Professional development

After two years online, Making Waves is returning to a fully in-person event for 2023, bringing back the networking you love, the parties you missed, and the same insightful panels and helpful workshops. On March 24 and 25, you can settle in at the Prince George Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia for a jam-packed slate of sessions. 

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Join the Canadian screen industry's brightest creators and experts for Members Lounge 2023, presented by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). Returning this year with four days of in-person panels, Q&As, and networking events during Canadian Screen Week 2023, Members Lounge programming will emphasize creative collaboration and connection.

The Canadian Academy produces the Canadian Screen Awards, bringing together the screen-based industry annually to celebrate the country’s top talent in the film, television and digital sectors at Canadian Screen Week. The Canadian Screen Awards with Samantha Bee will air on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 8:00 PM ET.

Each April, MIPTV gathers participants from 100 countries for three highly productive days in the French city of Cannes, the deal-making hub of the entertainment industry. The market – together with its inspiring conference programme and 2023’s new-look exhibition area.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and to creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers.

Over five inspirational days, local and international screen industry leaders across all genres and disciplines will converge to connect and do business through an extensive array of opportunities available at SCREEN FOREVER 37 on Queensland's Gold Coast. 

Over 12,500 film industry professionals head to Cannes each year to present and discover almost 4,000 films and projects in development at 33 screening venues. Fueled by this success, the Marché has expanded since the turn of the century.

For more than three decades, Inside Out has brought Toronto's LGBTQ community together in celebration of the best queer film from Canada and around the world.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - With a 44-year tradition, and set in one of the most inspiring locations on the planet, BANFF is where partnerships are forged and new films and series are pitched, developed and greenlit across scripted, unscripted, and kids content.

ComedyPRO is the most important annual global gathering of the biggest players in the comedy world. The four-day event explores all facets of the business of comedy during the peak industry / media / performer dates of the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival.

Join the Producers Guild and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) for a webinar to explore three current AI (Artificial Intelligence) applications available to producers.

Kidscreen Summit is renowned as the kids entertainment industry’s most important annual event. In 2020, the last in-person Summit welcomed more than 2,200 attendees from 50-plus countries. Top executives attend regularly to take advantage of the year’s best business networking, and to engage in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The CMPA’s Prime Time conference is back, and IN PERSON in 2023! Join us at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, February 1 – 3, for thought leadership, the latest industry trends, our largest-ever market access program, and of course, networking with industry colleagues and leaders.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - TIFF has announced the Canada’s Top Ten Industry Forum, kicking off a weekend of screenings of selected films. The Industry Forum includes access to all three sessions, as well as a catered lunch and access to the Canada’s Top Ten Opening Cocktail.

The internationally-recognized Realscreen Summit returns January 23-26th 2023, with a diverse range of world-class programming including high-level keynote & panel discussions, unique networking opportunities, creative briefs from top buyers, international pitch competitions, an annual Realscreen Awards ceremony and so much more.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - An annual conference of interest to all students and professionals in digital media. The ninth annual DM@X Conference will be a National Two-Day ZOOM Conference!

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival will take place January 19–29, 2023, in person and online. They are designing a safe and accessible Festival where their audiences and artists can come together to celebrate and discover new work, and each other. Buy tickets for 2023 and book your lodging now.

All Access is an intimate three-day industry forum powered by On Screen Manitoba, the provincial media production industry association. It takes place in Winnipeg, Canada and is the only Canadian media production industry forum that provides programming for both English- and French-language markets within a single event.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The 22nd edition of the Whistler Film Festival will be presented as a hybrid online and in-person event to connect audiences, filmmakers, and industry with the films we love, industry insights we need and the human connection that we crave.

Content London is one of the most stimulating events in the global content industry calendar. Over three days it brings the global drama, formats and factual communities together around a conference, awards and networking agenda.

The 30th anniversary Congress will be held in Glasgow, UK from November 28 to December 1. Congress '22 is generously supported by host sponsor BBC Studios Productions and will coincide with BBC's centenary.

Now in its 21st year, The Canadian Telecom Summit is Canada’s leading ICT event, attracting the most influential people who shape the future direction of communications and information technology in Canada.

DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS - Playback, Canada’s leading screen business publication, is launching the second edition of our signature virtual event and marketplace to bolster and celebrate the Canadian independent feature film industry and serve as an ignition point for new projects and partnerships.

The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora. Works include films and videos by Asian-identifying artists in Canada, the U.S., Asia and all over the world.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Returning for the seventh year on November 4 & 5, 2022 with a two-day event, FactualWEST is a one-of-a-kind conference for producers and crew working in factual, lifestyle, reality and documentary television.

MIPCOM CANNES – the 38th International Co-Production & Content Market – is the world’s greatest gathering of television and media professionals and the most anticipated week on the global industry calendar.

The Reelworld Film Festival showcases a wide variety of genres in narrative and documentary features and shorts, for film, web, and television. As a filmgoer, whether in person or online, you will enjoy the dramatic storytelling, hard-hitting documentaries, witty comedies and thoughtful abstractions that the 2022 Reelworld selections will offer.

SPF22 is a global hybrid conference focused on accelerating sustainability in the motion picture industry with a robust slate of both virtual and in-person events.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - In 2022, CIFF celebrates its 23rd year, September 22 - October 2. The 11-day showcase of over 175 multi-genre feature and short films from Canada and around the world also hosts an Industry Week series that emphasizes unique and exciting ways for filmmakers and fans to interact.

Since its inception in 1989, Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival continues to seek out and showcase high-calibre film programming to passionate and enthusiastic audiences over its 9-day festival.

FIN Partners, Canada’s premiere co-production/financing market, celebrates its 25th anniversary this September 15-17, 2022 – now accepting project submissions and industry registrations.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - C21 Media’s Content Canada is back this September with a purpose-driven market and conference which will combine the best of in-person and virtual content events. Now in its fifth year, Content Canada will be back in-person during TIFF, when the content industry gathers in Toronto.

The Do It the Spanish Way! Spain-Canada Co-production Forum on Friday, September 9, 2022 will showcase exciting projects in development from five renowned international production companies including Jaibo Films, TV ON, Pecado Films, Señor y Señora and El Viaje Producciones.

The Toronto International Film Festival returns in September 2022 for its 47th edition — 11 days of international and Canadian cinema, special events featuring some of the biggest names in film, and TIFF’s Industry Conference, offering diverse and innovative perspectives on the art and business of film.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Just For Laughs ComedyPRO is a four-day event that explores all facets of comedy and takes place in July during the peak industry/media/performer dates of the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Webseries Canada is the producer of T.O. WebFest, a multi-day festival offering engaging panels and workshops, special events, awards, public web series screenings, and more!

Kidscreen Summit is renowned as the kids entertainment industry’s most important annual event. In 2020, the last in-person Summit welcomed more than 2,000 attendees from 50-plus countries. Top executives attend regularly to take advantage of the year’s best business networking, and to engage in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Improve your studio’s marketing and PR strategies across four key areas of focus.

The Future of Film Showcase (FOFS) presents an annual showcase of Canadian short films, as well as year-round professional development events.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Plans are underway to safely return to the majestic castle in the Rockies for the 2022 edition of the BANFF World Media Festival. Join and participate in BANFF’s international conference, marketplace and Rockie Awards, alongside the world’s top talent.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - BMFF invites film lovers and filmmakers to connect, be inspired, and escape into the mountains to enjoy the very best in International and Canadian cinema. From June 1 – 5, 2022, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers, and artists will gather in Blue Mountain Village to discover the best in world cinema.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival will return to its home at TIFF Bell Lightbox as well as continue spotlighting incredible queer films across Ontario online, through the Inside Out Screening Room.

The Film and TV team from the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles will be in Toronto on May 10th. Join us for a one day boot camp sharing details on doing business in Hollywood, a summary of the state of the industry in 2022, pitch feedback sessions and an information session on the Canadian Creative Accelerator (CCA).

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and to creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers.

MIPTV is the longest running international television market taking place in Cannes each April. It brings together global distributors, producers, buyers and commissioners of drama, doc, kids, factual and formats programming.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Join the Canadian screen industry’s brightest creators and trailblazing experts for Members Lounge 2022, presented by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). Taking place from Monday, April 4th through to Friday, April 8th, Members Lounge 2022 returns to Canadian Screen Week with five days of interactive panels with industry leaders and 2022 Canadian Screen Award nominee.

