The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) announced Monday a delegation of 15 member producers who are travelling to Ireland this week to foster partnership opportunities in Dublin and at the Galway Film Fleadh.
Coordinated in partnership with Screen Producers Ireland, Picture NL and Innovation PEI, the delegation will begin in Dublin, “where producers will explore financing opportunities, gain market insights, and build relationships with potential collaborators through a series of curated panels, one-on-one meetings, and networking events,” a CMPA press release reads.
The delegation’s week-long visit begins on July 7 with the “Co-Producing the Future” reception, where the CMPA, alongside Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Canadian Ambassador to Ireland Dennis King, will welcome delegates and officially kick off the week’s activities.
Producers will travel to Galway, Ireland, to attend the Galway Film Fleadh, where they will participate in festival programming, site visits, meetings with Irish production studios, buyers and distributors, as well as additional networking events, including a “Meet the Canadians” event, according to the press release.
The delegation’s Canadian producers include:
- Jennifer Pun, Edge Entertainment
- Amy Cameron, Cameron Pictures
- Tyler Hagan, Experimental Forest Films
- Dylan Collingwood, Tilt9 Entertainment
- Rebecca Davey, Ceres Productions
- Natalie Davey, Ceres Productions
- Tim Doiron, Wango Films
- Jay Daniel Beechinor, The JDB Film Company/MacGuffin Distribution Inc.
- Sean O’Reilly, Arcana Studio
- Anne-Marie Gélinas, EMAfilms
- Jeff Peeler, Three Film and Television
- Mike Elliott, Capital Arts Entertainment
- Jenna MacMillan, Club Red Productions
- Bill Lundy, Club Red Productions
- Mary Sexton, Rink Rat Productions
Industry representatives from the CMPA include President and CEO Reynolds Mastin, as well as Andrew Addison, senior vice president of strategic communications and member engagement, and Raila Gutman, senior director of BC and national member development. Also attending as part of the delegation are Laura Churchill, CEO and film commissioner of PictureNL, and Meaghan Brander, film industry growth specialist at Innovation PEI.
“With its vibrant creative sector, our shared passion for storytelling and a co-production treaty that fosters collaboration, Ireland remains a strong and strategic partner for Canadian producers,” Mastin said in the CMPA’s press release. “We are thrilled to lead a delegation to Dublin and the Galway Film Fleadh, and look forward to learning from each other’s industries, building new relationships and exploring partnership opportunities that bring more Irish and Canadian stories to audiences around the world.”
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our Canadian counterparts to Ireland for a week of industry connection, creativity, and collaboration,” said Susan Kirby, CEO of Screen Producers Ireland, in a statement. “This week is not only about sharing stories, but about building the foundations for future ones, together. The Canadian trip to Ireland marks an important milestone in a year of collaboration and relationship building with our CMPA partners and we’re excited to see meaningful partnerships develop and new co-production opportunities between the countries emerge.”
This visit to Ireland is the first coordinated by the CMPA since 2018 and the latest in a series of international delegations led by the CMPA to strengthen relationships for Canadian producers at festivals and markets worldwide, which have recently included the UK’s Content London, Germany’s Berlinale, France’s Series Mania and Australia’s Screen Forever.
