Parliamentary Secretary Taleeb Noormohamed met with representatives of the Racial Equity Screen Office, a recipient of the Creative Export Canada funding program.
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 24, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canadian creative companies and organizations enhance their visibility and increase their export profits in global markets. This benefits Canada's creative professionals and our economy.
Today, Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament (Vancouver Granville), announced a $42,000 investment in the Racial Equity Screen Office, or RESO, for its IP Across Continents Accelerator project. Noormohamed made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The project will empower racialized, independent Canadian producers to find buyers for their intellectual property in the audiovisual industry. The project includes curated delegations' market participation, meetings with sales and distribution agents, as well as Canadian market activation, where more than 30 Canadian producers with export-ready projects will be invited to meet with buyers at the East by Northwest (EXNW) Global Creative Summit in July 2025 in Vancouver.
In addition, RESO will receive $100,000 through the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program's Organizational Capacity Building component, to support its project, Building Strength, Sustainability and Capacity from the Inside Out: Long-term Equity and Anti-Racism Guardrails in Canada's Screen Industry. This project is aimed at enhancing RESO's internal organizational systems and capacity through improved governance practices, financial management, human resources, partnerships, networking and strategic planning. The project will strengthen organizational resilience and sustainability, allowing RESO to support screen and content industry organizations to reduce systemic barriers and overcome the legacy of structural racism.
Creative Export Canada's Export Development Stream helps Canadian companies and organizations that are entering international markets and expanding their global networks.
Quotes
"We must support our creative professionals so they can reach their full potential and expand in international markets. Canadian creative products are in demand, which is a testament to their exceptional quality and our homegrown talent. With this support from the Creative Export Canada program, RESO can enhance its international visibility, showcase Canadian creativity and contribute to Canada's economic growth."
—The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage
"We are pleased to support the Racial Equity Screen Office in its efforts to strengthen long-term capacity and services within its organization. With the support of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program, this project will further amplify diverse voices, bring untold stories to light, and contribute to a more inclusive film and media landscape."
—The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
"I am very proud that an organization from Vancouver, like RESO, is committed to supporting racialized creators in building new opportunities in the creative industries, which will have an impact on future generations. This will allow more Canadians to succeed and showcase our country's diverse creative talent in key markets abroad."
—Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament (Vancouver Granville)
"We are very grateful to Canadian Heritage for its support through its Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program Organizational Capacity Building and Creative Export Canada funding programs. This investment comes at a pivotal time and is a game-changer for Canada's screen industry, equipping racialized Canadian producers with the tools, networks and mentorship needed to navigate fast-growing markets in the Asia-Pacific, secure financing and forge strategic global partnerships. With IPACA, we are not only preparing producers to export their work but also actively building Canada-Asia Pacific pathways that will drive long-term industry collaboration. This funding supports the growth of East By Northwest Creative Summit (EXNW) in Vancouver, which has become a vital Pacific gateway and hub for connecting Canadian creators with the Asia-Pacific. This funding ensures that Canadian stories and talent are positioned for success in global markets. Thank you to Canadian Heritage for empowering the future of Canadian storytelling on the world stage."
— Hanna Cho, Executive Director, Racial Equity Screen Office
Quick Facts
Today's $42,000 in Creative Export Canada's Export-Development Stream funding will include $21,000 in 2024-25 and $21,000 in 2025-26.
The Creative Export Canada program has an annual budget of $33 million over three years, from 2023 to 2026.
The Export-Ready Stream invests $7 million per year in export-ready projects that generate export revenues and help Canadian creative industries reach more people around the world.
The new Export Development Stream invests $4 million per year in new and early-stage exporters entering international markets and in experienced exporters expanding their global networks.
Since its launch in 2018, Creative Export Canada, under the Export-Ready Stream, has invested more than $59 million in 143 export–ready projects from more than 120 creative industry companies and organizations.
With its first intake in 2023-24, the Export Development Stream represented an investment of $5.07 million in 80 projects from early-stage exporters and experienced exporters entering new markets.
The Organizational Capacity Building component of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program provides funding to applicants to build and strengthen their internal capacity to meet the objectives of the program. This component supports projects that contribute to a recipient's ability to advance anti-racism initiatives and promote intercultural and interfaith understanding, provide equitable opportunities, promote dialogue on multiculturalism and anti-racism issues, and to build understanding of disparities. The Organizational Capacity Building application process is now closed.
RESO's mandate is to build new ecosystems that create sustainable conduits of creative industry participation for racialized creators, which affects generational narrative changes in storytelling, representation, and power in Canada and the world.
Associated Links
Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Charles Thibault-Béland, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, [email protected]
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