Eight producers selected for Access+

Collage of eight Access+ faculty headshots arranged in two rows of four on a light grey background with a subtle overlapping circular pattern. The group includes people of different genders and racial backgrounds, photographed individually against a variety of neutral and coloured backgrounds. Most are facing the camera, with expressions ranging from neutral to smiling. Each portrait is cropped into a large circle, creating a consistent grid across the graphic.
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Media release

September 18, 2026

Ashna Sharma

Communications Coordinator

First row, from left: Fabiola Caraza, Gavin Seal, Joe Balass, Kathy Thomas. Second row, from left: Leon Lee, Nach Dudsdeemaytha, Rolla Tahir, Sam Pineda Sierra. 

The National Screen Institute is pleased to announce the eight producers selected for Access+, an advanced professional development and mentorship program presented by EAVE and the National Screen Institute in partnership with the Canada Media Fund and community partner BIPOC TV & Film.

Designed for alum of the Access BIPOC Producers program and the EAVE On Demand Access program, Access+ supports mid-level producers in Canada who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour as they strengthen their companies and projects for the international marketplace.

The selected participants are:

Read more about the participants. 

Training begins today with a four-day, in-person intensive in St. Catharines, Ontario. Participants will strengthen their company and slate strategies, explore financing, legal and co-production approaches and prepare their projects and businesses for international markets.

The program is delivered with head of studies Tamara Dawit, National Screen Institute senior programs manager Ursula Lawson and group leaders Damon D’Oliveira and Daniela Mujica. During the intensive, participants will also learn from Canadian and international industry experts Camille Gatin, Douglas Murray, Mathias Noschis, Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine and Titus Kreyenberg, with sessions covering co-production, legal considerations, equity investment, marketing, market preparation and pitching.

Following the intensive, participants will receive virtual mentorship from October 2026 to January 2027. During this phase, they will refine their company and project strategies, identify potential international partners and develop approaches to pitching and positioning their work internationally.

The program concludes with a visit to the International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands from January 26 to February 7, 2027. Participants will receive individual coaching and take part in curated meetings and networking opportunities to build relationships with potential international partners, buyers and collaborators.

• • •

Access+ is presented by EAVE and the National Screen Institute, in partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF); Community Partner BIPOC TV & Film; Patron Telefilm Canada; Strategic Sponsors BC Film Foundation, Creative BC,  Bell Media; Industry Partner Bell Fund; Provincial Sponsors Ontario Creates, Creative Saskatchewan, ScreenSask Apprenticeship Stream Training Program; Supporting Sponsor Neshama Entertainment; Supporting Donor Blue Bridge; National Screen Institute Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council and Rogers.

• • •

About EAVE, European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs

EAVE is a professional training, project development and networking organization for audiovisual producers. Working with a worldwide network of partners we are involved in programmes for producers around the globe.

Founded in 1988, EAVE’s objectives are to provide professional training opportunities and to bring producers from different regions of the world together with the aim of facilitating co-production relationships.

Our flagship programme, the European Producers Workshop, has created a strong network of European producers, of whom over 2,900 have graduated from our programmes. We also organize EAVE+, EAVE Marketing Masterclasses, EAVE Film Finance Forum and EAVE On Demand tailor-made workshops around the globe.

About the Canada Media Fund

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, promotes, develops and finances the production of Canadian content and relevant applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global digital environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voices and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships.

The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors. Please visit cmf-fmc.ca.

About BIPOC TV & Film

BIPOC TV & Film is a grassroots nonprofit organization and collective of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in Canada’s TV and film industry. We advocate for racial equity and decent work practices in the industry, while providing access to career development, mentorship and community-building opportunities for BIPOC creatives.

Our vision is to eradicate systemic racism in the Canadian media landscape and disrupt traditional creative and business practices by centering the voices and experiences of BIPOC film and TV professionals. We envision a future where the Canadian film and television industry is reflective of the racial diversity of the country.
Since launching in 2012, BIPOC TV & Film has grown to a national membership of over 5,000 creatives. We continue to expand our programming and advocacy work to support the advancement of BIPOC professionals in Canada’s screen-based industries.

About the National Screen Institute

We partner with a visionary network of donors, businesses, and private and public organizations to provide industry-informed training in screen-based media, equipping creators across Canada with the skills to tell unforgettable stories.

By prioritizing storytellers from equity-deserving communities – including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC), women, 2SLGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and those in regional and remote areas – we help build a more sustainable industry and a workforce ready to meet evolving market demands.

Our students and alumni find their voices and places on the global stage, strengthening the creative economy and shaping a better world.

Media enquiries

 

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About the National Screen Institute

We partner with a visionary network of donors, businesses, and private and public organizations to provide industry-informed training in screen-based media, equipping creators across Canada with the skills to tell unforgettable stories.

By prioritizing storytellers from equity-deserving communities – including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC), women, 2SLGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and those in regional and remote areas – we help build a more sustainable industry and a workforce ready to meet evolving market demands.

Our students and alumni find their voices and places on the global stage, strengthening the creative economy and shaping a better world.

Media enquiries

liz.hover@nsi-canada.ca

The National Screen Institute is supported by: Core Funders: Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council, Rogers; Benefactors: Telefilm Canada, CBC, TELUS STORYHIVE, Canada Media Fund (CMF); Patrons: Paramount+, Creative Saskatchewan; Builder: Indigenous Screen Office (ISO); Strategic Sponsors: Manitoba Film & Music, Department of Canadian Heritage, Bell Media, RBC, Neeginan Education, Training and Employment Services, Inc. (NETES), Creative BC, Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, The Winnipeg Foundation; Industry Partner: National Film Board of Canada; Friends: Ontario Creates, Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), Yukon Media Development, Bell Fund, Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV, Carolyn Sifton Foundation, Directors Guild of Canada, Women in View, Disability Screen Office, On Screen Manitoba, AMI, Neshama Entertainment, A&E.