The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada to launch a film programmer fellowship in honour of the late Ravi Srinivasan.

The Warner Bros. Discovery Curatorial Programming Fellowship will run from April to September, and give one individual the opportunity to work as a programming associate at the organization in the lead-up to the 48th annual festival, which runs Sept. 7 to 17.

The 24-week fellowship will offer one-on-one mentorship to develop an emerging programmer’s “administrative and stakeholder management skills” as part of the festival’s international programming team. The fellow will have the chance to network with industry members and build up their knowledge of the Canadian and international film industries. The program includes $15,000 in compensation, paid throughout the fellowship.

The initiative is open to a Canadian who identifies as Indigenous, Black, a person of colour, LGBTQ2IA+, or a person with a disability, including French-speaking members of those communities. Applications for the fellowship close on March 13.

“The film industry is an ecosystem, and film programmers play a defining role,” said TIFF chief programming officer Anita Lee in a statement. “We are very proud to launch our first curatorial programme in honour of Ravi Srinivasan, our late Canadian programmer who represented TIFF’s commitment to discover and champion diverse stories on screen.”

“The continued diversification of roles of influence, like film programmers and curators, is a meaningful area of opportunity for Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada to contribute to impactful change in the Canadian industry,” added WBD Access Canada executive director Melanie Nepinak Hadley.

Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada has previously launched training programs in partnership with the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, Sheridan College, and L’Inis.

Image courtesy of TIFF