CINESPACE STUDIOS TORONTO PARTNERS WITH NABET 700-M UNIFOR TO EXPAND CINECARES WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM

Cameron Pictures and Lark Productions join as first Canadian Production Partners with "Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent" 

TORONTO and CHICAGO, Nov. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cinespace Studios announces a new partnership with NABET 700-M UNIFOR to expand its CineCares Workforce Training Program in Toronto. Cameron Pictures and Lark Productions are producing the upcoming "Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent," the first Canadian production to participate in the program with NABET 700-M UNIFOR, currently filming at Cinespace Toronto and set to air on Citytv and Citytv+ in Spring 2024. Selected trainees are offered hands-on experience on set in the sound, script, and lighting departments.

Launched in the spring of 2023, the CineCares Workforce Training program offers participants on-set experience to pursue union membership. BIPOC TV & FILM, Indigenous Screen Office, and POV are recruitment partners selecting candidates to be trained with IATSE Local 873 and NABET 700-M UNIFOR for paid placements in trainee roles for Set Decoration, Props, Grip, Lighting, Sound and General Labour. The program is committed to creating strong wrap-around support, participant network development, mentorships, and post-program sessions.

"Cinespace hosts productions with some of the best Toronto crew, who excel at their craft and make extraordinary mentors," said Magali Simard, Director of Industry & Community Relations. "Our partnership with NABET, Cameron Pictures, and Lark Productions allows us to further our commitment to developing local talent and creating a workforce development pipeline."

"NABET 700-M UNIFOR appreciates the opportunity to partner with Cinespace Studios, through the CineCares workforce training program, as well as our long-standing production partners at Cameron Pictures and now Lark Productions to work together to add to the depth and diversity of our skilled workforce through paid, on-the-job training opportunities on Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent," said Jayson Mosek, Business Agent at NABET 700-M UNIFOR.

"We're proud to be the first Canadian production to bring CineCares trainees onto our sets and to be able to provide this opportunity for the next generation of crew talent," said Amy Cameron, co-founder and executive producer at Cameron Pictures.

About Cinespace Studios

Cinespace Studios, headquartered in Chicago, IL, is a best-in-class global platform of production facilities that supports content providers and their creatives. The platform is one of the largest sound stage operators globally with 109 active stages across Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Wilmington, and Studio Babelsberg in Germany. Cinespace is home to productions that include Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and John Wick: Chapter 4, HULU/FX's Golden Globe-nominated The Bear, Dick Wolf's One Chicago franchise, Guillermo Del Toro's Academy Award Winner The Shape of Water, UCP's Chucky, MGM TV/Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, Netflix's Stranger Things, Marvel Studios' Iron Man 3 and Amazon Studios' The Summer I Turned Pretty. CineCares, a division of the studio, has been established to support, promote, and engage local communities to support workforce development and crew diversity. For more information, visit www.cinespace.com.

About NABET 700-M UNIFOR

NABET 700-M UNIFOR represents almost 3,000 highly skilled film, television & digital media Technicians in the Province of Ontario across fifteen different technical departments and is the preferred choice of domestic and many service producers to service their project in Ontario. For more information, visit www.nabet700.com

About Cameron Pictures

Cameron Pictures Inc. is an independent Canadian television production company with a focus on scripted content. Among Cameron Pictures' award-winning series are Mary Kills People (Global/Lifetime, co-produced with eOne); the comedy Little Dog (CBC, co-produced with Elemental Pictures); and the comedic buddy cop drama Pretty Hard Cases (CBC/NBCU).

About Lark Productions

Established in Vancouver in 2010, Lark's productions include Family Law for Global TV, spy drama Fortunate Son for CBC in association with NBCUniversal International Studios, CSA-nominated Motive (CTV, USA Network), the hit formats The Real Housewives of Toronto (Slice) and The Real Housewives of Vancouver (Slice), Crash Gallery (CBC), Paramedics: Life on the Line (Knowledge Network), Emergency Room: Life + Death at VGH (Knowledge Network, Discovery Fit), and High Moon (SYFY).

Media Contact: 

Catherine Shin, 323.794.2719

[email protected]

SOURCE Cinespace Studios