Empowering Canada’s next generation of Black filmmakers

TORONTO, July 23, 2024 — The Black Screen Office (BSO) and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) today announced the participants selected for the BSO-CMPA Black Producer Accelerator Program, a mentorship initiative that pairs emerging producers with established producers at CMPA-member companies for skills and job training. The program is supported by Entertainment Partners (EP), a leading provider of production payroll, finance and management solutions.

Announced during the inaugural BSO Symposium last April, the Black Producer Accelerator Program is the latest addition to the CMPA’s suite of mentorship initiatives, and focuses on increasing the representation of Black producers in Canada and supporting their career growth. It provides intensive, on-the-job training across various aspects of the production industry, including research, development, physical production, business affairs, marketing and promotion.

The Black Producer Accelerator Program addresses the findings of BSO’s 2022 Being Heard: Black Canadians in the Canadian Screen Industries report, which highlighted the underrepresentation of Black producers and the need for mentorship. According to the survey participants, Black producers held fewer than two percent of the most senior producer roles (e.g. Executive Producer), and more than one-third were actively seeking mentors.

The inaugural cohort includes the following eight emerging Black producers. Each will work alongside established producers at CMPA-member companies for 20 weeks in a paid, full-time position.  

• Tyler Evans with Conquering Lion Pictures
• Devon Ellis-Durity with Dada Ibis Media   
• Rena Pilgrim with Karma Film
• Daniel Husbands with Mahaica Point Media Inc.
• Chidinma Nwoye with Neshama Entertainment
• Silvana Rose Miller with OYA Media Group
• Soko Negash with Scarborough Pictures   
• Fitch Jean with Wandering Worx    

Quotes:

“We are thrilled to partner with the CMPA and Entertainment Partners to support these talented emerging producers, providing them with the tools, experiences, and networks necessary to thrive. This cohort embodies the future of storytelling in Canada, and we are excited to see the impact they will make.” – Joan Jenkinson, CEO, Black Screen Office

“Entertainment Partners is proudly committed to supporting and uplifting the next generation of Black Canadian producers. Through our partnership with the CMPA and BSO, we are excited to deliver on that commitment by helping to provide the education, community, and resources needed for a flourishing career in film and TV. We congratulate the talented producers selected for this year’s accelerator program and look forward to the future successes that lie ahead for each of them.” – Cheryl Nex, President, Entertainment Partners in Canada

“For more than 25 years, the CMPA’s mentorship programs have been a catalyst to launching the careers of top leaders in Canada’s media production industry. We are pleased to partner with the BSO on this dedicated program for Black producers and are grateful for the support of Entertainment Partners in helping to make it possible. We look forward to watching this talented group of future leaders achieve success in the program and continue to advance their careers in the industry.” – Reynolds Mastin, President and CEO, CMPA

For more information about the Black Producer Accelerator Program, visit https://cmpa.ca/mentorship/black-producer-accelerator-program/.

ABOUT THE CMPA
⁠The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production, and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema, and digital media channels. For more than 75 years, the CMPA has worked to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

ABOUT THE CMPA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
For close to 30 years, the CMPA’s National Mentorship Program has invested in the next generation of independent producers—and a strong future for Canada’s industry—by placing aspiring producers in roles at Canada’s leading production companies. Stipends are partially subsidized by the CMPA, industry and government partners. In a commitment to eliminating systemic barriers in Canada’s media industry and elevating new voices and perspectives, since 2020 three-quarters of all CMPA mentorship participants have been selected from Indigenous and equity-deserving groups. cmpa.ca/mentorship

ABOUT THE BLACK SCREEN OFFICE (BSO) 
The Black Screen Office helps build a screen industry free of anti-Black racism, by working with industry decision-makers to change practices and build systems for accountability, directly catalyzing the production of Black-led content and supporting the career advancement of Black professionals. https://bso-ben.ca/ 

ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS
Entertainment Partners has been a trusted production partner to the entertainment industry for over 46 years, helping clients create and produce great shows and movies, choose the best production location, forecast, manage and track expenses, and pay crew and talent. As the global leader in entertainment payroll, production finance and production management solutions, EP delivers integrated, cloud-based digital solutions to support every phase of production. EP’s team of experts have decades of experience in the entertainment industry providing insights on global and domestic incentives, workers’ compensation, health care, labor issues, and regulatory compliance. EP also brings together background casting and digital production technology with the Casting Portal, the leading SaaS-based platform that has transformed the way background actors are found, hired, managed, and paid, plus the iconic and legendary Central Casting. www.ep.com 

For more information:

BSO Contact
Programming Manager, BSO
programming@bso-ben.ca

Gamiela Fereg
Senior Manager, Media Relations & Communications, CMPA
gamiela.fereg@cmpa.ca