Diverse Casting Taking Center Place in Manitoba’s Film Industry – Winnipeg | The Canadian News

Business is booming in Manitoba’s film industry once again as the industry works to overcome the hurdles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s busy, it’s promising, there’s a lot of diversity going on here. We are very excited, ”Rachel Rusen, Manitoba Film & Music executive director and film commissioner, told Global News.

“We have been incredibly busy. We have seven projects at the moment in live production and 14 projects in post-production ”.

Rusen says there is an emphasis on diverse cast in many of those productions, with a recent project featuring the largest black-led production in Canadian history.

There is also currently a call for hundreds of indigenous extras for a television series, and Rusen says another indigenous production is currently being sought.

“The history is Little birdIt will be for Crave and it is the story of an indigenous woman who is adopted and seeks her family and her roots here in the Canadian prairies, ”she said. “They are here right now and are exploring Brandon, Winnipeg and Selkirk and we are very excited about that.”

2:02Indigenous video game character based on the background of a Saskatchewan woman

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Rusen says that another feature film called Champions will soon be filming in Winnipeg. The film centers on a Special Olympics basketball team and stars Woody Harrelson. The production will shoot in Winnipeg from November 1 to December 17.

Champions He is currently seeking adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the film.

“It is a great opportunity. It’s a meaningful opportunity, an opportunity to be part of the community, work in the community, and meet new people, ”said Bre Brown, St. Amant’s Leisure and Opportunities Supervisor.

Brown adds that it shows that the industry values ​​the contributions that each person brings.

“We all know that we are a diverse people, but what we really need is inclusion. And that is not just about giving people a voice and not just giving them the opportunity to participate, but also really appreciating the contributions that each person brings to a community and a project, ”he said.

“I want to be able to see myself and I know that everyone wants to be able to see themselves represented. It connects you, it makes you feel connected not only with what you are seeing, but with what you contribute to your community and the world around you. “

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