Creative BC has allocated a total of $250,000 to 25 projects from B.C. to support their early development stages through its Equity and Emerging Development Program.

The program provides a $10,000 grant to emerging and/or equity-seeking B.C. filmmakers for costs such as research, concept creation and scriptwriting. The selections include scripted and unscripted films and series, as well as animated series.

The program is supported by the B.C. government’s investment of $15.9 million in the motion picture industry over three years, announced in April 2023.

Twelve of the projects are scripted features. They include Assistance in Dying (Wanda Films), with the key creative team of Rachelle Younie and Patrycja Mila Kamska; Good News (Understory Films), creatively led by Susan Bayani and Sepehr Samimi; Little Booms (Moon7), led by Rachel Rose and Jacob Crawford; Dark Room (Spindle Films), from August Winter and J Stevens; and Deepfake (Storiel Entertainment), led by Ariel Bond, Lucy McNulty and Magdalena Shenher.

Rounding out the scripted features are Entity (Tooth and Nail Pictures), led by Eva Grant, Hunter Grant and Yasmeen Grant; Gone Abroad from Kevin Ang and Moheb Jindran; Middle of Nowhere (Shotglass Productions), led by Nimisha Mukerji and Mark Ratzlaff; Della Haddock‘s Mommy Issues (Tenderscope Productions); Rhona Rees’ Renaissance Woman; René Brar’s The Passage (Media Plaster); and Wraithen (Luna Creatives), led by Sunny Mohajer and Jesse Copeland.

Five documentary features were selected: I, Migrant (Goodness Pictures), led by Alex Sangha and Vinay Giridhar; lori lozinski’s 10 Steps to Land Back for White People (Violator Films); Short Rope (NS Creative), led by Lara Shea and Nat Segal; The Performance of a Lifetime (Sad Sack Cinema), from Brendan Prost and Daniel Jeffery; and Daniel J. Pierce’s Trouble in the Headwaters (Ramshackle Pictures).

Brishkay Ahmed’s I Lost You Here (Digital Warriors Productions), listed as a TV documentary, was also among the selections.

The two scripted series chosen were Playback 10 to Watch alum Renuka Singh‘s Kiss of Death (Renuka Singh Inc.) and Public Market (After Ever Films), led by Osric Chau and Patrick Do.

The three docuseries are Happy You’re Here (Special Delivery Productions), led by Rosie Choo Pidcock, Kimberly Ho and Rae Takei; Guardians of Skinwalker Canyon (Wapanatahk Media), with Tania Koenig-Gauchier, Shirley Mclean and Mike Gosselin as the key creative team; and Iht’a’ū’a (let’s trade) (Rez Dog Productions), led by Michael Bourquin and Jessica Hallenbeck.

Rounding out the 25 selections are animated series Crack – The Fly from singer and composer Marcelo “Tchelo” Vieira and Nitin Singh’s Ray and Pi (Next Pixel Entertainment).

“Through Creative BC, our government is proud to support programs that are breaking down barriers, sparking innovation and strengthening B.C.’s reputation as a global leader in creativity, equity and inclusion,” said Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Spencer Chandra Herbert in a statement.

Image: Unsplash