A joint program between the Yukon and Northwest Territories will see up to 10 content producers in the two territories provided with mentorship and training through the Northern Canada Producer Accelerator (NCPA) program.
The initiative was announced March 10 and is the first of its kind to see support by six national broadcasters/funders, including APTN, Bell Media, Blue Ant Media, CBC, Corus Entertainment and Rogers Group of Funds.
Northwestel and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency are also providing partial funding.
Access Canada is producing the program that will offer training, mentorship, networking and market access.
As part of the work to ensure it’s positioned to address the needs of Canada’s northern producers, the NCPA will be working with organizations, professionals and producers throughout the two territories to customize the program.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with N.W.T., Yukon government, CanNor and Content Canada, as well as all the major broadcasters across Canada, to offer a program for northern producers that will stimulate local film and TV production,” Moira Sauer, executive director of the Screen Production Yukon Association, said in a statement. “Screen media is a rapidly growing and hot corner of our economy, and as we look ahead to support and expand the local industry, NCPA could not be better-timed or placed. We expect to see benefits from this program for years to come.”
Economic Development Minister Ranj Pillai also spoke to the program, stating it will help ensure filmmakers receive “critical training and opportunities needed to make a splash on the national stage.”
Participants in the program will take customized courses aimed at enhancing their projects, while also honing their skills, culminating in direct access to the market. They will also mentor with industry professionals who will provide input and guidance throughout the program.
Each of the six broadcasters involved highlighted the program as a unique opportunity to represent and reflect more perspectives and engage with more communities.
As Adam Garnet Jones, director of TV content and special events at APTN, said: “APTN is thrilled to support emerging producers in the North by sponsoring the NCPA. We hope this program prepares the next generation of northern
Indigenous storytellers to launch on the global stage.”
The first cohort will be selected through an application process.
Submissions will be open to all producers with a business registered in the Yukon or the N.W.T., and will be based primarily around a specific project in the development stage, it was noted in the announcement.
All participants must be committed to fostering inclusion and representation, with special consideration given to submissions from Indigenous producers. Full application details are available at www.northernaccelerator.ca
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com