The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and award-winning film and TV producer Don Carmody announced Wednesday a new partnership to launch a co-production mentorship program, supported by a $100,000 commitment from Carmody.
The CMPA Don Carmody International Co-Production Mentorship Program will fund one producer annually over the next 10 years to participate in a 20-week paid mentorship placement. Designed specifically to provide hands-on, on-the-job training on international co-production projects, the initiative will help participants develop their business, creative and technical abilities under the guidance of seasoned Canadian producers, said a CMPA press release.
“International co-productions have become increasingly critical to getting projects financed, made, and seen by global audiences,” Reynolds Mastin, the CMPA’s president and CEO, said in the press release. “Canada has some of the best producing talent in the world, but navigating the complexities of the global marketplace requires real, hands-on experience. We’re thrilled to partner with Don Carmody as he builds a legacy of investing in the next generation of Canadian producers.”
“I am very pleased to partner with the CMPA on this mentorship program. It is very important to me that we continue to support and train upcoming Canadian producers as we grow our industry,” Carmody said in a statement. “When I started in this business many, many years ago, there were no programs available and learning to be a producer was definitely a ‘hit or miss’ ‘seat of the pants’ or much more often ‘train wreck waiting to happen’ experience.”
Born in Providence, Rhode Island and raised in Montreal, Carmody’s career spans more than five decades and over 130 films and television productions. Dubbed “Hollywood’s man in Canada” by Variety, Carmody is widely recognized for his success in bridging the Canadian and Hollywood production sectors, having brought more than US$2 billion in film and TV production projects to Canada, as well as his strong impact on the domestic and global screen industries, according to the CMPA’s press release.
The application deadline for the co-production mentorship program is July 10. More information regarding eligibility criteria and the application process can be found here.
Photo of Don Carmody courtesy of the CMPA
