The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has unveiled 14 producers set to travel to Australia to accelerate partnerships, supported by Ontario Creates, Telefilm Canada and CanExport for Associations (Global Affairs).

The delegation will begin in Sydney, where they will attend meetings and networking events coordinated by Ontario Creates and Screen Australia.

They will then travel to the Gold Coast to take part in Canada Connect, a joint initiative with the CMPA and Screen Producers Australia (SPA). Held as part of the SPA Connect Market at the SPA’s Screen Forever, the event brings together television and film producers from Australia and Canada who are seeking global partners and financing. The coproduction program will feature discussions, bespoke B2B meetings and networking opportunities.

Screen Forever ends May 8.

The delegates include Beth Iley, Lark Productions’ VP, international series development; Borga Dorter, producer at Gearshift Films; Carla de Jong, Sinking Ship Entertainment’s head of international coproductions and partnerships; Christina Fon, Shaftesbury VP, strategic partnerships and scripted content; and Kulbinder Saran Caldwell, founder and CEO of REALLIFE Pictures.

Also included is Jane Loughman, producer at Monkeys & Parrots; Kevin Krikst, Rhombus Media producer; Mackenzie Donaldson, Blink49 Studios VP, scripted TV; Paula Devonshire, producer at Devonshire Productions; Fae Pictures president Shant Joshi; and OYA Media Group development executive Silvana Rose Miller.

Rounding out the delegates is Werewolves of London founder Steph Song and Tania Koenig-Gauchier, producer at Wapanatahk Media.

There will also be several industry representatives traveling to Australia: Racial Equity Screen Office board member Gallant Law; Ontario Creates president and CEO Karen Thorne-Stone; Lisa Broadfoot, CMPA VP of industry and business affairs; Sarolta Csete, CMPA director of mentorship and international development; and Valerie Creighton, Canada Media Fund president and CEO.

“Both Canada and Australia have large English-language audiences, diverse shooting locations, world-class crews, and robust production infrastructure, which make our two countries natural partners in television and film production,” said Reynolds Mastin, CMPA president and CEO, in a statement. “We look forward to further strengthening this partnership through our respective governments’ efforts to modernize the current Canada-Australia audiovisual coproduction agreement.”

Recent CMPA delegation initiatives have included the U.K.’s Content London, Germany’s Berlinale, Denmark’s CPH:DOX and France’s Series Mania.

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