Toronto-based production studio and sound stage Dark Slope (pictured) has committed $100,000 in cash and in-kind support to Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s Group Effort Initiative (GEI), designed to create pathways in the entertainment industry for underrepresented groups.

The formalized collaboration includes support with paid internships, mentorships across virtual and extended reality production and an industry job fair event primarily for Canadian participants.

The two organizations previously worked together in 2024 on their Future Forward event, designed to connect VFX industry partners to BIPOC professionals to facilitate employment and collaborative opportunities.

GEI was created by Reynolds and Lively in 2020, kicking off with placing eight trainees on Vancouver-filmed The Adam Project from Montreal-born Shawn Levy. To date, GEI has secured 959 paid internships and 186 corporate full-time jobs and partnered with 164 productions to provide 259 production assistant jobs to participants. In addition, the initiative has held more than 100 educational events.

Manitoba Film & Music appoints Steven Foster to director role

Manitoba Film & Music has appointed Steven Foster as its director, film commission services and industry development, effective July 2.

In the new role for the organization’s film commission department, Foster will lead the film commission and promote the province as a destination for production to expand market share and support industry-wide development. He will also be responsible for driving national and international marketing efforts, developing cross-sector partnerships and advancing workforce development for Manitoba’s screen industry.

Most recently, Foster served for 10 years as the business agent for the Directors Guild of Canada, Manitoba, managing regional administration, office operations and member and industry relations.

Foster has also served on several boards and advisory committees, including On Screen Manitoba and the Wolseley Residents Association.

“[Foster’s] ability to build relationships and bring people together is exactly what’s needed to help guide our next chapter of growth in Manitoba’s film and television sector,” said Lynne Skromeda, Manitoba Film & Music CEO and film commissioner, in a statement.

YMAs name Steven DeNure Scholarship recipient

Canada’s Youth Media Alliance (YMAs) has named Queen’s University student Kira Christie as this year’s recipient of its Steven DeNure Scholarship.

Awarded annually to one or two students or recent grads from Canadian post-secondary schools, the scholarship is set up to partially fund a 12-week paid summer internship at a Canadian media company. YMA administers half of the US$6,500 cost of this internship, with the mentoring company covering the other half.

Christie will be working with WildBrain starting on June 2, with a workplan that touches on content creation (development and production), audience engagement and franchise management.

As part of her development stint, she’ll contribute to a new season of Netflix skating drama Finding Her Edge.

This is the third year the Steven DeNure Scholarship has been awarded by the YMA. Its aim is to support the development of industry talent by giving them early exposure to practical skill-building opportunities. Previous winners are Maria Bui (Lopii Productions) in 2024, and Shanelle Simms (BP Solarpunk Media) and Tania Gonçalves (Little Engine Moving Pictures) in 2023.

Funding for the scholarship comes from former WildBrain president Steven DeNure, Canadian kids songwriter Marlowe Stowe, 9 Story Media Group, the Canadian Media Producers Association, Sinking Ship Entertainment, WildBrain, Breakthrough Entertainment and Portfolio.

CSSC names 2025 Writers’ Block Crystal Awards winners for 2025 edition

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC), following a 12-year hiatus, has returned and named the Writers’ Block Crystal Awards-winning screenplays for its 2025 edition.

CSSC, founded in 2008 by writer, producer and showrunner David Cormican, is a financier and producer of short films that looks to elevate unproduced screenplays, acting as a launchpad for writers.

The competition’s awards recognize the top three screenplays, as voted on by an industry-based jury, and were presented during the Yorkton Film Festival’s Golden Sheaf Awards gala.

The Sound of Trees by Michael Young received the Best in Fest Grand Prize, while Last Meal: A Love Story by Betty Robertson was selected for the second-place Golden Cinema Award. HAIL! by Lee Murray Chetwynd claimed the third-place Silver Screen Award.

Each of the winners will receive an option and purchase agreement to help bring the short scripts to life. The agreements are valued at $1,000, $500 and $250, according to the scripts’ respective placement.

The CSSC jury included S4C’s Claire Urquhart, Meridian Artists’ Glenn Cockburn, screenwriter and former winner Suri Parmar, filmmaker Toby Fountaine, Helsinki Film’s Tua Harno and Cormican himself.

The competition has also confirmed that it will return for 2026 with submissions opening later this year.

In addition, CSSC has started production on U.K.-based Neil Graham’s screenplay Something Pointless, which placed first in the competition back in 2011.

The short film is written by Graham and Cormican and is directed by U.K. director, producer, VFX veteran and virtual production supervisor Asa Bailey. Bailey also produces the project along with Cormican.

With files from Kidscreen

Image courtesy of Dark Slope