Uniting the pillars of entertainment, media and technology, SCREEN FOREVER is one of the largest congregations of screen industry professionals in the Southern Hemisphere and attended by The Who’s Who in Australian screen business.

Women in Film and Television - Atlantic (WIFT-AT) will present the 12th Annual WIFT Making Waves Conference - Virtual Edition from March 25-27, 2022. The conference will offer presentations, screenings, workshops, panel discussions, spotlight conversations and networking opportunities.

Working The Scene in Colour is a live reading initiative bringing talented writers and actors of Colour and Indigenous communities together to perform original scenes from completed scripts and works-in-progress. Selected Scenes are read by talented ACTRA actors in front of a live audience.

Series Mania Forum packs three days with opportunities for industry professionals to pitch ideas and attend panels and networking events. Producers, distributors, directors, and screenwriters all gather at this event promoting exchanges of ideas and creativity.

The CMPA’s Prime Time conference, Canada’s preeminent meeting place for leaders and trendsetters in media production, broadcasting, TV, and feature film is back! And this year we are launching our biggest event yet.

This FREE virtual information series will introduce emerging independent producers and content creators from traditionally underrepresented groups (Indigenous, Black, people of colour, people with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ2+) to topics related to the business and financing side of content creation.

The eighth annual DM@X Conference will be a National Two-Day ZOOM Conference! It will take place on Friday and Saturday, January 21-22, 2022, from 12:00 pm noon to 5:00 pm ET each day.

All Access is an intimate three-day industry forum powered by On Screen Manitoba, the provincial media production industry association.

The CMPA is working with renowned international consultant Jan Miller to offer the International Co-production Accelerator Program (ICAP). This flagship initiative will facilitate international cooperation between Canadian and international companies for the creation of feature films and drama series. The driving force of this initiative is to create project partnerships and long-lasting business relationships between Canadian and international production companies.

One important strategy in creating a self-sustaining talent development network in Canada is helping Canadian producers own and maintain the rights to their IP. In this special Academy Talks event, presented by the Canadian Media Producers Association, producers from across Canada discuss the road to establishing their independent production companies.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Yale in Hollywood Fest is a global virtual film festival streaming worldwide from December 2 to 4, 2021. The online event will stream its programs (Opening Feature, three shorts programs and Closing Feature) from Dec 2 to Dec 4 with live Q&A events.

WFF21 will continue to reach new, engaged audiences across Canada through our virtual platform for the entire month of December.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Attend the virtual World Congress of Science and Factual Producers, where leading international creators of science, history and natural history content with top broadcasters, OTT platforms and digital publishers from around the world come together to explore future trends in factual production and distribution.

Working the Scene in Colour (WTSC) brings talented writers and actors of Colour and Indigenous communities together to perform original scenes from completed scripts and works-in-progress.

To be successful at licensing music for film and television, it is important to understand the underlying copyright principles and the practical considerations for owners and licensees.

From November 18-20, Leading Innovation and Change, taking place in Berlin, offers audiovisual professionals a rare opportunity to reflect and make plans for their business away from day-to-day commitments.

With large amounts of footage and ever-evolving plot points, tackling story in non-scripted production can be a daunting task. Drawing on their vast experience, a panel of Canada’s leading story editors will discuss finding story in the editing suite.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Playback, Canada’s leading screen business publication, is launching a new virtual event and marketplace to bolster and celebrate the Canadian independent feature film industry and serve as an ignition point for new projects and partnerships. Two days of expert panels, pre-set meetings and networking will focus on the present and future of the film development, financing and production ecosystem.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The 16th annual Hamilton Film Festival is Hamilton's largest and longest running film festivals with roots that go back 20 years. HFF is a Top 100 reviewed festival, out of 10,000 worldwide film festivals.

Returning for the sixth year with a two-day hybrid event, FactualWEST is a one-of-a-kind conference for producers and crew working in factual, lifestyle, reality and documentary television.

