About

With the support of the Canada Media Fund and as part of its Sector Development Support initiative, Main Film is offering a comprehensive professional training program focused on the craft of production and the integration of audiovisual production networks, P·R·I·S·M·E – Racialized and Afro-descendant Integrated Producers for a Fair Media Sector. The program emphasizes practice in order to render more tangible the notions and the different teachings presented.

PRISME is a career accelerator taught by film industry professionals from diverse backgrounds. The program is open to 6 Black or racialized people with a production project ready for development (see below for admission criteria) in fiction or documentary:

• feature-length or short fiction
• feature-length documentary
• web series or linear series fiction or documentary

DESCRIPTION

OBJECTIVES

• Gain in depth knowledge of the producer’s trade, its roles and responsibilities.
• Gain a professional understanding of funding applications, administrative management (budget, contracts, unions) and the inherent institutional and legal obligations.
• Master the theoretical concepts of production with the help of real-life case studies, and apply the notions acquired to individual projects.
• Put the producer’s craft into practice with training activities culminating in a competitive pitch competition before industry professionals.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

•  Integration into the community through networking activities.
• 25 hours of personalized project mentoring over the course of a year.
• Grants and awards for pitch competition winners.

Total length of training: approximately 120 hours (including networking and off-session mentoring)

Cost of training for selected participants: $ 400 *

* In case of financial difficulties (low income, unemployed, etc.) Main Film may cover your registration fee ($400) after reviewing your application.

Call for applications – Cohort 5

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Participants must self-identify as Afro-descendant or racialized. If you are a First Peoples, the committee will also study your file.
  Participants must have a fiction (feature-length / medium-length / short film or web-series / linear series) or documentary (feature-length or web-series / linear series) project ready for development.
• Participants must already have concrete experience in the audiovisual field, whether in production, directing or writing.
• Bilingualism is an asset to ensure that all aspects of the training are properly assimilated.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Cover letter detailing your experience in the audiovisual sector, what the training will bring to your career and your future ambitions (2 pages).
• CV with relevant experience
• Support material (links to 1 or 2 previous works produced or directed, depending on your profile)
• Presentation of your project, including :
  • A synopsis (1 page maximum)
  • Presentation of the idea behind your project, your views on the importance of bringing it to life and its impact on today’s world (3 pages maximum)
  • Presentation of the particular and unique contribution of the people behind it (producer/director) (1 page maximum)
  • Budget draft and production schedule
  • Screenplay (if available)

PLEASE NOTE

• The courses are in person. Please ensure that you are available throughout the program.
• Most courses will be given in French. Please ensure that you have the necessary level of comprehension to successfully complete the  program.

Detailed schedule (not final)

MAY 2025 :

Welcome & introduction – Thursday, May 29, 5:30 to 8 p.m.

JUNE 2025:

The producer’s trade – Tuesday June 3, 6 pm to 10 pm

Financing institutions – Thursday, June 5, 6 pm to 10 pm and Saturday, June 7, 10 am to 2 pm

Institutional & legal obligations and distribution – Sunday, June 8, 10am to 2pm

Financing a short series – Tuesday, June 10, 3 pm to 5 pm

The industry and pitch philosophy – Thursday, June 12, 6 pm to 10 pm

Information session – Financial institutions (VIRTUAL) – Thursday, June 19, 10 am to 1pm*

Budgets, contracts, unions and professional associations – Saturday June 14 and Sunday June 15, 10 am to 5pm

Distribution and Festivals – Thursday, June 26, 6 pm to 9 pm*

Submitting a funding application – Saturday June 21 and Sunday June 22, 10 am to 6 pm

Please note: there will be no activities between July 1 and August 31.

SEPTEMBER 2025 :

Information session: Sector representative organizations (VIRTUAL) – Tuesday, September 2 and Thursday, September 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Structure and benefits of representative organizations – Tuesday, September 9, 6pm to 7:30 pm*

Visualizing your network with Ella Cooper – Thursday, September 11, 3 pm to 5 pm

Industry trends – Thursday, September 18, 6 pm to 8 pm*

A producer’s career path – Tuesday, September 23, 6 pm to 8 pm*

Setting up a production company – Thursday, September 25, 6 pm to 8 pm

Making your voice heard – Tuesday, September 30, 6 pm to 9 pm*

OCTOBER 2025:

Case study of a web series – Thursday, October 2, 6 pm to 8 pm

Round table with broadcasters – Tuesday, October 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The art and methods of pitching – Saturday October 11 and Sunday October 12, 10 am to 5 pm

Pitch session – Thursday, October 16, 6 pm to 8pm*

Pitch practice – Tuesday, October 21, 6 pm to 8 pm

Final Pitch to the PRISME jury – Thursday, October 23, 10 am to 12 pm*

Diversity in the spotlight at FNC – Date to be announced

*Official date/time to be confirmed

APPLICATION FORM

To be submitted via this form on May 12th 2025 at 11:59pm at the latest: