Wide Lens
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Wide Lens is the Canadian Media Producers Association’s equity, diversity and inclusion training platform developed for members.
Wide Lens aims to help producers recognize and eliminate systemic barriers for individuals from Indigenous and equity-deserving communities, and to create new opportunities for engagement, partnership, and collaboration.
The program also aims to help producers understand the root causes of unconscious bias and systemic racism, develop policies and frameworks to address these issues, and implement best practices in community engagement and authenticity in storytelling.
Individual training sessions offered through the Wide Lens program are developed in partnership with subject-matter experts and community leaders, with deep expertise and understanding of the issues covered.
Throughout the year, the CMPA Wide Lens program will offer CMPA members the opportunity to sign up for training sessions and access supporting resources.
Current programming:
Writing effective community engagement plans for your next project
CMPA members are invited to register for our upcoming Wide Lens training webinar, which will cover the latest best practices in effective community engagement plans, reflecting broadcaster expectations. Last offered in 2024, the session has been refreshed to reflect evolving industry expectations, updated broadcaster insights, and the latest guidance shaping funding and development requirements.
Grounded in BSO’s Being Seen research and informed by its “Considerations for Writing Engagement Plans” toolkits, this session will provide practical guidance on how to approach, structure, and tailor your plan to different genres, communities, and broadcaster expectations. Participants will leave with clear, actionable strategies they can immediately apply to their projects.
This 90-minute session will cover:
- An overview of Community Engagement Plans and why they matter
- What funders and broadcasters are looking for at both development and production stages
- How to effectively use existing guides and tools for your project
- A Q&A with a broadcaster to better understand current expectations
The webinar will take place on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 12 – 1:30 p.m. ET / 9 – 10:30 a.m. PT and is being presented in partnership with the Black Screen Office (BSO).
To register for this session, click here to login.
Sasha Leigh Henry is a writer, director, producer and lover of all things hilarious. Named one of Variety’s 10 to Watch for 2022, Henry made her debut as series creator and showrunner with the current release of the Crave Original Comedy Bria Mack Gets A Life. As a director, her film Sinking Ship debuted at TIFF 2020 and was the winner of the 2021 Vimeo Staff Pick Award at Aspen Shortsfest, and her film Bitches Love Brunch screened at festivals internationally before being acquired by CBC Gem. As a producer, Sasha has helped bring numerous films to screen including Randall Okita’s Canadian Screen Award winner The Lockpicker, Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s award-winning short film Black Bodies as well as her follow-up feature When Morning Comes, which premiered at TIFF 2022. A frequent panelist and speaker, Sasha is also an alumni of POV 3rd Street, Black Women Film!, 2020’s TIFF Filmmaker Lab, a TIFF Netflix Talent Accelerator Fellow, and is currently Chair of the Board of the Reelworld Film Festival.
Lea Marin is the Director of Development, Drama, for the CBC, and is responsible for driving and overseeing the quality and diversity of the drama development slate including recent productions, Saint-Pierre, Wild Cards and Allegiance. A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Producers’ Lab, prior to joining the CBC, Lea was a Senior Producer with the National Film Board of Canada where she developed and produced several documentaries and interactive projects. Some of her credits include Ever Deadly co-created by Tanya Tagaq & Chelsea McMullan, and Charles Officer’s Unarmed Verses.
Barbara Mamabolo is a Toronto-based multi-hyphenate. She currently serves as Executive in Charge of Current Production, Drama, on the Scripted Content team at CBC. In this role, she oversees the production of scripted drama series, including Canada’s longest running one-hour scripted drama series Heartland, and Wild Cards, the comedic crime procedural starring Vanessa Morgan and Giacomo Gianniotti. Barbara worked as a story editor on Season 5 of Kim’s Convenience and has written and directed several award-winning short films. Barbara began her professional career as an actor and is best known for her roles in several kids’ and teen series (Zixx, Instant Star, Total Drama Island). Barbara holds a Master’s Degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Toronto, for which she was awarded the Atom Egoyan Scholarship. Barbara currently sits on the advisory board of Black Women Film! Canada and is an advocate for The Academy’s Executive Residency Program.
Natassia Morris is the Business Manager of the Black Screen Office’s Research and Action Centre (RAC). She brings extensive cross-sector experience spanning arts and culture, not-for-profit, education, and corporate environments.
With a strong background in business communications, marketing, and project management—grounded in long-standing relationships with Black, Caribbean, and artistic communities—Natassia is uniquely equipped to lead the RAC and advance measurable, sector-wide change within the Canadian screen industry. In her role at the Black Screen Office, Natassia works closely with industry leaders and decision-makers to support their DEIA commitments. She connects organizations to the RAC’s evidence-based research, tools, and service offerings, translating insight into action and accountability across the sector.