We are pleased to announce the recipients of the second edition of our documentary apprenticeship program – Giving Voice: Filmmakers Working with Filmmakers.
The program, sponsored by documentary, CBC’s digital channel, and the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) is the extension of DOC’s widely attended public masters’ speaker series, Filmmakers Talking to Filmmakers.
Giving Voice: Filmmakers Working with Filmmakers is designed for documentary professionals transitioning to the next stage of their career and is intended to be an exchange where both parties benefit from the experience. The mentors benefit by having passionate and creative professionals to work with, while the apprentices have access to the breadth of experience of artists having earned critical acclaim and established their voice in the documentary genre. The chosen apprentices will work with their mentors for a period of four months.
documentary and DOC are delighted with this second round of recipients and the on-going growth and popularity of the program. The mentors and apprentices alike are outstanding in their respective fields.
“This is truly an exceptional opportunity for the apprentices,” says Lisa Fitzgibbons, Executive Director of DOC. “In some cases the real benefit will be the opportunity to observe a seasoned professional in their creative process, while in other cases, it’s a real hand’s on, practical approach.”
“To my knowledge, there’s nothing like this apprenticeship program being offered by any other organization or training institution in the country. It’s really going to help these industry professionals transition to the next step in their career development,” Fitzgibbons adds.
And the winners are…
• Greg Masuda of Vancouver, BC (apprentice) working with Julia Ivanova (mentor)
Greg Masuda already has several small film successes under his belt, but will learn the business side of independent filmmaking from Julia Ivanova at Interfilm Productions, including how to finance, monetize and distribute independent films, as well as navigate the maze of tax credits and developmental programs – all of which is necessary to become a successful filmmaker. He will also assist Ivanova with the filming of High Five, a documentary Interfilm currently has underway. Ivanova recently released Family Portrait in Black and White, which was featured at Sundance and won the Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs in May.
• Kevin Caners of Toronto, ON (apprentice) working with Ryan Noth (mentor)
Kevin Caners has the unique opportunity of assisting Ryan Noth and FilmCAN in working on Northwords, a follow up to the National Parks Project, which included a feature film and a Discovery World HD series. Caners will be engaged in every level of filmmaking, from pre-production to post, working side-by-side with the creative team and honing his skills in directing, writing and editing.
• Shelley Tepperman of Montréal, QC (apprentice) working with Garry Beitel (mentor)
Shelley Tepperman will be working with Garry Beitel, recent winner of a lifetime achievement award from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), and a master of character-based documentaries that explore the dynamics of individuals and their communities. She hopes to learn skills necessary for crafting an observational auteur long-form documentary to accompany her established expertise in theatre, radio, drama, and lifestyle and documentary television.
• Franck Le Coroller of Montréal, QC (apprentice) working with Magnus Isacsson (mentor)
With a Master’s degree in Ethnology in one hand, and a diploma in documentary cinema in the other, as well as a roster of jobs in the independent film industry, Franck Le Coroller will work under the supervision of Québec filmmaker extraordinaire Magnus Isacsson to study how he integrates the stories of several subjects simultaneously within a given film.
About documentary
documentary is a digital television channel devoted to showing the best documentaries from Canada and around the world – from legendary filmmakers like D.A. Pennebaker and the Maysles brothers, as well as from the archives of its partners, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The National Film Board. With its special emphasis on feature length films, watching documentary is like having a cinema in your own living room, showing award-winning films 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
About DOC
The Documentary Organization of Canada | L’Association des documentaristes du Canada (DOC) is a bilingual national arts service organization dedicated to supporting the art of independent documentary filmmaking in Canada. It offers member services, professional development, networking events, and collective representation through advocacy. DOC believes that its members and their work play an essential role in Canadian society by promoting the expression of diverse viewpoints on social, political, and cultural realities, thus fostering reflection and debate. DOC advances the documentary genre by supporting artists wanting to develop their craft.
Announcements regarding any forthcoming round of applications will be posted at:
http://docorg.ca/en/givingvoice
