BIPOC TV & Film and Bell Media Welcome 8 Mid-level Producers From Across Canada to the Inaugural Unscripted Producers Lab

– The six-month professional development program begins Feb. 27 at Bell Media Studios in downtown Toronto –
– Participants take a deep dive into development and production workflows, financing, casting, and set management, among other topics –
– Following the lab intensive, participants receive individual mentorship support –

Tags: @BIPOCtvandfilm, @bipoctvfilm, @BellMediaPR, @TheLede_CA

To tweet this release: https://thelede.ca/xUMuiJ TORONTO, ON (February 15, 2023) — A cohort of eight Black and racialized producers have been selected for BIPOC TV & Film’s inaugural Unscripted Producers Lab, presented by Bell Media. Announced September 2022, the program aims to mentor and train mid-career and experienced producers and showrunners interested in developing and producing original unscripted series. Through high-impact interactive workshops, panels, and case studies, co-designed by Sphere Media’s content executive Andrea Griffith and Bell Media senior production executive Tina Apostolopoulos, participants learn how to produce an unscripted (factual, reality, competition) series from start to finish. “We are incredibly proud of our inaugural cohort and are honoured to support their career development,” said Kadon Douglas, BIPOC TV & Film executive director. “Audiences are seeking new and compelling unscripted content, especially which challenges, entertains and introduces them to worlds they’ve never experienced. Each producer in this cohort has demonstrated their strengths not only as a gifted storyteller but also as an advocate for change. I can’t wait to see what new stories and people they introduce us to.” The 2023 lab participants are B.C.-based producers Derek Kwan and Priyanka Desai, Quebec-based bilingual producer and on-air host Sabine Daniel, and Ontario-based producers Vatsala Aron, Jonathan Jude, Camille Lawrence, Oswaldo Quiroz, and Amita Zamaana. Participant bios can be found here. The intensive lab covers various topics such as unscripted storytelling, casting, production and post-production workflows, financing and scheduling, as well as management and career development skills. Participants also get to hear from esteemed industry guests who provide their insights and help mentor the group. “Our goal with this program is to set up a new generation of diverse Canadian talent who can bring their unique and fresh perspectives to the unscripted media landscape,” said Justin Stockman, Vice-President, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media. “We hope this initiative opens up more opportunities and leads to long-running careers not just for our cohort of creators, but also for many other aspiring producers who will see more of themselves and their stories reflected on screens.” “Working with BIPOC TV & Film and Bell Media is a dream collaboration,” said lead facilitator and program co-designer, Andrea Griffith, Director of Content, Unscripted at Sphere Media. “We are so thrilled to be supporting the journey of eight talented creators on the journey to becoming showrunners in the unscripted space. We’ve designed a premium program for our participants that builds on foundational skills and follows the exciting life cycle of production. Our goal is to advance this group of leaders, primed to be in the power seat of a showrunner, and set them up for a brilliant trajectory and long-running career in unscripted programming.” A shortlist of participants was selected in Fall 2022 and invited to interviews led by Apostolopoulos, Griffith, and BIPOC TV & Film programs manager, Hannah Yohannes. Following the lab intensive, to complement the mentorship experience, BIPOC TV & Film will meet with the participants monthly to offer additional wraparound support, including check-ins, career goal-setting activities, and general advocacy.

ABOUT BIPOC TV & FILM
BIPOC TV & FILM (BTF) is a nonprofit movement advocating for racial equity and the advancement of Black, Indigenous and racialized Persons of Colour in Canada’s screen media industry. From professional development training to mentorship to wellness and advocacy support, and community engagement initiatives, BTF ensures that BIPOC creative professionals have the necessary resources, access and entrepreneurial skills to fully participate and thrive in the Canadian screen sector at all levels, in front of and behind the camera. BTF also operates HireBIPOC.ca, a bilingual staffing resource connecting employers with above and below-the-line crew and creative professionals across Canada.

ABOUT BELL MEDIA
Bell Media is Canada’s leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, digital and out-of-home media, including 35 television stations that are part of the CTV and Noovo networks; 27 specialty channels, including sports leaders TSN and RDS; bilingual TV and streaming service Crave; the iHeartRadio Canada brand encompassing 215 music channels, including 109 radio stations in 58 Canadian markets; and the Astral out-of-home advertising network. Bell Media is also a partner in Pinewood Toronto Studios, Montréal’s Grande Studios, Just for Laughs and Dome Productions, one of North America’s leading production facilities providers. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. Learn more at BellMedia.ca.