Emerging TV Producers Program

Program Overview

The Emerging TV Producers Program provides training and mentorship for up to ten women and gender-diverse creators, with the goal of providing business skills, training and connections to break into the complex Canadian TV production system.

Applications are closed.

Watch the Information Session for more information on the ETVP program here.

Key Dates

Program Outline

PHASE 1: Foundation Workshops

Participants will take part in an in-person, hands-on television business training in Vancouver, September 16 – 20, 2024. This is a series of Foundation Workshops led by instructors and assistants expert in industry business practices and possessing essential knowledge of what emerging TV producers need to know to get a foot in the door.

The Foundation Workshops will cover:

• Assessing your opportunities: Who and where the broadcasters are, what streamers and other TV funders exist in Canada and how they work with emerging producers. What are they looking for, whether your project is a good fit and what they expect from you as a producer.
• Navigating funding applications: Researching and interpreting the different requirements and intentions/mandates of each fund, how to do budget estimates and work with budget formats, and how to source and solicit required reference letters and mentors.
• Making a connection: Who and where to pitch your project and how to pitch when you get the chance.
• Follow up: timing, techniques and skills. Attending markets, making and maintaining contacts, promoting yourself and your project.
• Putting the money together: Designing a financing plan: how broadcast licenses work, applying for CMF funding, tax credits and other sources and how to put them all together.
• Creating a budget and financing plan: Creating an appropriate budget – estimating, researching, calculating – and learning ways to scale your budget depending on the funding you might secure.
• The legal side: Understanding and assessing company structures, financing contracts, license agreements, deal memos, rights clearances and chain of title.
• Other sources of support for your TV project: distributors, broadcasters outside of Canada, crowd-funding, other grants. How to find them, and what they can do for you.

PHASE 2: Project Packaging with One-on-One Consultations

From October to December, 2024, participants will apply what they learned, at their own pace, to package their projects for development funding and or industry markets. Each participant will be matched to a mentor, who will review and provide advice on their project.

• Strategic Plan
• Financial Plan
• Budget & Budget Strategy
• Project Package
• Funding application

Costs

There is no cost to apply or participate in the program. 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.

Applicant Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you:

• Identify as female or gender diverse.
• Reside in British Columbia.
• Are a Canadian citizen or have a permanent resident status, and aged 18 or over.
• Do not have a credit as a producer or show-runner on an existing Canadian TV series project (Telus Storyhive project producers and writers are eligible to apply). 
• Have an eligible project in development, for which you have already completed narrative pilot script. 
• Own the intellectual property of the submitted project.

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. Sign language and mobility accommodations will be provided as needed.

Only one person per project may apply. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact etvp@gemsvancouver.org.

Project Eligibility

We are looking for projects that have strong potential to succeed in the Canadian TV market. These types of projects will prioritize authentic storytelling and will showcase compelling stories through a bold and original point of view. We are looking for projects that already have a clearly developed pilot treatment and season outline. ETVP is not a story development lab, but rather a business skills training program for emerging producers and showrunners. However, the applicants will workshop the packaging of their project with their mentors in Phase 2, so it is important that the project be ready to package.

Projects should be: :

• Narrative live-action series only (reality, lifestyle, animation, variety or sketch comedy are not eligible).
• Limited (6-8 episodes) or recurring series.
• Projects can be half-hour or hour-long episodes, or short form series.
• Project should be well-suited to the contemporary Canadian TV landscape (could be made within similar budget and scope of existing Canadian TV projects).
• Project can be in any language, but application materials in languages other than English must contain translations.

If you are curious in learning more about what some Canadian broadcasters are looking for, please take a look at these guidelines outlined by CBC, APTN, Bell Media, and Crave. 

Application Requirements

• Completed Application and Release Form 
• Pitch document that clearly outlines the project’s story, themes, and creative approach (max. 10 pages, in a single PDF). This document should include:
  • Project details (program format, genre, running time, number of episodes).
  • Synopsis 
  • Series  Outline (Season 1 overview and mention of any further seasons if applicable)
  • Character descriptions
  • Target audience and any plans to reach/engage with them
  • Financing plan (no financing need to be in place, but please outline who you would pitch this project to)
  • List of any creatives attached to the project, if applicable
  • Brief description of other projects in your production or development slate, if applicable
• Letter of intent telling us more about who you are and your desired career path. Please outline why you want to participate in ETVP and how this program would help advance your career (max. 1 page).
• Applicant CV with filmography (max. 2 pages).
• Two letters of support (max 1 page each) from an industry or personal contact who is familiar with you and your work. If this presents a barrier for you, please contact us. 

