Writing Grad Vanessa Carpino lands Women in Film & Television mentorship at Meridian Artists Agency

Women in Film & Television – Toronto has named Toronto Film School graduate Vanessa Carpino the recipient of its 2019 Meridian Artists Agency Mentorship.

Launched in 2017, the annual mentorship opportunity offers select emerging media professionals like Carpino an “immersive” experience in the day-to-day operations of one of Canada’s leading literary talent agencies for screen-based projects.

Carpino, a 30-year-old graduate of TFS’s Writing for Film & Television Diploma program, said she was both honoured and excited to be chosen to participate in the three-week “crash course” at Meridian Artists Agency.

“I am a big believer in learning by doing. Being able to work alongside Meridian’s team and learn more about their roster of talent is an amazing opportunity to expand within my field and create relationships with key personalities in the industry,” said Carpino, who currently works as a sales manager in Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada’s theatrical distribution department.

“I am looking forward to meeting Meridian’s talented and experienced group of agents, and gaining interesting insights into this important facet of the entertainment industry.”

Over three weeks in October, Carpino will learn – through job shadowing ­– how a select roster of Meridian’s most talented writers, directors, actors and authors are represented and managed.

Kerry Ball, the Head of Development for Meridian Artists, said she and her team are excited to welcome Carpino into their Toronto office.

“She has a genuine interest in learning more about screenwriting and the business of film and television,” Ball said of Carpino, whose current duties at Disney include supporting distribution by submitting content to be classified in Canada, and facilitating trade, word-of-mouth, and promotional screenings.

“We feel her experience in media sales provides a great foundation for us to build on during the mentorship.”

Carpino is the third recipient of WIFT-T’s Meridian Artists Agency Mentorship. Previous mentees have included Ava Torres and Jennifer Irons.

“We’re proud to see growing interest in this mentorship opportunity. This is a testament to the need for more mentoring and new opportunities in talent management and representation,” said Laurie Januska, WIFT-T’s Director of Programming.

“Thanks to our industry partner, Meridian Artists, for leading the way and for supporting women’s career development.”