Women in Film & Television–Toronto (WIFT-T) is proud to announce Vanessa Carpino, as the recipient of its 2019 Meridian Artists Agency Mentorship.

Vanessa Carpino is a Toronto-based creative with a background in media, production and distribution. As sales manager, theatrical distribution at Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada, Vanessa has a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry. In her current role, she supports distribution by submitting content to be classified in Canada; and facilitating trade, word-of-mouth, and promotional screenings. Vanessa is an alumna of the University of Toronto, and the Toronto Film School’s Writing for Film & Television program.

“I am both honoured and excited to be the recipient of this year’s Meridian Artists Agency Mentorship through WIFT-T. 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.

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. Thank you WIFT-T for working together with Meridian to create this immersive crash course in artist representation and career development.”

— Vanessa Carpino

Launched in 2017, the Meridian Artists Agency Mentorship offers a three-week immersive experience, introducing an emerging media professional to the day-to-day operations of a talent agency. Previous mentees include: 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. Thanks to our industry partner, Meridian Artists, for leading the way and for supporting women’s career development.”

— Laurie Januska, Director of Programming, WIFT-T

Over three weeks, Vanessa will learn—through job-shadowing—how a select roster of the most talented writers, directors, actors and authors are represented and managed. The mentorship will take place throughout the month of October at Meridian’s Toronto office.

“We are excited to welcome Vanessa into our office in October. She has a genuine interest in learning more about screenwriting and the business of film and television. We feel her experience in media sales provides a great foundation for us to build on during the mentorship.”

— Kerry Ball, Literary Agent and Head of Development, Meridian Artists