Please note that each of the required materials should come as a single PDF file, and should be named using the format APPLICANTNAME_COMPONENT (for example: JANEDOE_PITCHDECK, JANEDOE_LETTEROFINTENT, etc).

Meet the Team

Deborah Osborne
Lead Instructor

Deborah Osborne was involved with the curricula development and the lead instructor for the last two year’s Emerging TV Producers Program. For over 30 years, she has worked with creators, performers, crews, professional organizations, theatre and opera companies, government institutions, equipment manufacturers, broadcasters, and students. Her career began in theatre and opera stage management, evolving to production of films, TV series, documentaries, and live-to-air programming. Deborah’s wide range of experience in executive, creative, administrative and crew positions has supported many live productions and a variety of award-winning programming for major networks and distributors in North America and Europe. In addition, she has worked as the Post Production Risk Manager with the Motion Picture Bond Company, Production Manager for IMAX DMR projects, as an evaluator for media funding organizations, a Production Planning Executive at CBC, and the Western Programming Manager for APTN. She has authored articles for industry publications and has taken leadership roles in innovative training initiatives, curricula development and teaching, as well as producing seminars and workshops across Canada. Throughout her career Deborah has sat on advisory committees for colleges and universities and worked with volunteer organizations, such as Women In Film and Television (Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver), Salt Spring Island Chamber of Commerce and currently as Vice-Chair of the Salt Spring Arts Council. In 2016 Deborah was honoured with a Women In Film and Television ‘Crystal Award’ for mentorship. Deborah is originally from Toronto, Ontario and comes from a mix of European and Caribbean descent. She has lived and worked in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Connecticut, before moving to Salt Spring Island in 2015.

Omorose Osagie
Program Director

Omorose Osagie is an award-winning filmmaker from Brampton, Ontario. She has received the jury prize for Best Animation at the Essence Film Festival and her films have screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival and other festivals across North America. She was selected for the Vancouver International Film Festival’s mentorship program. Her film appeared on the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Where to Watch list. She’s held a variety of roles in arts organizations including VIFF and the NFB. She studied film production at the University of British Columbia.

Meet the Participants

Sarah Alma Angelle, Queen of Trash

Sarah Alma Angelle is an award-winning actor (The Umbrella Academy, The Handmaid’s Tale), producer, and founder of Lilix Media. She has appeared on CBC’s Here & Now with Gill Deacon and The Early Edition with Stephen Quinn.

Trained in theatre, Sarah is now transitioning to film and television, having produced Our Long Goodbye (Crazy8s), Rina and the Demons (MAMM), and Ferment (Film Heist). Currently, she is developing three series with Orange Knapsack Productions and Elevation Pictures, supported by Creative BC and Bell Media’s Slate Development Program.

Sarah’s passion lies in exploring mental health and neurodiversity through a whimsical, comedic lens.

Elora Braden, Ricky Diamonds: Ricky in the Rough

Elora Braden (she/her) is the founder of El Nina Productions in Golden, BC. A small production studio that creates story-led films for brands and businesses.  Through her company, her work explores a wide range of characters and genres. As well as producing, Elora also works behind the camera as a cinematographer, sound engineer as well as post production editor.  

Elora honed her producing skills in multiple capacities, including as an Associate Producer for CBC Radio North in her hometown of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.  Her work in radio provided her with an essential storytelling skill set, and adding a visual component as a filmmaker was a natural next step.  After moving to the small town of Golden, BC Elora discovered she was able to take on all aspects of production when she started her own production studio and business El Nina Productions.  She’s created and produced worked for major outdoor brands like The North Face, Helly Hansen and Rossignol.  Within her first year of business she was awarded “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” from the local Chamber of Commerce.

Most recently, she’s created  “Ricky Diamonds: Ricky In The Rough,” a musical comedy series following a banished Las Vegas lounge singer plot his career comeback from a small Canadian mountain town. This series spotlights her as director, editor, and producer. Beyond her studio, Elora nurtures the arts, her passion projects and commissions fostering a vibrant film culture.

