Vancouver-based non-profit Racial Equity Screen Office (RESO) and the South Korean studio SLL have launched the Canada-Asia Pacific Co-Production Accelerator (CAPCA), designed to aid Canadian producers in navigating coproductions with Asia.

Between Four to eight Canadian writers and producers will be selected to follow a case-study driven curriculum of adaptations and original IP. The program is intended to equip participants with the knowledge and network needed to break into the Asia-Pacific coproduction space.

CAPCA will take place over 12 weeks from April to August. It will mainly be virtual aside from a week at SLL’s Seoul studios in May and a showcase at East by Northwest (EXNW) from July 18 to 20, RESO executive director and program lead Hanna Cho (pictured left) told Playback Daily. Applications open on Wednesday (Feb. 12) and close on Feb. 26.

The goal is to have additional cohorts in the future, using the framework to work with studios and organizations across the Asia-Pacific, said Cho.

The program faculty leads are Janice Chua, former VP of international development and production at L.A.-based Imagine Entertainment and Sean Dulake, co-founder of L.A. and Seoul-based prodco Third Culture Content. CAPCA is supported through the Canada Media Fund’s (CMF) Sector Development Support program.

“CAPCA is about building real, long-term creative and business relationships between our industries,” said Joonsuh Park (pictured right), CEO of SLL’s production division, in a statement.

The initial concept was created through informal conversations during the 2024 EXNW conference. Park said the “the level of talent and opportunity” at the event “convinced us that the time is now” to work with Canada as a coproduction partner.

Some of the Canadian executives present at EXNW for a special Asia-Pacific roundtable were CMF CEO Valerie Creighton; Liz Shorten, chief operating officer of the Canadian Media Producers Association; Melanie Hartley, Telefilm Canada’s director, national and international promotion programs; Creative BC CEO Prem Gill; Taleeb Noormohamed, B.C. MP and Parliamentary Secretary of Heritage; and B.C. senator Yuen Pau Woo.

“With the industry at a crossroads, this initiative ensures that racialized Canadian creators have a seat at the table in one of the world’s most dynamic content markets,” said Cho. “It’s about building relationships that last beyond one deal, fostering a pipeline of coproductions that expand what Canadian content can be.”

Images courtesy of Racial Equity Screen Office