The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has announced its 2024 lineup for the Comedy Story Room Intensive.

Presented by Bell Media, the full-time, 12-week training initiative gives emerging and mid-level writers on-the-job training under the mentorship of an experienced showrunner. The program is designed to support emerging BIPOC talents by giving them experience in a collaborative series writing room.

The 2024 Comedy Story Room Intensive participants are writer-producer Marushka Jessica Almeida; B.C. comedy writer Qaseem Fazal; Vancouver-based sketch comedy writer Della Haddock; Toronto writer Aditi Raina; Egyptian-Canadian comedian Mostafa Shaker; and Vancouver writer Nattasha Shrestha.

The course mentor is established executive producer, comedian, writer and actor Anthony Q. Farrell (Shelved, Run the Burbs). He will lead the story room as showrunner as the group helps develop his latest comedy series, Truck U.

“Collaborating with fellow comedy writers is one of my favourite things to do. Working towards a creative goal with a group of funny, intelligent people is a recipe for joy. I’m really looking forward to developing this series with these six talented scribes,” said Farrell in a statement.

Pictured (L-R): Mostafa Shaker, Della Haddock, Aditi Raina (top), Qaseem Fazal, Marushka Jessica Almeida, and Nattasha Shrestha (bottom).