Telefilm Canada Spark Plug Program

Television series development for underrepresented and Indigenous producers.

Program status:

Past program offered by the National Screen Institute

History

Telefilm Canada’s Spark Plug program was aimed at mid- to advanced-level underrepresented and Indigenous producers with an interest in developing dramatic television programming for broadcast in Canada.

The program included funds for attendance at the Banff World Television Festival, professional development, project development and market research.

The National Screen Institute designed a curriculum and delivered training for this program.

The Spark Plug Program was a three-year initiative between the Department of Canadian Heritage’s three cultural agencies: The National Film Board of Canada, The Canada Council for the Arts and Telefilm Canada.

The program had an overall goal of enhancing opportunities for the integration of culturally diverse storytelling into mainstream media.


Alumni

2005

Vanz Chapman (Toronto, ON)
Whizbang Films Inc.

Shirley Cheechoo (M’Chigeeng, ON)
Spoken Song Productions Inc.

Damon D’Oliveira (Toronto, ON)
Conquering Lion Pictures Inc.

Mason Haigh (Toronto, ON)
aBlaze Media

Azmi Haq (Toronto, ON)
RoohiJee Inc. d.b.a. Charyaar Films

Jennifer Holness (Toronto, ON)
Hungry Eyes/Film Food Inc.

Min Sook Lee (Toronto, ON)
ESL Media Productions Limited

Rajiv Maikhuri (Toronto, ON)
Bits and Pieces Picture Company Ltd.

Steven Martin (Gatineau, QC)
Dundeeroad Productions

Ngozi Paul (Toronto, ON)
Ngozika Productions Inc.

Jennifer Podemski (Toronto, ON)
Redcloud Studios

Ron Scott (Edmonton, AB)
Prairie Dog Film and Television Ltd.

Jeremy Torrie (Winnipeg, MB)
High Definition Pictures Inc.

2006

Abhish Birla (Montréal, QC)
5 @ 7 Productions

Jason Friesen (Vancouver, BC)
Chasing Pictures Inc.

Marilyn Gray (Toronto, ON)
Hungry Eyes/Film Food Inc.

Kirk Johnson (Toronto, ON)
Steel City Productions

Glace Lawrence (Vancouver, BC)
GWIL Pictures Inc.

Shelley Niro (Brantford, ON)
Turtle Night Productions

Daphne Park (Toronto, ON)
Big City Pictures Inc.

Mitra Sen (Toronto, ON)
Sandalwood Productions Inc.

Anthony Sherwood (Brampton, ON)
Anthony Sherwood Productions Inc.

Richard Story (Toronto, ON)
Footpath Productions Inc.