The Best Career Plan for Newcomers in Canada is to Stay Unemployed
“For a country that prides itself on being welcoming to foreigners, the entertainment industry often fails to integrate the talents and experiences of immigrant professionals, specifically those who are new to the country.”
Written by guest contributor Leandro Matos
The Canadian Entertainment industry has made significant strides toward becoming more inclusive, embracing diversity in gender, sexuality, Black, Asian and Indigenous representation, with many programs and initiatives emerging in recent years. These efforts are not just a matter of fairness but are essential for fostering a richer, more nuanced cultural dialogue that reflects Canadian society. On an individual level, many of these programs make a profound impact on our financial lives. For some of us, they are the only way of supporting our practices.
However, a glaring oversight remains: the lack of inclusion initiatives targeting newcomers in the creative sector. For a country that prides itself on being welcoming to foreigners, the entertainment industry often fails to integrate the talents and experiences of immigrant professionals, specifically those who are new to the country. There is a noticeable shortage of grants, funds, and programs to assist with our transition, inclusion, and recognition within this industry, which is disappointing for a country that presents itself in such an inviting way to us. Last year, I won one of the very few grants aimed at newcomers, which made a significant difference in my career - both financially and in boosting my confidence to keep going.
In all fairness, this issue isn’t limited to our industry – just talk to your immigrant Uber drivers and find out how many doctors, engineers and other highly qualified professionals haven’t had a chance to apply their expertise in their new home. The only solution the market offers us is to start over from scratch, as if we’ve left behind everything we learned and all our qualifications simply because we moved to another country. I’ve heard from people in Canada that my experience writing for shows on Disney+, Netflix and Comedy Central, as well as my writing on features for 20th Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company, doesn’t mean anything because it wasn’t in English.
Paradoxically, our experience - which isn’t considered when it comes to fitting us into the market because, after all, we’re expected to start over from scratch - is simultaneously used as an excuse to prevent us from starting over, as we are deemed too experienced for entry-level positions, and the best career plan for us is to remain unemployed.
This oversight not only undermines the industry's potential but also contradicts the very principles of inclusivity that Canada strives to uphold. Immigrants bring with them a wealth of knowledge, unique perspectives, and diverse cultural backgrounds that can greatly enrich Canadian media and storytelling. And let’s not forget, diversity in front and behind the cameras means more money being made. It has been reported, for example, that Hollywood loses a combined amount of 30 billion dollars annually for not having enough Black, Latino and Asian Pacific Islanders representation on screen. It’s a big pot of gold just waiting to be picked, and Canada, with its English-language content, is perfectly positioned to claim a share of that. Why not give it a try?
The truth is, our contributions are frequently overlooked, and our inclusion in the industry is fraught with unnecessary barriers. This often manifests through the country’s favourite catchphrase: “you need Canadian experience”, a line we immigrants hear more in one week than Joey said “how you doin’?” for ten straight years on Friends. Recently, I spoke with someone from one of the biggest distribution companies in the country about a marketing practice I used in Brazil while working for a production company - one that made a big impact in bringing people to the theaters. Their response
was, “I never heard of someone doing that here, and it’s a really great idea.”. So, what does it matter if I don’t have Canadian experience? I bet every immigrant in the creative sector has at least one killer idea or expertise that would be of great use to the industry.
Eventually, many talented artists give up and leave. Since I immigrated six years ago, I’ve seen many experienced, seasoned, talented artists return home, and it breaks my heart every time. But not all of us can afford to go back; those who have been exiled or persecuted have no other place to go. After facing insurmountable challenges that could have cost them their lives, they arrive in Canada only to discover that they’ve not only lost their homes and possibly family and friends but may also have to give up on their chosen professions. What else is there to sacrifice?
Immigrants in the Canadian creative sector are so overlooked by the industry that we don't even have the opportunity to talk about the lack of opportunities to work in this country. If we look at all the industry programming, debates, panels, and other platforms that address diversity and inclusion at festivals and conferences across the country, it is very, very, very difficult to find an immigrant speaking about their challenges. This shows that we’re not even considered for participation in these conversations; we are not even allowed in those spaces. It’s time for that to change.
At this moment, as the industry becomes increasingly risk-averse, the loss of opportunities is even greater and more brutal, which means more talented immigrants are being denied a place to shine and contribute. There’s even pushback on promoting BIPOC talent and content, driven by concerns about displeasing certain decision-makers. But if we are facing such grim times, shouldn’t this be the moment to take risks and give this industry and its creatives hope that there’s light at the end of the tunnel? Are we truly producing content that is consistently hitting #1 and capturing worldwide audience passion to the point we shouldn’t try anything different? Perhaps there’s an immigrant out there with a great idea that could help turn the tide. After all, we’re already here.
I believe we can collectively address these gaps and find solutions to this problem, and in doing so, change many lives. After all, we are a creative industry, let’s create! It’s not difficult, and there are many programs out there that provide excellent templates for us. After all, other sectors have bridging programs offering support for internationally-trained professionals, why not ours?
Even within our industry, we can find great models to inspire us. One such example is CMPA’s Mentorship Program for Diverse Producers, a placement initiative for Indigenous or equity-deserving groups, where part of an emerging producer’s salary is covered by the program and the other part is paid by the production company. This program model could easily be adapted to target newcomer or internationally trained creatives, or international students in need of co-op experience, helping them build Canadian resumes and networks in their chosen fields, while also providing a great incentive for production companies to include us on their teams, as they would only need to cover part of their usual costs. However, it is crucial to ensure that immigrants are placed in positions that match their career stages, avoiding the placement of experienced individuals in entry-level roles.
This is a complex topic with many more layers and nuances. If the positivity of inclusion isn’t compelling enough, let’s consider this: how much money is Canada losing by not allowing highly qualified immigrants in the workforce?
Leandro Matos is an experienced Brazilian writer based in Toronto, with 150+ produced scripts for film and television. He has collaborated with industry giants like 20th Century Fox, Disney Plus, The Walt Disney Company, and Netflix. Among his credits is the Brazilian version of Drunk History, which helped to double the audience for Comedy Central, and two shows available on Disney Plus, All the Same... Or Not and Aruna’s Magic. For the latter, Leandro recently won the Brazilian Writers Guild Award for Best Writing on a Kids/Teen series.
In features, he wrote In Therapy 2, Apaixonados – O Filme, Love.com and My Perfect Family. Desapega!, his latest feature, was one of the top 10 box office hits of 2023 and was nominated for Comedy of the Year at the Brazilian Academy Awards. His first Canadian feature, Lemonade, produced by Wrapped Productions, is currently in late-development and early-financing stages.
Leandro immigrated to Canada in 2018. He is a member of the Writers Guild of Canada and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.