Art of Business Management

In association with:

Business management, negotiation and leadership training plus customized mentorship to develop a current project.

Program status:

Training has concluded

About

Throughout this 10-week, part-time online training and mentorship program, you will develop essential business management skills while creating a project plan for a feature film or web series you are currently developing. An independent jury will select up to eight (emerging to mid-career) Indigenous creative entrepreneurs for this program.

We’ve designed this edition of NSI Art of Business Management to foster the growth of Indigenous producing professionals and increase the network of Indigenous production companies across Canada.

Throughout the program, you will hear from and be mentored by national industry professionals, advisors and business experts. You’ll receive structured mentorship for your project, while expanding your producing skills.

At a glance

  • Applications open: Monday, February 14, 2022
  • Application deadline: Friday, March 11, 2022 at 5 p.m., CT
  • Selected participants notified: April 1, 2022
  • All other applicants notified: April 4, 2022
  • Phase 1 (online training): April 19 to May 30, 2022
  • Phase 2 (mentorship): June 1 to 30, 2022
  • Attendance at imagineNATIVE: October 2022

Key information

Program dates
April to June 2022
Location
Part-time, online and in-person
Cost
There is no cost to apply or participate. The application fee of $50 and tuition of $250 have been waived through the generous contribution of program partners.

This training is for you if:

  • You’re an Indigenous content creator committed to developing a career in producing
  • You have demonstrated experience in production, business affairs, legal, marketing, distribution or development
  • You possess the rights to a feature film or web series currently in development
  • You want to gain practical, hands-on experience while building your professional network

To be eligible you must:

  • Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada, aged 18 or over
  • Be an Indigenous person: someone who is First Nation, Métis or Inuit
  • Have one, on-screen producing credit; or
  • Have demonstrated experience in production, business affairs, legal, marketing, distribution or development. Writers and directors who wish to develop their producing skills are eligible but must explain why they want to be a producer
  • Apply with a feature film or web series which has at least one source of confirmed funding
  • Maintain creative and financial control over the project. This includes ownership of, or option on, all underlying rights (if any). The National Screen Institute reserves the right to disqualify any participant who does not fully own the rights in and to the project
  • Agree not to participate in another initiative, or have inflexible commitments, that would prevent you from fully engaging in this program

Program phases

Phase 1: six-week online training

April 19 to May 30, 2022 

You will attend weekly online sessions for six weeks, morning/mid-day. Be prepared to spend approximately eight hours a week in online sessions. Expect interactive group discussions, round tables, peer reviews, presentations and masterclasses.  Your attendance and participation is mandatory for all sessions.

Each session begins with a wellness check-in followed by training with an industry expert. The program advisor will also be available for weekly scheduled office hours to assist in assessing documents and answering your questions.

Topics will include business affairs/contracts; labour and employment law; fundamentals of running a workplace; principles of human resources and effective people management skills; financial planning and modelling; production finance and distribution (understanding tax credits, finance structures and cash flows); negotiation as well as case studies.

While NSI Art of Business Management is taking place, the National Screen Institute will also be delivering NSI NSI IndigiDocs, a program which supports  documentary writers/directors as they develop and produce a short film. Students from both programs will have an opportunity to meet and get to know each other through several joint sessions.

Phase 2: four-week mentorship

June 1 to 30, 2022

You’ll receive a total of 12 hours of mentorship coaching with an industry professional. We will match you with a mentor to assess your skills, coach you through the development of your project plan and help you cultivate a successful career in producing. You’ll receive advice on long-term goal setting and how to establish and maintain industry connections.

On-Screen Protocols and Pathways: A Media Production Guide to Working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Communities, Cultures, Concepts and Stories will be used to guide all decisions and actions. The document is mandatory reading for all students, faculty, subject experts, presenters and mentors.

During the development of this program in 2021, the National Screen Institutesought program and curriculum guidance from an advisory that included Tyler Hagan of Experimental Forest Films (The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open), Jason Brennan of Nish Media (Rustic Oracle), Lauren Grant of Clique Pictures (Sugar Daddy), Lori Lozinski of Violator Films (The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open), NSI co-founder and international consultant Jan Miller and Catherine Bainbridge of Rezolution Pictures (Mohawk Girls).

Attendance at imagineNATIVE: October 2022

You will attend the festival either online or in-person (tbd). If travel/in-person attendance is possible, your registration fee, travel expenses and accommodation will be covered through the program.

Note: the training curriculum and dates are subject to change.

Program phases

Our commitment to underrepresented voices

At the National Screen Institute we serve and help develop the gifts of Indigenous creators.

The second edition of NSI Art of Business Management is exclusively for Indigenous content creators.

Indigenous is defined as a First Nations, Inuit and Métis person residing in Canada.

The program will address specific barriers which prevent Indigenous storytellers from getting their stories made.

We are committed to training participants from a diverse community of voices including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+), people with disabilities, those outside large urban centres, those from regional and remote areas, and various religious groups.

Questions

Please review the FAQ below. Rachel Young, outreach and engagement lead at the National Screen Institute (rachel.young@nsi-canada.ca) is happy to help with any further questions.

Frequently asked questions

Meet the faculty

Jason Brennan

Jason Brennan

Program Advisor

Jason Brennan is a proud member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and owner of the award-winning production company Nish Media.
Lori-Lozinski

Lori Lozinski

Executive Producer

Lori Lozinski is an award-winning filmmaker based in Vancouver, British Columbia and the president of Violator Films Inc., an independent production company that has been telling maverick stories since 2007.
Cheynne-Bruneau-2

Cheyenne Bruneau

Program Manager

An alumna of CBC New Indigenous Voices 2012, Cheyenne values the thread of connective storytelling within the Indigenous screen industry through the sharing of traditional teachings, while encouraging a collective healing.

Associate faculty

Alumni

Program Partners

Indigenous Screen Office directors-guild-of-canada Telefilm Canada manitoba-government RBC Emerging Artists Creative Saskatchewan SMPIA Logo MFM entertainment-partners DOC Winnipeg Arts Council
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