BIPOC TV & FILM x WBD Access Canada Announce Episodic TV Writers’ Lab 2022-2023 Participants

TORONTO, ON | November 17, 2022 — We are excited to announce the participants of the 2022-2023 BIPOC TV & FILM x WBD Access Canada Episodic TV Writers’ Lab, an intensive, hands-on career development program designed to mentor and train BIPOC writers who are working towards getting their first job in a comedy or drama writing room.

With the generous support of our title sponsor, WBD Access Canada, fifteen emerging Black, Indigenous and Racialized writers from across Canada, will spend the next four months workshopping their original drama or comedy pilot script, learning the inner workings of a writers’ room and building core professional skills.

The third cycle of the Episodic TV Writers’ Lab kicks off on November 18th in Toronto with workshops and networking sessions. The rest of the program will take place online. As in previous years, each writer will be paired with a mentor (a senior writer or showrunner) who will provide feedback and notes on their script, as well as supervisory support for their simulated writers’ room day. The goal is for each writer to graduate the program with a clear understanding of how a writers’ room functions, how to confidently and effectively contribute to a room, and how to communicate with their Showrunner and Producers.

A central tenet for BIPOC TV & Film, community care and wellbeing, is weaved throughout the program. We provide a safe and affirming environment for emerging to mid-career Indigenous and racialized creatives to hone their skills and build community.

“We’re overjoyed by the growing appreciation for this program and its impact on emerging writers and the wider industry,” says BIPOC TV & FILM Executive Director Kadon Douglas. “Nathalie and Shonna [Foster] designed a remarkable program filled with heart, radical care and a deep desire to create a supportive and career-launching experience for the next generation of storytellers. We’re honoured to continue this legacy, expand the program to include a cohort of comedy writers, and welcome our new sponsor, WBD Access Canada to the team.”

In our inaugural and sophomore years of this program, we successfully placed graduates of this lab in writers’ rooms on TV series such as Coroner (CBC/CW), Transplant (CTV/Bell Media), and Spencer Sisters (CTV/eOne).

I feel I’ve come out the other side with a greater sense of where I want to go, how I want to get there, and with some wonderful new pals that I can continue to connect with in future. […] Those takeaways, I think, will reverberate in my career for years to come. Already I’m seeing changes in the way I give notes, the way I write, and the way I pitch. All in only six months of interaction with them, their programs, and placements.

Raf Antonio, Episodic TV Writers’ Lab cycle 2

Through BIPOC TV & Film’s Episodic TV Writer’s Lab, I was placed into my first professional TV writer’s room and experienced the reality of the process. It was both eye-opening and energizing. As I worked alongside the writers in the room, my confidence grew, my story skills were constantly tested and expanded, and it was here that it became crystal clear to me that writing for TV is where I belong. Through their kindness and support, the entire team at Transplant created an environment where I always felt welcome and heard. There, I developed medical pitches, broke those pitches with fellow writers, and broke an entire storyline on my own. As I contributed at various stages of the writing process, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the television writing process. Now equipped with new tools and insights, I’m excited to use these new skills to strengthen my projects, as well as eager to contribute to my next writer’s room.

Amanda Lo, Episodic TV Writers’ Lab cycle 2

For cycle three, our team looks forward to placing at least four writers in rooms on comedy and drama series produced in Canada. Producers interested in hosting an emerging writer, can reach out to our team for more information.

MEET THE 2022-2023 PARTICIPANTS

Alayna Lafleur | comedy stream

Alayna (she/her) is a mixed-race (Guyanese-Caucasian) comedian and storyteller. Having worked 15 years in television news broadcasting, she is passionate about telling inclusive stories and bringing new narratives to the forefront of our societal dialogues. Alayna lives with Crohn's Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis, and speaks openly about her journey towards remission. She often uses her comedy to spread awareness about what it's like to live with chronic illness here in Canada as well as the mental health challenges being chronically ill can present. Alayna’s love of TV, comics and all things nerd culture often presents itself in her comedy and writing as her comedic sense tends to live between the realms of information and entertainment.

Alice Wang | comedy stream

Alice is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. Keeping their parents happy with a degree in psychology from the University of Toronto, they have now transitioned to filmmaking and enjoys writing stories they have always wanted to tell. An ArtReach grantee and ¼ of Videatur Collective, they’re passionate about supporting youth from underrepresented communities in creative fields such as filmmaking. They gravitate towards stories about loss, acceptance, and belonging.

