Megan Folden

(Whistler, BC / Regina, SK) – The Whistler Film Festival Society (WFFS), in collaboration with Creative Saskatchewan, proudly launches the ScreenSask Producers Accelerator Lab, a newly expanded initiative of WFF’s Talent Lab. This tailored professional development program is designed to accelerate the careers of six Saskatchewan-based producers developing original narrative or factual screen projects.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Whistler Film Festival on this customized lab focused on building market-readiness and production capacity in Saskatchewan,” said Robert Hardy, executive director of ScreenSask. “This initiative will give our producers direct access to top-tier national industry experts and equip them with the tools to elevate their projects to new heights. Programs like this are instrumental in showcasing Saskatchewan’s talent and ensuring our stories are represented on screens across the country and beyond.”

Over eight months, the cohort will work intensively with industry mentors and advisors through a multi-phased program that includes one-on-one mentorship, group sessions, and market-driven development support to strengthen each project’s creative and business potential. The program culminates with market exposure at the 2025 Whistler Film Festival + Content Summit.

“The ScreenSask Producers Accelerator Lab is a dynamic addition to our slate of Talent Programs,” said Angela Heck, executive director of the Whistler Film Festival Society. “We are honoured to work with Creative Saskatchewan and ScreenSask to help amplify prairie voices. This lab provides a focused space for producers to develop their projects in depth, while building meaningful connections that can move their work forward nationally and internationally.”

“Creative Saskatchewan is proud to play a role in launching this unique program,” added Erin Dean, CEO of Creative Saskatchewan. “This collaboration offers an exceptional opportunity for our producers to sharpen their skills, make critical connections, and bring their stories to a broader audience. We’re excited to see how their projects evolve through this transformative experience.”

2025 Participants & Projects

Kelly-Anne Riess – Missing (doc series)

A seasoned but disillusioned detective reopens a 40-year-old cold case—the disappearance of a teenage race car driver—and through the unwavering grief of his family, discovers that some missing people are never truly forgotten.

Shawn Cuthand – Private Gig (feature)

A group of comedians desperate to pay the bills during the pandemic embark on a tour that leads them to a rural nightmare.

Kaitlyn Van De Woestyne – Whale Song: Listening to a Changing Ocean (documentary)

In the waters surrounding Canada, scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders join forces to decode the language of whales, using sound, science, and tradition to protect these sentient giants in a changing ocean.

Style Dayne – Staffed (series)

A half-hour comedy about Jacob, a fallen Ottawa political staffer navigating the absurdities of small-town Saskatchewan, where the stakes are low and the drama is local.

Moniquea Marion – Shacked Up (series)

Eight men and eight women search for love in the frozen wilds of Saskatchewan, ice fishing for romance—and each other—in a chilly quest to get shacked up.

Kyle Burgess – Summer of Discovery (series)

A teen struggling with identity tries to solve the mystery of a haunted cabin at a summer camp for youth living with disabilities.

WFF Program Faculty

• Angela Heck, Executive Director, Whistler Film Festival Society
• Shelly Quade, Talent Lab Programs Manager
• Brendon Sawatzky, Producer-In-Residence

Applications for upcoming Talent Lab programs are ongoing. For more information, visit whistlerfilmfestival.com.

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Contact for festival media inquiries:

Coldwater Communications
media@coldwater-communications.ca

The Whistler Film Festival Society is situated on the shared unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and Lil̓wat7úl (Lil’wat) Nation.

The Whistler Film Festival Society is a charitable organization (#856677844 RR 001) dedicated to furthering the art and business of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development, and promotion of new talent culminating in the highly-respected Whistler Film Festival and Content Summit each December. In all its programs, WFF strives for gender parity, inclusivity and diversity.

The National Screen Institute, in partnership with Creative Saskatchewan, announce nine participants selected for NSI Business for Producers – Saskatchewan Edition.

This region-specific training initiative is designed to support mid-career Saskatchewan-based producers in taking their careers to the next level.

Through six weeks of online training starting this week, participants will engage in roundtables, interactive group discussions, peer reviews and presentations. In line with previous editions of NSI Business for Producers, the Saskatchewan Edition will conclude with participants pitching their projects to a panel of industry professionals.

Participants will advance their careers by building strong business networks and gaining essential insight into creating and managing interprovincial co-productions.

“We’re incredibly proud of the individuals who have been accepted into this great program,” said Creative Saskatchewan CEO Erin Dean. “The masterclasses that they’re about to embark on are of the highest quality here in Canada, and I can’t wait to see their progress in the coming months.”

The nine participants are:

• Allan Roeher (Regina, SK)
• Allia Janzen (Saskatoon, SK)
• Douglas Luciuk (Saskatoon, SK)
• Judith Silverthorne (Regina, SK)
• Kelly-Anne Riess (Regina, SK)
• Kyle Burgess (Saskatoon, SK)
• Mari Climenhaga (Regina, SK)
• Marzia Kamyabi (Regina, SK)
• Style Dayne Stenberg (Regina, SK)

Read more about each participant.