The American Film Market is the most efficient film acquisition, development and networking event in the world. Unlike a festival, AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The Sustainable Production Forum (SPF) is a one of a kind conference centering around sustainability in the media sector. This annual event gathers talent, crew members, studio executives, industry leaders, and climate activists alike and aims to engage everyone in making sustainable choices on the road to decarbonization.

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is an international festival that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples on the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio, and digital media.

Green Week, a One Stop Business Workshop series presented by CBC, CAVCO, and CMPA. The Green Week series is open to anyone interested in learning about sustainable film production. All experience levels are welcome!

The St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival (SJIWFF) is one of the longest running women’s film festivals in the world. Established in 1989 with a bold vision of supporting and promoting the creative work of women in screen-based industries from around the world, the Festival has grown from a single evening of screenings to the province’s flagship film festival.

MIPCOM is an international market dedicated to financing, co-production, acquisitions and sales of audiovisual content on all platforms Preceded by MIPJUNIOR (October 9 and 10, 2021).

The CMPA is working with renowned international consultant Jan Miller to offer the International Co-production Accelerator Program (ICAP). This flagship initiative will facilitate international cooperation between Canadian and international companies for the creation of feature films and drama series. The driving force of this initiative is to create project partnerships and long-lasting business relationships between Canadian and international production companies.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The first Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) was held in 2000 for six days, and was attended by 8,000 people. Now, attendance had more than quadrupled to over 35,000 for the expanded 11-day festival. Calgary International Film Festival is now the largest film festival in Alberta and is the sixth-largest in Canada.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is one of the world’s leading animation events providing screenings, exhibits, workshops and entertainment since 1976. OIAF is an annual five-day event bringing art and industry together in a vibrant hub.

FIN Partners is a one-of-a-kind co-production/co-financing market, with a full agenda of pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings between producers and potential investors, broadcasters, distributors and sales agents, as well as cutting-edge roundtable sessions, panels and keynote speakers.

Join the discussion between Ukrainian and international film and TV business top execs, digital content masterminds, representatives of other creative industries.

iff is Ontario Creates’ feature film co-financing and co-production event during the Toronto International Film Festival for independent producers and industry executives developing and financing English language projects for the world market. Selected international and Canadian producers are brought together with international sales agents, US distributors, equity financiers, agents and executive producers for brokered meetings and exclusive networking opportunities.

The 46th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival features 10 days of exceptional international and Canadian cinema with over 100 films in its Official Selection, unparalleled events featuring acclaimed industry guests, and TIFF’s Industry Conference.

Join us for a virtual event featuring a panel discussion about seeking sovereignty and equity as Asian Canadians working in the Canadian screen industry.

Series Mania Forum packs three days with opportunities for industry professionals to pitch ideas and attend panels and networking events. Producers, distributors, directors, and screenwriters all gather at this event promoting exchanges of ideas and creativity.

On Tuesday, August 24 at 12:00 pm ET / 9:00 am PT, the CMPA’s STAR Producer Program will host a virtual Summer Fund Fair. Producers will have an opportunity to hear directly from national and provincial funds and network in roundtable discussions.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - ComedyPRO, the most elite comedy industry conference that unites the world’s prominent players will be 100% digital this summer, running from July 28-31.

On Wednesday, July 21, the CMPA will host a webinar to kick off the production module of the CMPA STAR Producer Program. This webinar will offer members the opportunity to gain a significant understanding of new virtual production technology and techniques through a wide-ranging overview webinar. 

The Cannes Film Market ranks as the largest film market in the world. Each year, the Film Market opens its doors to welcome and bring together industry professionals from around the world.

The Department of Canadian Heritage and Global Affairs Canada are seeking your views on how to strengthen export support to Canada’s creative industries. The Government of Canada’s current mechanism for supporting creative exports, the Creative Export Strategy, will expire in March 2023. In this context, input is sought from businesses and organizations operating in the creative sector in Canada.

Sunny Side of the Doc 2021 unlocks the transformative potential of storytelling and leads the way to new creative forms and models of documentary production/distribution able to illuminate deeper democratic truths.

