Telefilm Canada says it has handed a shortlist of candidates for its top job to the Department of Canadian Heritage and is now awaiting a final decision from Minister Liza Frulla. Her decision is expected within the month.

The list was compiled by the recruiting firm Caldwell Partners International and pared down by the Telefilm board, which has been without an exec director since Richard Stursberg’s sudden departure in August. Stursberg left partway through his five-year term to take over as head of English television at CBC.

According to a story in The Globe and Mail, there are three names on the list, among them Canadian Film Centre head Wayne Clarkson and former Astral Media CEO Lisa de Wilde.

Telefilm also recently named 45 projects that won financing through its Canada New Media Fund and has extended the deadline for its minority-aimed Spark Plug Program to Nov. 16.