Ellie Cameron-Smith, Mystery Unsolved

Eloise began her career in VFX, contributing to hit films like “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. She produced the satirical horror short “Hellmark” (2023), which premiered at Fantasia. She produced two 2023 JUNO nominated music videos. Her next project “easybake” won the MPPIA Short Film Award at Whistler Film Festival 2023. 

Under the banner of Overhead Projector, Ellie has a slate of female driven horror features in development, including Dormant dir. Jenny Lee-Gilmore that was accepted into the GEMS Genre Lab 2024. With her impressive portfolio, Ellie establishes herself as a producer who excels in complex, creative, and technical projects.

Mimi Dejene, Uncharted Identity

Mimi is a versatile filmmaker with over a decade of experience in the film and television industry. Her exploration of different roles, from producer’s assistant to post-production coordinator, combined with her upbringing as a child of Ethiopian immigrants in Canada, refined her skills as a filmmaker of nuanced and complex narratives. She balances her passion for storytelling with her work on large-scale union projects in the set decoration department. Over the years, Mimi has brought her unique vision to life in various short films. Her latest directorial and producing endeavor, Jackie’s Haven, is a bold hybrid animation. The film follows a young Chinese Canadian girl navigating her grief through vivid imagination.

Jess Havisto, On Call

Jess Havisto (she/they) As a creative producer in the niche world of marketing production services, Jess has produced and directed behind-the-scenes and short- form content for many high-profile tv series and films, on behalf of studios and networks across North America, including Apple, Netflix, Sony, ABC and Disney. When not shooting, Jess returns home to the BC Kootenays, where they live off-grid and volunteer as a firefighter and medical first responder. Passionate about wildlife and habitat conservation, Jess can often be found deep in the forest with a camera, or deep in the ocean searching for nudibranchs.

With an extensive development slate of original material in hand, Jess is very excited to be joining GEM’s Emerging TV Producer’s program, poised to enter the world of scripted series production. Past project highlights include producing the “Queen of Mean Remix” music video on behalf of Disney, which garnered over 70M YouTube views, and developing the unscripted piece, “A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians”.

Anya Kapustianyk, Tides Out

Anya, an emerging writer and filmmaker from White Rock, British Columbia, graduated with an Honours degree in International Development and Sociology and a minor in Indigenous Studies from Dalhousie University in 2019. She transitioned into the film industry, blending her academic background with a sharp comedic edge and a commitment to queer narratives. After gaining experience assisting prominent showrunners and directors, Anya is now working on producing her own indie projects, earning an Associate Producing credit on KINSHIPS and a Co-Directing credit on The Name’s Slim. Her credits also include work on FRESH, Love Me, Peacock’s LAID, NBC’s Alaska Daily and more.

Johanne Michel, The Good Life

Johanne Michel is a seasoned Director, Producer, and Screenwriter with nearly two decades of experience in the film industry. A Vancouver Film School alumna, Johanne has a passion for storytelling that began in high school and has since led to numerous high-profile projects. As the founder of MJM Black Productions, she has independently managed and overseen all aspects of film production. Johanne’s robust experience spans across various roles, including 2nd Assistant Director on shows like “GABBY DURAN & THE UNSITTABLES” and “THE FLASH”. She is recognized for her ability to bring diverse and authentic stories to life, a trait that has made her a finalist in multiple screenwriting competitions. Her journey from a Production Assistant to a leader in the industry exemplifies resilience and a deep commitment to inclusive and impactful storytelling.

Gabrielle Rutman, Toxic

Gabrielle Rutman is an emerging writer living on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She received her BFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, where she is currently completing her MFA in Creative Writing. Gabrielle is passionate about writing in multiple genres including TV, film, songwriting, and young adult fiction. Her multi-faceted experience has included coordinating for the VIFF Amp Music in Media Summit, working as a Development Coordinator at My Precious Pictures, and coordinating the UBC Scripted Media Career Accelerator program.

Steph Song, Strawberry

Steph Song began Werewolves of London with one simple mission. For Werewolves to become known as a fountain of great concepts. After a 20 year career as an actor in the USA, Asia, Australia and Canada, she knows the secret to great content- do not be boring!

Steph was Executive Producer and lead actress on TV drama “Blood & Water” for Omni Channel and Rogers Canada. The show was nominated twice for Best Dramatic Series at the Canadian Screen Awards and Steph was nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Dramatic Series.