Bageshree Vaze | drama stream

Bageshree is an Indo-Canadian writer, dance artist, musician. She is the Artistic Director of Pratibha Arts in Toronto and programs BIPOC artists to transform the Canadian arts ecology. Bageshree has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and in 2015 she embarked on a creative writing path after a life-changing workshop at the Banff Centre. She is completing her first novel and has written a pilot script for a television dramatic series. 

Darcy Waite | comedy stream

Darcy is the founder of Turtle Mountain Media, on the Board of Directors of the CMPA and Co-Chair of the REDIAC Committee. As a writer and director, Darcy focuses on comedy. In 2018 Darcy’s script Zombie’s Don’t Eat Stupid People was selected for the Whistler Film Festivals Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship Program and the 2021 NSI Series Incubator Program. Darcy’s web series DJ Burnt Bannock premiered spring of 2022 on APTN’s Lumi. Additionally, Darcy’s first feature Lucky Strikes was selected for the 2022 ImagineNATIVE Institute Screenwriting Feature Lab. Darcy has also hosted for gameshows and youth series, and will host an upcoming factual series.

Haaris Qadri | comedy stream

Haaris is an emerging filmmaker based in Brampton and a graduate from York University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production Specialized Honours. Haaris aims to create films featuring characters that are often unrepresented; focusing on mundane moments that spark emotion and change. Haaris is drawn to diasporic stories, contemplating questions of identity, home and belonging. 

Helena Morgane | drama stream

Helena is an Afro-European multidisciplinary artist, performer and filmmaker based in North America, committed to the craft and support of complex intersectional storytelling. She is an alumni of The Barrow Group, Black Women Film! Canada and the BANFF x Netflix Diversity Of Voices Initiative. As a prolific creative and polyglot, she has collaborated globally with organizations such as Interscope, Top Dawg Entertainment, Shopify, NIA Centre for the Arts, and artists like Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Her work has screened at international festivals, and has been funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, Artscape and the Indigenous Screen Office. As the Associate Programmer for TIFF Rising Stars 2020, Helena had the pleasure of hosting mentorship sessions with David Oyelowo, Tantoo Cardinal and the Casting Society of America.

Julia Rayanne | comedy stream

Julia (She/Her) is a writer and producer based in Vancouver, BC. Her studies in Motion Picture Arts focused on screenwriting and directing with an emphasis on leadership. During her time in Vancouver, Julia has produced and production managed different types of films and projects. Her recent producing ventures include a Telefilm Talent to Watch web series entitled The Bannocking, set to be released through CBC Gem in 2023. She cites authors, comedians, motivational speakers and cinematographers as her influences. Amongst her producing life, Julia likes to brush up on and study various topics that tie into her love of filmmaking. For that ever-important work-life balance outside of the film industry, Julia enjoys writing comedy, hitting the gym, and going on long walks to meet dogs.

Mitchell Saddleback | comedy stream

Mitchell is a Vancouver-based actor, writer, comedian and storyteller from the Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alberta. Mitchell’s spoken word and stand-up comedy have been met with enthusiastic acclaim at various venues and events across Vancouver and beyond, including countless stand-up sets at renowned comedy nights. Mitchell’s current projects include The Bannocking, a web horror series set to air on CBC Gem, and Kids from the Rez, an innovative new Indigenous sketch comedy show. Mitchell has also been selected as a recipient of the the Whistler Film Festival Talent Programs Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship. A storyteller, Indigenous rights advocate, and proponent of the arts, Mitchell brings a unique blend of intellect, wit, education and humour to all of his artistic endeavours.

Kenny Wong | drama stream

Originally from Richmond, B.C., Kenny is a Montreal-based writer, actor, and violinist. As a writer, Kenny was selected as one of 2022’s Banff-Netflix Diversity of Voices cohorts, and additionally for their pitch program. His feature film script, Dystonia, was the recipient of the Telefilm New Voices Award in 2017, was a finalist at the Golden Script Competition and the Oaxaca Script Competition, and was shortlisted for the National Screen Institute’s ‘Features First Program’. In 2019, Kenny produced a concept short film of Dystonia. The film went on to premiere at the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival and win ‘Best Drama Short’ at the Canadian Diversity Film Fest. In addition, his crime drama TV pilot, Death Divided, was a Top-25 finalist at the WeScreenplay Television Competition.

