BC Film + Media is pleased to announce this year's 12 Professional Development Fellows who will get on-the-job training in producing, writing or marketing in the domestic film and television industry.

As participants in BC Film + Media's Professional Development Fellowship Program, Fellows 'earn while they learn' for up to 20 weeks, working with mentors who are active, established industry professionals. Fellowships are available in the areas of feature film screenwriting, writing in the story department of a television series, drama or documentary producing, or marketing / distribution.

"BC Film + Media is committed to supporting the next generation of filmmakers," said Rob Egan, President and CEO of BC Film + Media. "This important hands-on mentorship opportunity has proven to be an effective professional development initiative since its inception."

This year's fellowship teams are:

- Daegan Fryklind who will work with writer Victor Nicolle on the children's animated series What About Mimi?;
- Jesse McKeown with mentor Alan Difiore on the dramatic series Da Vinci's Inquest;
- Peter New with writers Bob Robertson and Linda Cullen on their series Point Blank;
- James Weiland with mentors Derek Schreyer and Pete Mitchell on the dramatic series;
- Mary Alice with producer Elizabeth Yake on the feature film Finder's Keepers;
- Larisa Andrews with mentor Kirk Shaw, on the lifestyle series Mind Your Business;
- Ellen Raine Scott with producer Raymond Massey on the feature film Doing Joe;
- Robert French with writer Frank Borg, on his feature film script Post Partum;
- Roslyn McKitrick with mentor Michael Parker, on her script The Karaoke Queen;
- Marlene Rodgers with writer Dennis Foon on her screenplay Sluts;
- Jacqueline Samuda with screenwriter Peter Behrens on her script Project A; and
- Kim Lear with mentor Michael Chechik in his distribution company, Water Street Releasing.

BC Film + Media is a privately administered non-profit society established in 1987 by the provincial government with a mandate to expand and diversify the cultural industries of film and video in British Columbia. The Society gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Competition, Science and Enterprise.