ScreenSask Producers Accelerator Lab Launches in Partnership with WFF

(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.

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.