Free filmmaking classes ‘golden opportunity’ for Manitoba industry

To promote diversity within Manitoba’s film industry, local organizations are holding free filmmaking classes across the province — and they’ve tapped an Oscar-nominated director to help.

Winnipeg will house the first “masterclass.” Sessions will follow in Brandon, Churchill, Cranberry Portage, Flin Flon and The Pas throughout October.

“In proximity is opportunity and opportunity is proximity,” said Adam Smoluk, Film Training Manitoba executive director. “We feel as a training organization that if individuals take our programming, they’re more likely to enter into our industry.”

Hence why there’s a focus on northern communities and, within Winnipeg, minority and marginalized groups, Smoluk said.

Film Training Manitoba is a sector council focused on workforce development. It’s partnered with Doc Manitoba, which represents professional filmmakers, on the new Manitoba’s Northern and Diverse Creators Program.

Program attendees will learn how to create film projects, build stories, obtain project funding and market their wares, Smoluk said.

He expects at least 220 people to sign up for the 12 masterclasses. In Winnipeg, sessions will be geared to Black, Ukrainian and LGBTTQ+ creatives.

Having a targeted focus on Ukrainian immigrants is a “golden opportunity” for newcomers to feel welcomed and use their talents, said Joanne Lewandosky, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba chapter president.

Upwards of 30,000 Ukrainians have settled in Manitoba since Russia invaded their home country in 2022.

“There’s stories every day and there’s stories we probably will never hear,” Lewandosky said. “These are the things that we have to encourage them to share, so that we know … what is happening.”

The North is ripe for storytelling, Smoluk added. He’s noticed a “significant” amount of production in Churchill and would like to see more projects from regions above Winnipeg.

People who take a masterclass will be added to a Film Training Manitoba newsletter and can learn about further industry opportunities, Smoluk said.

Ottawa has funnelled $50,000 to the creators program through its Canada Media Fund.

The initiative has launched in a world where free speech is being threatened, noted provincial Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses. He attended an event to unveil the new training program Friday.

“It’s important (for) us — as Manitobans, as Canadians — to stand up for people to be able to share their stories,” Moses said.

Film Training Manitoba pointed to two reports showing a decline in diverse representation among Canada’s film and television sector — the Women in View 2023 report and a Writer’s Guild of Canada diversity document from the same year.

The new program should “improve opportunities” for diverse creators, said Kevin Nikkel, co-chair of Doc Manitoba.

Oscar-nominated documentary director Rory Kennedy (Last Days in Vietnam) is slated to teach sessions in Churchill on Oct. 25 and in Winnipeg on Oct. 26 and 27.

Other program instructors include Nikkel, documentarians and an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.

Registration is open on Film Training Manitoba’s website, filmtraining.mb.ca.

Manitoba saw $224.9 million worth of film and television production in 2023-24, per Manitoba Film & Music’s most recent annual report. In 2021-22, the production value hit $375.5 million.

zgabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com