About the Program

The Black Women Directors Accelerator Program is an initiative of the Black Screen Office (BSO) that supports the advancement of Black women directors across Canada’s screen industries. It is designed for working directors with a demonstrated track record—through short films, web series, independent features, or other scripted content—who are ready to step into episodic television or long-form film directing.

On-Set Experience and Industry Access

The program offers real-world, in-production placements on active film and television sets. Each Accelerator Director is embedded into a vetted scripted production—either an episodic series, a feature, or a movie-of-the-week—and takes part in prep, shoot, and post, where possible. These are not job-shadowing roles. Directors are treated as part of the team and are expected to participate fully in the process, from creative meetings and casting sessions to working with department heads and engaging with producers and executives.

A Collaborative Model

This is a program with industry collaboration at its core. Productions selected to host Accelerator Directors are encouraged to build meaningful relationships, not just offer access. The Directors Guild of Canada National and DGC BC support the program by facilitating connections to producers and productions and by opening access to key training initiatives, including the DGC’s Episodic Director Intensive.

Commitment and Support

Accelerator Directors must be eligible for DGC membership and able to commit to the full placement schedule. Each receives a stipend to offset time away from other work, as well as travel and accommodation support where required. BSO manages the overall coordination and provides ongoing support to both the directors and the production partners.

Changing the Face of Canadian Directing

By focusing on relationships, readiness, and real opportunity, the BSO Black Women Directors Accelerator is helping to reshape who gets to direct in Canada—and creating a system that supports Black women to build long-term, sustainable directing careers.

For more information or to express your interest in participating, please contact Hoda Ali, Manager, Programming and Operations, at programming@bso-ben.ca.

Talent Roster Criteria

• Must identify as Black
  • Black (people who trace their roots to Sub-Saharan Africa, including those with origins in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America) 
  • Latin American (Latino, Latina, Latinx) 
  • Middle-Eastern and North African
  • South Asian
  • Southeast Asian 
  • East Asian 
  • Multiracial (a combination of any of the above categories or any of the above categories with White or European ancestry)
• Must  have a minimum of one of the following credits:
  • One feature film has been exhibited at a recognized Film Festival within the past five years.  See the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Eligible Festivals and Online Platforms or 
  • A combination of the following commercially exhibited content that makes up a minimum of 75 minutes
    • Television episodes in scripted, documentary or reality (excluding community television)
    • Short narrative films exhibited at recognized Film Festivals within five years. See the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Eligible Festivals and Online Platforms. (Note: producers want to see the director’s voice, and a short film is a good way for them to see that.)
    • Web series released on a professional broadcast or streaming platform (i.e., not user-generated)