YOU IGNITE THE CHANGE. WE BRING THE SPARK.

The Canada Media Fund is here to support bold, courageous voices across the audiovisual industry—from television and web series to documentaries, video games, IDM and immersive projects. Wherever there’s a vision and a desire to shine a light, we’re there to light the spark.

Panta Mosleh

Class of

2022

A writer-director-producer-performer in Vancouver, Mosleh signed with Integral Artists’ Ben Silverman and Doreen Holmes after taking part in DOV, and the two helped her meet producer Graham Ludlow of Incendo. That led to her landing three features as a director, the last of which she’s just wrapping up. Mosleh is now in development on her “deeply personal” sitcom Pass the Salt for CBC with Incendo, on which Ludlow and Adam Feigen are attached as executive producers. The series features a first-generation Canadian of Muslim IranianPalestinian descent. She’s also developing the doc feature Queer & Muslim, the sitcom Amara, and the comedy procedural C.O.P.: Citizens on Patrol.

Mosleh says the Canadian industry woefully lacks shows and films with Middle Eastern or North African stories and characters at the forefront. “The networks and bigger production companies need to catch up with the wishes and cravings of the audience for the more diverse voices,” she says. “The time to finally have Canadian media give some representation to Iranian-Canadians is now.”

Mostafa Shaker

Class of 2021, 2022 and 2023

Writer-actor-producer Shaker, who is based in Vancouver and hails from Cairo, is embarking on his third DOV stint this year. In 2021, he pitched an original comedy series based on his own life called Muslim Mingle, which Crave bought at BANFF 2022. Shaker is currently in development on the series with Sphere Media. He’s also looking for a prodco to partner with on the half-hour comedy One Baby, Please!, “about an Arab immigrant and his Barbadian husband who want to have ‘a gayby,’” and seeking broadcaster commitment for an animated series called Marla and Merlin, about a young Middle Eastern witch who solves mysteries with her broom.

Shaker says his content is “unapologetically Canadian” and “often reflects and celebrates the current state of the country, shining light on communities whose stories we’ve yet to see on TV.” Canadian broadcasters and international streamers these days are “looking for local stories told from a unique, specific perspective,” he adds, noting he sees opportunities with broadcasters like CBC, Bell Media and Corus, as well as with streamers both inside and outside of Canada.