Over six days, from 19-24 June 2021, PiXii Festival features an amazing exhibition of the most innovative stories and digital installations created through new convergences of documentary, culture and immersive technologies.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - BANFF 2021 continues June 21-July 16, premiering a curated series of live and interactive panels, Master Classes, In Conversations, 30 Minutes With buyer mandates as well as an array programmed and serendipitous networking formats.

makers June pop-up is a 2-day virtual conference for the creative community exploring the merger of technology with storytelling. No longer hype, key technology advances from AI to Virtual Production and Cloud are delivering genuine creative and business benefits to production.

Drawing on their professional experiences, four Canadian producers with wide and varied production backgrounds will provide practical advice to help attendees map out successful international co-production projects.

CBC, CAVCO, and CMPA are hosting the second One Stop Business Workshop, a series of FREE virtual information sessions that introduce emerging independent producers and content creators from traditionally underrepresented groups in the industry to topics related to the business and financing of TV, film, and original digital content.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - For more than two decades, Inside Out has brought Toronto’s LGBTQ community together in celebration of the best queer film from Canada and around the world.

Join the PGA for a conversation and live Q&A with Christina Oh (Producer, "Minari"). Moderated by Janet W. Lee.

Accelerating COVID-19 vaccination efforts across the country, and the implementation of new paid sick day policies in some jurisdictions, have generated questions from producers regarding their rights and responsibilities as employers. On Thursday, May 13 at 12:00 pm ET/9:00 am PT, the CMPA will host a webinar for members to discuss employer considerations regarding workplace vaccination policies and paid sick days.

DOXA Industry brings together a diverse community of filmmakers and industry professionals to discuss the art and craft of non-fiction storytelling. Through a series of workshops, roundtable discussions, masterclasses and networking events, we invite filmmakers at all levels of experience to engage in vital conversations while building the skills and connections needed to propel their projects forward.

This year’s Members Lounge invites the industry to celebrate and learn from our boldest leaders that are paving the way, seizing opportunity, and moving forward with integrity, diversity, and authenticity.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - Hot Docs, North America's largest documentary festival, conference and market, will present its  28th annual  edition online from April 29-May 9, 2021, during which a full roster of industry conference sessions, market programs and networking events will be held for Canadian and international delegates

To kickoff module two of the STAR Producer Program, we will host a discussion aimed at early-career producers interested in learning more about the “how’s and whys” of co-production and co-development projects.

The  58th MIPTV will take place entirely online from 12-16 April 2021. Procuring meetings for delegates will be the focus of Digital MIPTV, where the programme will feature a robust offer of pre-scheduled one-to-one matchmaking.

Join moderator Tracey Deer, Chair of the Board of Directors for WIV, in conversation on this year’s findings with the report’s co-authors Jill Golick and Nathalie Younglai, Founder of BIPOC TV & Film.

Join the first 2021 edition of Media Xchange's webinar series for a new set of stimulating discussions. Providing inspiration, by comparing and contrasting the best practices shared by Showrunners of successful limited and returning drama series worldwide.

DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS - The IFFO Screen Summit is an event dedicated to strengthening and inspiring Ottawa's growing screen-based industries while addressing topics relevant to all Canadian industry professionals. The Summit will feature informative presentations, talks and networking events.

The Embassy of Canada in Germany (Trade Commissioner Service) has partnered with the CMPA to offer virtual business development opportunities to members around Berlinale and EFM.

The industry platforms European Film Market, Berlinale Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents and the World Cinema Fund will kick off the 71st Berlinale in March with an online offering.

The 2021 Kingston Canadian Film Festival (KCFF) returns for their 21st edition, running digitally from February 26-March 7. 

Actsafe’s Entertainment Safety Conference (formerly Event Safety Conference) brings together a broad range of stakeholders from the motion picture, television and commercial industries.

The Pacific Screenwriting Program (PSP) has partnered with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) to offer an online two session (four hours total) Diversity and Inclusion Workshop tailored to the needs of storytellers in media.

Presented by Screen Producers Australia (SPA), SCREEN FOREVER is Australia’s premier screen industry event. For over 30 years, the conference has championed the talent, passion and achievements of the Australian screen industry.

Kidscreen Summit Virtual will kick off with a market week that’s focused on bringing the industry together to connect and do business