Steph has been nominated for Best Female Lead four times and Best Supporting Actress twice in Canadian Film Awards.

She sat alongside Donald Sutherland on the jury of the Whistler Film Festival. Peter Fonda crashed her launch party at the Singapore International Film Festival. Canada’s number one-selling magazine, Chatelaine, called her “The New Face of Canadian Film”. She was listed in the “Top Ten People to Watch Out For” by Playback Magazine. And she was voted “Sexiest Woman in the World” by Asian FHM readers, much to her family’s amusement.

Steph is now bringing her experience in front of the camera, into the realm of creative development. Werewolves of London has a bagful of fun pitches. All you have to do is ask her, “Whatcha got?”

Selection Process

Applications will be scored heavily on the strength and originality of the proposed project, on the applicant’s potential as an emerging producer or showrunner, and on the project’s suitability for the Canadian TV landscape. The selection process will be influenced by the program’s intent to select a diverse group of participants, who are not all based in Vancouver.

Jury

Alexis McLaren—Production Executive, Original Programming, Scripted & Unscripted

As a Production Executive, Alexis McLaren works with industry writers and partners on the production of new projects for Bell Media’s Original Programming Slate. Alexis’ production portfolio covers both scripted and unscripted titles for national channels, including, Crave, CTV and CTV specialty channels. Announced titles include The Traitors Canada, The Office Movers and Super Team Canada.

Shayna Fine

An improv/theater nerd at heart, Shayna Fine has been working in the kids and family space for almost 20 years, which is shocking since she still feels like a 5 year old! As an award-winning Creative Executive, and Producer, she has worked on some of the world’s leading children’s IP including Teletubbies, Yo Gabba Gabba, Caillou, Super Why, and Paw Patrol. As Director of Development with Spin Master, she led the team through the development of the first ever Paw Patrol spin-off Rubble and Crew. Dedicated to creating exceptional entertainment that empowers, uplifts and inspires audiences all around the world, she is beyond excited to continue collaborating with partners new and old to bring fresh stories and characters to life.

Jessie Anthony—Producer, Writer, Director, DGC

Writer/Director/Producer Jessie Anthony is a proud Haudenosaunee woman from the Onondaga Nation, Beaver clan, born and raised in the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Ontario, Canada. Jessie graduated from the Indigenous Independent Filmmaking Program with a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Capilano University. Jessie is a Telefilm Talent to Watch winner for her first feature film titled “Brother, I Cry,” which won the 2020 BC Emerging Filmmakers Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Audience Choice Award in the 2020 imagiNative Film Festival, Best Screenwriting Award at the 2021 Vancouver International Women’s Film Festival and Best Screenwriting and Best Direction in a motion picture at the 2021 Leo Awards. Jessie is also the producer of the Canadian Screen Award-nominated Indigenous Queer series QUERENCIA, which won the imagineNATIVE Pitch Competition, gaining a broadcast deal with APTN/The Bell Fund and Telefilm Talent to Watch. Jessie is currently in development with a television slate supported by CMF, AMAZON, ISO, CREATIVE BC and BELL MEDIA. Jessie recently wrapped up a writer’s room for a brand new Indigenous T.V comedy series titled “Acting Good.” with CTV and a director’s mentorship on THE HANDMAIDS TALE with Emmy award-winning cinematographer and director Dana Gonzales. 

Jessie has produced shorts through her production company Pass-Through Productions, which the Indigenous Screen Office has funded, Telus Optik and BravoFact. Jessie is a member of Red Castle Films and is one of the producers of the award-winning short film El Color Negro a story about black empowerment and many music videos. She was the first Assistant Director on The Edge of the Knife, co-directed by Helen Haig-Brown and Haida Artist Gwaai Edenshaw. Jessie was a finalist at the MPPIA short film award competition, receiving an honourable mention. She directed the documentary Through My Needle, which follows a Mohawk designer and her family, exploring culture and clan through the beading and design of indigenous regalia. Jessie worked on the Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce (NBC Universal), River of Silence (Telefilm), Going For Broke (Telus/Red Castle Films), Man in the High Castle (Amazon) and La Quinceanera (Lucha Gore -Time Warner) and many more.

Frequently Asked Questions

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