TOP FUNDERS TALK TOP FUNDING TO THE FUTURE OF BLACK FILMMAKING
From Telefilm to AFCOOP and everything in between, including the return of the Content Creation Fund at Screen Nova Scotia, the CBC and the NFB, the best in the industry come together to give Black filmmakers the most up to date information on how to fund their next projects.
MODERATOR:
Osas Eweka-Smith, Publicist and Public Relations Officer, Quebec and Atlantic Studio, NFB
Osas is an International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) award-winning communicator with 12 years of experience in public relations and communications. Over the years, she has worked for the Government of Alberta, City of Edmonton, Alberta Legal Information Society, Covenant Health and the University of Alberta.
Outside of PR/communications, Osas is an emerging filmmaker. She is passionate about using film to tell stories that keep her grounded in her Nigerian (Bini) roots, elevate the human spirit and bring marginalized voices to the forefront. In 2020, she debuted her first film, Beyond Curls & Kinks. The film screened at Canadian film festivals including the Halifax Black Film Festival, Calgary International Film Festival and the Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival, where it received Best Documentary and Audience Choice awards.
She has just completed a two-part documentary series for Telus Originals that follows the stories of BIPOC moms and the unique experiences and challenges they face.
PANELISTS:
Lori Mccurdy, Feature Film Executive, Telefilm, Atlantic Region
Lori is on Telefilm’s Project Financing team which is responsible for funding decisions on feature films through the value chain from development to production as well as distribution and marketing. Her mandate is to develop and support feature film talent (producers, writers and directors) in the Atlantic region, primarily through investment in an annual portfolio of projects with budgets less than $3.5 million but she is also here as the primary contact for all Atlantic feature film clients and to help them navigate Telefilm and its programs.
Morgan Salter, Content Creator Fund Manager, Screen Nova Scotia
Morgan Salter is the manager of the Content Creator Fund at Screen Nova Scotia. Responsible for the administration of the fund, Morgan thrives on supporting independent producers in the film and television sector. Prior to joining SNS in 2022, Morgan was the manager of FIN Partners, the globally recognized screen industry market.
Iain Mcleod, Programs & Outreach Coordinator AFCOOP
Iain is a filmmaker and adult educator who has been active in the Nova Scotia film community for over 20 years. A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre, he has written and directed both short and feature films and worked as a television writer for nearly a decade. A former AFCOOP member and vice chair of the board, he has worked at AFCOOP in various capacities since 2017 and is especially keen on participatory filmmaking projects and the mentoring of screenwriters. Iain continues to make his own films.
Rohan Fernando, Executive Producer of the Quebec Atlantic Studio, NFB
Rohan joined the studio as a producer in 2018 and was named executive producer in September 2022. His most recent credits as NFB producer include the Labrador Doc Project, a new initiative for Inuit creators that gave audiences the 2021 shorts Nalujuk Night by Jennie Williams and Evan’s Drum by Ossie Michelin. He also served as series producer on Reimagining Nova Scotia (2019), which included Sandi Rankaduwa’s Ice Breakers, Jason Young’s Canadian Screen Award-nominated Gun Killers, and Rachel Bower’s I Am Skylar, winner of the Best Atlantic Short Documentary award at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival.
Stewart Young, Executive Producer, Arts and Documentary programming, CBC
Stewart Young is the Executive Producer of Arts and Documentary Programming for CBC Atlantic, He works with independent producers to create original content for a wide range of TV/on-line programs including Land And Sea, the Absolutely Canada documentary series, Short Film Face Off and Reel East Coast.
Linda Wood, Manager, Film Fund, Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage
Linda Wood is Manager, Film Fund at the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. In her role, Linda supports clients in the Film & Television sector, managing the province’s Film and Television Production Incentive Fund and brings a wealth of industry knowledge to her clients. Linda has over two decades experience in government working in the film sector.
