Grande Prairie filmmaker Mariah Braun is one of just 100 Canadians who got accepted for a National Training Program in the TV and film industry.
The Netflix BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative is a program that aims to build diverse viewpoints in the media industry and provide mentorship and training to under-represented media professionals who are either starting out or building their careers in the media.
Braun says this opportunity is huge for her to have the ability to build connections and share knowledge with fellow filmmakers in a unique way.
“Things are happening for me and I’m really grateful for it. I’m really lucky for opportunities that are starting to come my way.”
Braun notes that there are different conferences being held at the festival where high-end executives from large production companies speak about different topics related to the TV and film industry. She adds that she will be given the opportunity to pitch her ideas to make further connections.
“Plus all the opportunities to network with the top people in TV and film, even if they’re not those people, you can network with other people with the level that we’re at.”
Braun says networking with fellow industry professionals has changed because of the pandemic, but she notes that with everything being digital, it has helped her feel like she’s on the same boat with the rest of her industry peers.
“I’ve used that to my advantage to network with people, because the only way to do it online, so no longer do I have the barriers of not living in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, or Toronto.”
More about films from Mariah Braun can be found on her website.
