Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Access Canada is backing a new iteration of the showrunners bootcamp led by Anthony Q. Farrell (Shelved).
The Diversity Showrunner Bootcamp will be run by Farrell via his company Canfro Productions, with WBD Access Canada on board as a sponsor.
The 2024-25 edition offers eight virtual three-hour training sessions with Farrell and other industry leaders, starting next month and running to January 2025.
The program is open to applicants who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, part of the LGBTQ2S+ community or a person with a disability. To be eligible, applicants must either have a series in development with a Canadian or U.S. broadcaster or production company; have a producer-level credit on a Canadian series; or a story editor credit on an animated series. Applications for the program are available on the Canfro website and close on Oct. 22.
The past iteration, known as the Showrunner Training Bootcamp, ran in 2021 and 2022 in partnership with BIPOC TV & Film. Nearly 100 creatives took part in the programs, including a number that have since gone on to showrunner roles, such as Sadiya Durrani (Zarqa), Sasha Leigh Henry (Bria Mack Gets a Life), Shazia Javed (Potluck Ladies) and Robina Lord-Stafford (Saint-Pierre).
“I’m very proud of the impact the previous editions of the Bootcamp have had on the industry,” said Farrell in a statement. “Seeing so many people from the first two cohorts now thriving in leadership positions warms my heart. It felt like the right time to run it back and demystify the showrunner position for a whole new group of diverse creatives.”
Photo of Anthony Q. Farrell by Ian Watson