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For Immediate Release:
CASTING DIRECTORS SOCIETY OF CANADA LAUNCHES DIVERSITY INITIATIVE

TORONTO, ON— The Casting Directors Society of Canada (CDC) is launching an initiative to increase diversity in the Canadian casting community. As home to some of Canada’s most renowned casting professionals, the CDC is opening its doors to up-and-coming creatives by offering two 6-week paid internship opportunities during the Spring/Summer of 2021 for individuals aspiring to work in the field. Following a virtual application and interview process, each candidate will be placed with a working casting director for 6 weeks: one candidate will be placed with a casting director who specializes in scripted long form programming; the other will gain experience with a casting director who specializes in casting commercials.
Through this refreshing initiative, the CDC aims to provide a unique stepping-stone to those who wish to make a career in casting and become a part of the creative, diverse and everchanging casting world that helps bring the written word from the page to the screen. By inviting candidates from across Canada to take part in this experience, the CDC hopes to move towards becoming a more fully-diverse group that represents Black, Indigenous, Racialized, LGBTQ2S+, and/or people living with disabilities.
Successful candidates will likely have studied in film school programs or come from other areas of the entertainment business. With casting being the liaison between film production personnel (producers, directors and writers) and the acting community (actors and agents), candidates must be extremely personable, while also boasting exceptional creativity, independence, organization, and self-starting abilities. As a job that requires a critical eye for assessing ability and future potential of acting talent, candidates must also be attune to the trends of the industry and have a strong willingness to learn new skills in this role.
Throughout and following the completion of the internship, successful candidates will see the culmination of their skills and learnings come to life through at least one long form scripted project or a series of commercials, depending on the office that they complete their internship in. Candidates will work with their CDC mentor to follow the casting process from preparing preliminary breakdowns through to selection of actors for auditions, selection of sides (scenes to be prepared for the auditions), sending out audition requests and, ultimately, to the booking of actors.
Candidates across the country who are interested in having the chance to participate in this unique and enriching opportunity can visit https://www.castingsociety.ca/diversity to submit their application. Applicants will be asked to write a short piece on why they are attracted to this position and what aspects of the casting world interest them.
Submissions will be accepted until April 30th, 2021, with finalists being interviewed via Zoom prior to 2 candidates being chosen. Exact interview dates will be communicated to individual candidates following the application process.

CDC Diversity Internship Initiative
Application Deadline: Friday, April 30th, 2021
Location: Applications virtually available through https://www.castingsociety.ca/diversity

The CDC wishes to express thanks to the following companies whose support helped make this initiative possible:
OPC
Spy Films
Undivided Creative
Untitled Films
RP Communications

About the Casting Directors Society of Canada
The Casting Directors Society of Canada (CDC) is the only organization in Canada to represent professional casting directors working in every medium where professional actors are required, including film, television, commercials, theatre, industrials, and even trade shows. We provide casting expertise in finding candidates for reality television, as well as hosts and presenters. We also work on the casting of non-union projects as required. For more information, visit https://www.castingsociety.ca.


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For more information or press inquiries, please contact:

RP Communications
Randy Phipps, randy@rpcommunications.net
416-953-9949

The Casting Directors Society of Canada (CDC) is adding its voice to the public call for racial and gender equity in publicly funded films, television and media content in Canada.

The worldwide conversation about racial and gender parity in the film and media industries has reached a fevered pitch. Many studies, including reports on Canadian Media by Women In View show clearly that women and racial minorities are gravely underrepresented both in front of and behind the camera.

The scale of the racial and gender disparity will only rectify itself if direct action is taken. CDC calls on the industry to act together now to encourage Telefilm and CMF (Canadian Media Fund) to fund Canadian Media in a way that represents all of Canada’s very diverse population – First Nations, racial minorities, along with an equitable gender split between women and men.

Co Chair of CDC Marsha Chesley “This issue is too important for us to ignore any longer. We must have clear and decisive action now!”

The Casting Directors Society of Canada (CDC) is the only organization in Canada to represent professional casting directors working in every medium where actors are required; film, television, commercials, theatre, industrials, webseries and video games, as well as contestants for reality television shows.

Mandate The CDC Constitution guarantees uniform and superior standards and business practices by all members, building an improved level of service for all clients. Our clients come from every part of Canada as well as dozens of countries around the world. They are all treated with the same superior level of service and expertise. CDC members maintain professional and friendly relationships with all agents throughout the country and is signatory to the Entertainment Industry Code of Ethical Conduct and Behaviour.

The CDC Executive Co-chairs, Film and Television - Marsha Chesley & Jenny Lewis, Commercials - Brian Levy, Treasurer - Stephanie Gorin, Secretary - Jason Stroud