Kadon Douglas, executive director of BIPOC TV & Film.

Photo by Joshua Zuckerman; pictured (L-R): (Back row) Rishi Rajani (Hillman Grad), Tochi Osuji, Mitchell LeBlanc, Justin Riley (Hillman Grad), Kadon Douglas, Madalina Secareanu (Indeed); (Front row) Sara Rangooni, Shanele Soares, Janet-Rose Nguyen, and V.T. Nayani.