National Screen Institute executive director Christine Kleckner said, “My career in the industry began in Saskatchewan, and I know how creative, resourceful, and savvy the producers are in the province.

An important part of the National Screen Institute’s mission is to support creativity and entrepreneurship, empowering independent producers to lead their projects locally, and from a distinct perspective. In collaboration with our partners, Creative Saskatchewan and SMPIA, we are excited to showcase and champion Saskatchewan’s talented film, TV and digital media creators. We recognize and celebrate their continued contributions to the screen sector.”

NSI Business for Producers alumni have gone on to create celebrated projects and screen films at festivals from coast to coast to coast. This includes alum Dawn Bird who runs three Regina-based production companies and has produced numerous award-winning and award-nominated projects, including the feature film Mercy.

Faculty for NSI Business for Producers – Saskatchewan Edition includes program manager Jessica Gibson and advisor Jeff Stecyk.

Congratulations to the participants!

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NSI Business for Producers – Saskatchewan Edition is funded by Presenting Partner Creative Saskatchewan; Provincial Sponsor Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA). National Screen Institute Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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About Creative Saskatchewan
Creative Saskatchewan is the economic development agency for Saskatchewan’s creative industries and the official film commission for the province. The agency’s investments propel creative entrepreneurs as they create, perform, innovate, and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

About SMPIA
SMPIA is a provincial, member-based non-profit organization that is governed by a volunteer board of directors. Established in 1986, SMPIA represents all personnel related to the making and exhibiting of media productions from beginners to veteran professionals. SMPIA’s job is to be a catalyst for change, to facilitate interaction between people working in these media, and to help to create an environment that provides opportunities for the production, promotion and appreciation of media production in Saskatchewan.

About National Screen Institute
Propelled by a visionary network of donors, private and public organizations, board members and staff, the National Screen Institute supports creators from across Canada to tell unforgettable stories. Through industry-informed training and mentoring in film and television, students and alumni find their voice and place on the global stage, inspiring us to shape a better world.

The National Screen Institute is committed to training participants from a diverse community of voices including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+), people with disabilities, those outside large urban centres, those in regional and remote areas and various religious groups.

Further enquiries
Media enquiries: Abiola Agbayewa, abiola.agbayewa@nsi-canada.ca

Released on September 9, 2024

Today, Creative Saskatchewan and the Government of Saskatchewan hosted a screening event at the Kramer IMAX Theater in Regina to preview trailers and behind-the-scenes clips from 13 productions recently filmed in the province.

The showreel featured films from the 2023-24 fiscal year which are either released and available for viewing or in the final stages before release.

“Our government is proud to invest $12 million annually to support productions like these, filmed in locations throughout our province, in urban centres as large as Saskatoon to smaller rural communities such as Prud’Homme,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said. “The industry is growing in Saskatchewan, and the films screened today demonstrate both the variety of productions and the versatility of our province as a filming destination.”

Since April 2023, approximately $22 million has been committed to 36 productions through the Creative Saskatchewan Feature Film and Television Production Grant. These productions are estimated to produce a Saskatchewan spend of over $55 million generating an approximate economic output of $93 million and support more than 900 jobs.

“Creative Saskatchewan supports a wide range of project sizes, from modest budgets to multi-million-dollar productions, including animation, documentaries and feature films” Creative Saskatchewan CEO Erin Dean said. “All of these projects have utilized our Feature Film and TV Production Grant, which incentivizes spending within Saskatchewan, and is only possible thanks to the investment from the Government of Saskatchewan.”

As part of the event, the province announced it is investing $500,000 to assist the Saskatchewan Science Centre with the purchase of the IMAX GT dual laser digital projection system. This new digital laser projection system will allow the Science Centre to continue to offer high-quality IMAX and giant screen educational documentary films well into the future, as well as full-length feature films, enhancing visitors’ viewing experiences and allowing the Science Centre to continue its role as a major community attraction and cementing its position as one of the few giant screen theatres in Canada.

In addition, Creative Saskatchewan will have access to the Kramer IMAX Theatre and the projection system to host production screenings.

Featured productions and where to watch them:

Why Am I – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Staying Wild – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Flat Out Food – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Guardians of the North – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Red River Gold – Coming soon to APTN!

Chums Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

Welcome to Kittytown – Saskatchewan movie theatres

Sideways – Coming soon!

Treaty Road | APTN

Stories of the North – Citytv | Watch Full TV Episodes Online & See TV Schedule

For Country: First In Last Out – Coming soon!

Gifts of Christmas – Coming soon!

We Kill Them All – Coming soon!

About Creative Saskatchewan

Creative Saskatchewan is the economic development agency for Saskatchewan’s creative industries and the official film commission for the province. The agency’s investments propel creative entrepreneurs as they create, perform, innovate and export in their pursuit of commercial success.

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For more information, contact:

Jamie Gibson
Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-527-8152
Email: jamie.gibson2@gov.sk.ca

Megan Folden
Creative Saskatchewan
Regina
Phone: 306-529-7377
Email: megan.folden@creativesask.ca