2025 Screenwriting Fellows
Jeff Evans-Todd
Screenwriting FellowJeff Evans-Todd has been working as an actor in the Vancouver market since 2011, but recently moved back to Saskatoon to return to his roots and see how he might be able to support the province's local talents in rejuvenating SK film! He's been getting busy behind the camera over the last few years, writing and directing short films through his company, Phantom Fox Pictures, and producing other projects for friends.
Ali Shahidi
Screenwriting FellowAli Shahidi is a screenwriter who explores themes of identity, acceptance, and the small moments in life that tie us together. As an immigrant to Canada, Ali’s writing offers a modernized perspective on South Asian stories in an attempt to bridge cultures. When he’s not writing, Ali focuses on faith, family and the Chicago Bears.
Jordan Wendzina
Screenwriting FellowI have always been interested in storytelling, starting with drawing in my youth, and going onto prose, and later, film. Having many tools in the tool belt to create Art and tell a story is pretty much what I live for.
The Program
The Emerging Screenwriters Fellowship is designed to provide screenwriters with the tools and support needed to bring their creative vision to life. Our commitment is to identify and empower three writers each year who have started a feature-length film screenplay.
Through personalized editorial support, mentorship, and access to industry experts, our selected writers will be able to elevate their work to the next level.
As part of the program, writers will participate in a series of virtual workshops and networking opportunities with leading writers, producers, and key industry figures. These events are specifically designed to provide our writers with the skills, knowledge, and connections needed to become commission-winning script creators.
The package also includes:
- Financial support for travel to attend 2025 RIFFA
- Hotel stay for five days
- A second RIFFA guest pass for gala events
- An individual follow-up session with an industry expert
- A Certificate of Fellowship completion will be awarded at the annual RIFFA Academy Gala
Panel of Broadcasters
On Friday August 22, watch the 2025 cohort of the RIFFA Emerging Filmmakers Fellowship pitch their feature film projects to a panel of Canadian development executives. Free to attend but RSVP to save your spot.
Rachel Goldstein-Couto – Bell Media
As Head of Development, Rachel Goldstein-Couto oversees the scripted and unscripted program development for CTV, Crave and the Entertainment Specialty channels of Bell Media. Rachel and her team work closely with independent production partners, writers and creatives to develop a slate of factual and scripted projects that are diverse, culturally relevant to Canadians and specific to the programming needs of the individual platforms and services. In the last 4 years, Bell Media has commissioned a slew of originals developed by Rachel and her team, including THE TRADES, SULLIVAN’S CROSSING, THE BILLIONAIRE MURDERS and many more. Rachel has been with Bell Media since 2000 and studied Communications at Concordia University in Montreal and Broadcasting at Seneca College in Toronto.
Cam Maitland – Hollywood Suite
Cam Maitland is the Film and Content Specialist for the Canadian movie channels Hollywood Suite. A producer, writer, and filmmaker originally from Edmonton, Alberta, he received a fine arts degree in filmmaking from Simon Fraser University. Through the years, his work has developed into digging through Canadian film history for projects like The Royal Canadian Movie Podcast and writing and producing original documentary programs about film history like 'A Year In Film' and 'Cinema: A-Z'. His work, on top of spotlighting classic films, also includes consulting alongside the development and acquisitions team on original films and series at Hollywood Suite.
Zach Marcovici – CBC
Zach Marcovici is currently Executive in Charge of Development for CBC Drama, where he is responsible for developing high quality original drama series. Prior to joining CBC, he was Director of Development & Production at BentFrame Film & TV, overseeing a slate of female-driven TV projects for the Canadian and international market, with a focus on spotlighting LGBTQ+ and diverse stories and voices. Zach also previously worked in development and production at Back Alley Films, serving as Associate Producer on CORONER (CBC/The CW), and began his career at Vanguarde Artists Management.