Press Release: Telefilm Canada & The Talent Fund Announce 18 Projects Funded Through The Talent To Watch Program

Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund are welcoming 18 new filmmaking teams with this year’s selection of projects in the Talent to Watch Program. The lineup presents films from across the country, covering both English and French markets, as well as the Indigenous Stream. A commitment of $3.6 million will be invested into these projects by Telefilm and the Talent Fund.   

Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO, Telefilm Canada.

"Films from the Talent to Watch Program consistently shine a spotlight on emerging talent spread across the country," said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO, of Telefilm Canada. "The opportunity we give to propel their careers as filmmakers and establish themselves amongst our nation's vibrant film community is one we take pride in. This year's selections present a dynamic range of cinematic gems, and we cannot wait to see the final product." 

“Investing in the next generation of filmmakers is at the heart of the Talent Fund, and we are honoured to support this year’s cohort on their first feature journey,” said Sandi Treliving, Chair of the Talent Fund Advisory Committee. “Through the generosity of our donors, like the continued support from the RBC Foundation through RBC Emerging Artists and a new contribution from Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, these emerging filmmakers are given a chance to bring their distinctive visions into reality. Canada is full of incredible talent with stories that need to be seen and heard – and the Talent Fund will continue to ensure that happens.” 

Film teams and their projects come from coast-to-coast-to-coast, with projects from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Alberta, and more. There is also a strong linguistic diversity in this year’s selections, with films told in the majority Spanish, Farsi, Wayuunaiki, in addition to English and French. Overall, 126 projects were submitted to the Talent to Watch Program for 2023-2024. 

This year’s films are:  

A Cree Approach (Documentary)  Director/screenwriter: Tristin Greyeyes 

Producers: Kaitlyn Redcrow and Tristin Greyeyes  Province:  British Columbia 

Languages: English and Nehīyaw (Plains Cree)  Stream: Indigenous Stream 

Partner organization: imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival 

 Autonomy & Dignity (Working Title) (Documentary)  

Directors: Daniel Ennett and Frederick Kroetsch   Screenwriter: Daniel Ennett 

Producer: Rebecca Campbell    Province: Alberta 

Language: English  Stream: Industry Partner      Partner organization: Directors Guild of Canada 

 Blue Heron (Drama)   Director/screenwriter: Sophy Romvari  

Producers: Ryan Bobkin and Sara Wylie   Executive Producer: Riel Roch Decter 

Province: British Columbia  Languages: English and Hungarian   Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Con Nhang I Enfants d'encens (Documentary)  Director/screenwriter: Eva-Loan Ponton-Pham 

Producer: Marie-Michèle Cyr   Province: Québec   Languages: French and Vietnamese 

Stream: Industry Partner   Partner organization: HotDocs 

El Padrote (Drama)   Director/screenwriter: Andrés Estrada   Producer: Irène Bessone 

Province: Québec  Language: Spanish    Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Foreigner (Horror) 

Director/screenwriter: Ava Maria Safai  Producer: Nicco Graham   Province: British Columbia 

Languages: English and Farsi  Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Her Last Supper (Drama)  Director/screenwriter: Becca Willow Moss 

Producers: Becca Willow Moss and Stephanie Chiasson   Province: Ontario 

Languages: English  Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Invisibles (Drama)   Director/screenwriter: Junna Chif  Producers: Leslie Dabit and Pierre Villepelet 

Executive Producers: Laurent Allaire, Yanick Létourneau and Junna Chif   Province: Québec 

Language: French   Stream: Industry Partner   

Partner organization: Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema - Concordia University 

 Joan's Kitchen Table: Stirring the Revolution (Documentary)   Director: Olesya Shyvikova 

Screenwriter: Louise Delisle   Producer: Karim Kafafy  Executive Producer: Walter Borden 

Province: Nova Scotia   Language: English   Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

KUBANA (Documentary)   Director/screenwriter: Alunaya   Producer: Will Prosper  

Province: Québec  Languages: English, French and Kinyarwanda 

Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Last Stop Video Rentals (Comedy)  Director/Screenwriter: Eric Janvier   Producer: Megan Shott 

Province: Alberta  Language: English   Stream: Indigenous Stream 

 Mute Out Sound (Documentary)   Director/screenwriter: Kenza Derkaoui 

Producer: Stefan Supplice  Province: Ontario    Languages: French, English, and Arabic (Darija) 

Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Séga : la musique de l'océan Indien (Working Title) (Documentary) 

Director/screenwriter: Vincent Toi   Producer: Guillaume Collin   Province: Québec 

Language: French  Stream: Industry Partner  Partner organization: Main Film 

 Strong Son (Drama)  Director/Screenwriter: Ian Bawa   Producers: Ian Bawa and Markus Henkel 

Executive Producer: Kyle Bornais   Province: Manitoba   Languages: English and Punjabi 

Stream: Industry Partner 

Partner organizations: TIFF, Winnipeg Film Group, and OnScreen Manitoba 

 The Snake (Dark Comedy)  Director: Jenna MacMillan   Screenwriter: Susan Kent  

Producers: Sharlene Kelly  Province: Prince Edward Island   Language: English 

Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 The Wind’s Thirst (Documentary)   Director/screenwriter/producer: Alejandro Valbuena 

Province: Ontario  Languages: Wayuunaiki, Spanish, and English   Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Women of No Nation (Documentary)   Director/screenwriter: Diana Saqeb Jamal 

Producer: Caroline Cox   Province/Territory: Northwest Territories and Alberta  

Languages: Farsi and English   Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

 Yo, We’re Dying… (Comedy)    Directors: Keisha Phoenixx-McLeggon and Jay Carolyn Wu 

Screenwriter: Keisha Phoenixx-McLeggon   Producer: Fonna Seidu     Province: Ontario  

Language: English   Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct 

An advisory committee of external and internal representatives assessed the projects and made recommendations to Telefilm. The decision-making process considered Telefilm’s goal of fostering a diversity of voices in the industry, ensuring that Telefilm funds a balanced portfolio of productions that reflect a variety of genres, budgets and company sizes, regions of the country and points of view. Names of selection committee members will be published on the Project Financing Advisory Committees webpage once all funding decisions have been made.   

About Telefilm Canada   

As a Partner of Choice, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation dedicated to the success of Canada’s audiovisual industry, fostering access and excellence by delivering programs that support cultural resonance and audience engagement. With a lens of equity, inclusivity and sustainability, Telefilm bolsters dynamic companies and a range of creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund raises private donations which principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Telefilm_Canada and on Facebook at facebook.com/telefilmcanada. 

About the Talent Fund  

The Talent Fund is a national donation initiative dedicated to the impact and longevity of first-time filmmakers’ careers from across Canada. Igniting career paths in cinema, the Talent Fund invests in emerging talent and provides support to build their professional portfolios, fosters community and knowledge-sharing through professional mentorship, and prioritizes emerging creators from historically underrepresented communities. Funds raised are invested in Telefilm Canada’s Talent to Watch program – a career accelerator and launchpad – which helps the next generation of storytellers contribute to a thriving Canadian film industry. Since 2012, the Fund has supported over 180 film projects, brought to life by more than 400 emerging artists (writers, producers, and directors) and has financed films that have earned over 180 awards worldwide. Individual donors, family foundations, corporations and sponsors invest in the Talent Fund as they believe in the power of storytelling through film, and the impact this program has on the careers of emerging artists. To learn more about the Talent Fund or to make a donation, visit thetalentfund.ca