TFM & SORT OF | Trans Film Mentorship

TFM & Sphere Media - Sort Of Training Program (Season 3)

Train and work on the set of the Peabody-award-winning CBC & HBO Max comedy, Sort Of.

Deadline April 23rd, 2023 (6pm EST)

The Opportunity

The Trans Film Mentorship (TFM) and Sphere Media, the creators of Sort Of are partnering to offer a paid work-integrated training opportunity for trans and/or non-binary folks on the production of Sort Of Season 3.

Dates: May 1st, 2023 to June 23rd, 2023

Paid Training Rate: $18.37/hr, 1 week at 16hrs/week, 4 weeks at 40hrs/week, followed by 3 x 2hr workshops the week of June 19th.

Locations: Toronto and Hamilton (accepting applications from candidates in both cities). Must be willing to travel (transportation provided) to locations outside Toronto. Transit subsidies available.

***must be Ontario resident to apply***

Program Details

The Sort Of Training Program is a work-integrated training program where participants will be placed to train and work in selected departments on set.

Phase 1: Production Preparedness - 1 week

Participants will participate in production preparedness training and soft skills development workshops led by the TFM and guest instructors. Some on-set observation.

Phase 2: Train & Work on Set - 4 weeks (4-day work week + 2hr check in on Friday)

Participants will train and work within their respective departments for four weeks, gradually increasing responsibilities, working towards full integration into crew.

Phase 3: Career Pathways Support - 3 x workshops

Participants are invited to attend career planning sessions aimed at helping them define their career goals, plan their next steps, and learn how to leverage this unique experience to open doors to more opportunities.

Departments for Placement

In the application, applicants will be able to identify which department(s) they are interested in.

Camera
Sound
Costumes
Set Decoration
Makeup & Hair (requires license)
Props

This is a competitive program. We highly recommend that you research the departments you are interested in to familiarize yourself with the function of the department, the key roles and assess whether it’s a good fit for you.

Who is this Program for

This program is intended for folks who identify as trans and non-binary and who are:

Passionate about pursuing a career in film and television production
Self-motivated, eager to learn and able to take direction
Available to work full-time for six weeks in Toronto between May 1st and June 23rd, 2023
Can work 12-hour days on your feet and in the office as needed
Can engage in repeated physical labour (eg lifting up to 25lbs) without compromising their health
Possess a driver’s license (not required but a strong asset)
Triple vaccinated against COVID-19

*The TFM & Sphere Media are prioritizing candidates who are racialized or identify as Black, Indigenous and/or a Person of Colour

Application Process

Interested applicants must fill out an application form, submit a resume/CV, and a link to an example of any related work (portfolio, project, sample, reel, short film, theatre, etc).

Deadline April 23rd, 2023 (6pm EST)

Questions can be directed to TFMSortOf@gmail.com

APPLY NOW

Program Facilitator

Anna Daliza, TFM Coordinator and Program Facilitator (She/Her)

Anna Daliza is a published writer, artist and educator living in Toronto. Her writing has been published by Leste (Montreal), Silverfish (Toronto), and her first book is called Where Grape Leaves Grow. Anna has proudly worked as the Trans Film Mentorship’s program coordinator and facilitator since its conception in 2021.

Sort of Team

Sphere Media is one of Canada’s preeminent scripted content companies, producing film and television internationally. Currently in release is the critically-acclaimed dramedy Sort Of for CBC and HBO Max, a current GLAAD Award Nominee for Outstanding New TV Series which was named one of TV’s top picks for 2021 in NOW magazine, the Hollywood Reporter, Time Magazine and Vanity Fair.

Sphere Media’s previous television includes four seasons of the International Emmy nominated serialized crime drama Cardinal (Bell Media/ Hulu/ BBC2/ Canal+); three seasons of the hostage negotiation episodic Ransom (Corus/CBS/eOne) sold in more than 100 territories; Indigenous supernatural YA series Trickster (CBC/CW/Sundance/SkyUK/STAN/CANAL+) which premiered to critical acclaim at MIP and TIFF; medical series Combat Hospital (Corus/ABC/SONY INTERNATIONAL); and mini-series Diamonds (CBC/ABC).

Most recently, Sphere Media’s bold new medical drama, Transplant (CTV/NBCU), an award-winning series about a Syrian refugee doctor, aired to critical acclaim and ratings success on both CTV and NBC. For Transplant, Sphere Media won TBI’s 2020 Content Innovation Award for Best Debut Drama Series and was recently announced as an honoree by the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) for their annual Media Awards.

Bilal Baig, Co-Creator (They/Them)

Bilal Baig is a queer, trans-feminine, Muslim playwright, performer and workshop facilitator. As a community worker, Bilal is a core team member at non-profits such as Story Planet and Rivers of Hope, where they develop and facilitate workshops for youth in under-resourced neighbourhoods in Toronto focused on creative writing and literacy (Story Planet), and combatting Islamophobia through the arts (Rivers of Hope). Bilal is the lead and co-creator of the CBC/HBO Max/Sienna Films series Sort Of.

Fab Filippo, Co-Creator (He/Him)

Fab Filippo is an award-winning actor/writer/director/producer who most recently appeared as an actor in the groundbreaking digital series Guidestones. He wrote on half-hour comedy Working the Engles, and before that he co-wrote the true crime indie, Perfect Sisters, starring Abigail Breslin and Mira Sorvino, and Too Late to say Goodbye starring Rob Lowe. He has also starred in and directed three seasons of half-hour comedy, Billable Hours. Some of his past acting credits include the lead role in the mini-series Lives of the Saints, starring opposite Sophia Loren, as well as portraying violin prodigy, Ethan Gold, on the award-winning series Queer as Folk.