Posted on Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Cultural Industries Ontario North (CION), in partnership with the Canada Media Fund (CMF), today announced that applications are open for Cinema Ascent: a national mentorship and export mission preparedness-based program designed to empower mid-career First Nations, Inuit, and Métis filmmakers from Canada, with a focus on Producers, Directors, and Writers from Northern Ontario.
Additional program details and the application form can be accessed through the link below. The application deadline is Friday, December 6, 2025.
As part of Cinema Ascent’s inaugural cohort, up to eight (8) Mentees will access ongoing, virtual mentorship sessions for 12-months, starting in Winter of 2024, led by Mentors comprised of established Canadian film and television talent and executives.
Leading the first mentorship session is Paula Devonshire, whose illustrious career in the domestic film and television production industry includes producing globally recognized feature films across Northern Ontario (Remember (2015), Indian Horse (2017), Stellar (2022), and Gail Maurice’s upcoming Blood Lines).
Mentees of Cinema Ascent can also access funding support to attend key industry marketplaces in Ontario, including the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA) Prime Time and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), alongside Mentors and regional industry stakeholders.
For more information, please contact CION at info@cionorth.ca or (705) 885-9889.
Cinema Ascent is supported by the Canada Media Fund's 'Sector Development Support Stream'.