The Quebec English-language Production Council (QEPC) has selected eight producers for the inaugural cohort of its Business Accelerator for Diverse Official Language Minority Community (OLMC) Producers program.

The initiative, which is running now through Jan. 30, 2026, serves as a complement to QEPC’s Producers Mentorship Program, which launched its fourth edition in September. Where the Mentorship program focuses on project development, the new Business Accelerator is designed to provide mid-career producers with tools, knowledge and connections to build sustainable production companies in the province.

Among the mentees selected are producer Krishna Anaberi of Les Films Polampalle, who began his career in Hyderabad, India before relocating to Montreal; Lily Chang, a writer, director and producer for theatre and film; and producer and director David Cruz, founder of La Nomade Films.

Also taking part are Italian-Canadian producer-director Stefano Da Frè, co-founder and president of Rosso Films International; producer Patrice Jecrois of Les Productions Provado; and producer and director Emily Gan, who won the Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award at the 2019 Hot Docs festival in Toronto for her feature documentary Cavebirds.

Rounding out the inaugural cohort are producer, director and script supervisor Jess Lee, who is currently developing the comedic series project Hot Summer Nights through Montreal’s Parabola Films; and Noah Wohl, founder and creative director of 3D animation studio Handmade Creative.

The mentees will participate in master classes and mentorship sessions with a number of established Quebec-based English-language producers across scripted and unscripted, as well as other industry professionals. Planned activities include a business affairs master class with IP and copyright law specialist Stéphane Moraille; an audience design session with marketing strategist Joanna Solecka; and a producer boot camp led by writer, producer and showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell (Run the Burbs, Little Mosque on the Prairie).

Other components of the program include one-on-one mentorship sessions, market attendance at the recent Festival du Nouveau Cinéma and the upcoming Montreal International Documentary Festival, and bi-monthly networking events sponsored by Montreal’s Studio Notre-Dame post-production facility.

Other program mentors include representatives from such Quebec prodcos as Apartment 11, Band With Pictures, Cineflix Media, Compass Productions, Galafilm, H2L Productions, Muse Entertainment, PMA Productions, Poutine Studios, Duo Productions and CineGround Media.

The Business Accelerator initiative is supported by the Canada Media Fund’s (CMF) Sector Development Program and SODEC’s Mission Assistance Program, which also support QEPC’s Producers Mentorship Program.

Image courtesy of QEPC