VANCOUVER, BC — Women in Film & Television Vancouver (WIFTV) has announced the launch of a brand new program to help support producers from underrepresented communities. The WIFTV Emerging TV Producers Program is a 6-month initiative aimed at assisting up to 10 women and gender-diverse creators with the goal of providing the tools, training and connections to break into the television industry.
“There is a shocking lack of Canadian TV producers from underrepresented communities due to systemic racism, sexism, and ableism in the industry. This impacts what stories audiences see on the screen, and how marginalized groups are viewed in society, and how they see themselves. We are excited to discover and amplify these previously unheard voices and give them the tools to succeed,” says Ana de Lara, WIFTV President.
Funded by the Canada Media Fund (CMF), the program is broken out into two phases. Phase 1 is a series of Foundation Workshops, held in Vancouver, June 11-14, 2022. Topics covered will include assessing opportunities, navigating funding applications, pitching, financing, creating budgets, and making industry connections.
During Phase 2, which runs June 15-December 15, 2022, participants will be matched with a mentor to assist them with packaging their projects for development funding and or industry markets. Arielle Boisvert, Partner and Executive VP of Production at Brightlight Pictures, is confirmed to be a jury member and mentor, with more names to be announced soon.
The program is free and open to BC-based producers or writers who want to gain producing skills, and who have a completed pilot script (30 or 60 minutes). They must identify as female or gender diverse (including trans, non-binary, gender fluid, and agender), be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, and be age 18+. It is the program’s mandate to have a diverse cohort that includes women and gender diverse persons from the IBPOC, LGBTQ2S+, and persons living with disabilities communities.
Funds for travel, accommodations, and meals will be provided to out-of-town participants. Assistance will be provided for childcare and other accessibility barriers based on needs. Sign language and mobility accommodations will be provided. An information webinar will take place at 11am PT on Saturday, February 26, 2022. Applications open March 8 and are open until April 4, 2022. Selected participants will be announced on May 2, 2022.
For more information please visit: www.womeninfilm.ca/tvprogram
For questions or assistance, including technical support with applications, please contact: tvprogram@womeninfilm.ca (nicola@penderpr.com )