Linda St. Pierre | drama stream

Linda was born and raised in Lac Brochet, MB before relocating to Toronto in 2011. She then attended Toronto Academy of Acting for Film and George Brown College. Linda received an additional Acting Diploma from Vancouver Film School. Linda recently graduated from InFocus Film School’s Screenwriting for Film and Television program. Currently, she has multiple projects in development under her production company banner, Phoenix Skye Productions Inc., and is in pre-production for a short film and pilot. Linda has worked for the TIFF Film Festival, Movember, and George Chuvalo Community Center. Linda has been a Motivational Speaker across Canadian reservations for the last 8 years. She has worked with many celebrities and enjoys traveling. Linda wants to introduce Dene and Indigenous stories into film and television.

Nikita Zhang | comedy stream

Nikita is an aspiring writer and filmmaker in pursuit of translating her daydreams and curiosities into screenplays and films. Growing up an oftentimes confused Asian-Canadian, she aspires to bring honest queer and immigrant stories to screen. Nikita is always looking for stories that can authentically express experience and capture the imagination— and striving to bring those stories to life however she can. A graduate from TMU's RTA Media Production program, her thesis film "The Time You Left" is an official selection for VAFF's 2022 program. On the side, she bakes and plays the piano mediocrely but passionately.

Raghed Charabaty | drama stream

Raghed is a queer Lebanese-Canadian writer-director, and a first-gen immigrant. Their films have received prizes at TIFF: Canada’s Top Ten, Festival du Nouveau Cinema and the Starfish Art Awards. Raghed is a recipient of SSHRC in Honour of Nelson Mandela as well as multiple Art Council grants for their screenplays, shorts and animations. In 2022, Raghed was selected for the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Pitch Program. Raghed holds an MFA in Film Production from York University and a BFA in Film Production and Art History from NSCAD University. As a synesthete, their work often features magical realism, vibrant themes and intricate soundscapes. They also work in editing, compositing and sound design. By night, Raghed is a drag artist. Their hobbies include houseplants, sewing, and negotiating couch space with their unyielding dog, Tofu. 

Sage Daniels | comedy stream

Sage is an enterprising young man from Winnipeg, known for his funny wit and pithy sarcasm within the heart of the city’s comedy scene. He has worked as a writer and producer for film and television within Winnipeg. A few of his many credits include: Crash Site, Nosisim, and My Boy, which have been seen around the world and on broadcast television. He was named the recipient of the Harold Greenburg Fund’s Emerging Talent grant, where he will direct his first short film Broken Glass. Recently Sage has written jokes for the new CTV comedy Shelved. He is always trying to better himself as a comedian and a filmmaker. He seeks out stage time to perfect his voice and writing style, showing a true love for the art of Comedy. Sage has what it takes to make it as a new wave Humourist: relentless, dedicated, and most importantly, funny.

Serville Poblete | comedy stream

Serve is a Filipino-Canadian filmmaker based in a highrise community in downtown Toronto known as “Bleecker Street”. His work explores boyhood and sports culture in urban and familial settings. After spending his young adulthood pursuing a professional basketball career, Serville has used the locker room to revise and retell adolescent gender roles and friendships, often in the context of his first-generation immigrant upbringing. Serve's first feature-length film, “Altar Boy”, was picked up by Mongrel Media and will be available in Canada on November 22, 2022. He is now in post-production on his second feature-length film titled, "Lovely". Serve has also directed and shot films for brands such as SIDIA, Oremme, Metier Creative and Maybelline New York. Serve is 6 feet tall, 12.1429 stones, and his shoe size is 44. He enjoys riding his bike through the city, playing basketball, and listening to music. His favourite foods are cereal and donuts.

Will Klatte | drama stream

Will is an emerging screenwriter. He is a citizen of the Nisga’a Nation, and member of the Ganada (Raven/Supernatural Frog) clan from Gingolx, Wilp (house of) Ladaax. His Nisga’a name is Gitwiltgum Ganaaw (Warrior Frog). The 60s Scoop brought him far to the south, where he still resides in a contested territory of either the Sinixt or Ktunaxa. He is a recent MFA graduate from the University of British Columbia and aspires to one day create the first Nisga’a TV series.