Women in Film & Television Toronto (WIFT Toronto) is proud to announce Luisa Alvarez Restrepo, as the recipient of its 2020 Meridian Artists Agency Mentorship.

Luisa Alvarez Restrepo, an arts administrator, event and cultural programmer, and producer with deep ties to the Canadian and international film communities, has been responsible for executing one of the world’s biggest film festivals, curated events for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and created public cultural programming for major Canadian brands.

Luisa’s last film FORBIDDEN TIKKA MASALA won 7 awards internationally, was shown across Canada as part of TIFF Film Circuit, and was released digitally by Omeleto. She’s passionate about diversity and inclusion and has been very active in making recommendations to create a more diverse industry.

“I am thrilled to be this year’s recipient of WIFT Toronto’s Meridian Artists Agency Mentorship. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to learn more about the industry and the crucial role that agents play in it. As a woman of colour in film, I am aware of the barriers that BIPOC creatives face in finding representation. I am looking forward to using my learnings from this mentorship to build bridges for the BIPOC artists community. I am grateful to WIFT Toronto and Meridian Artists Agency for this invaluable opportunity.”

— Luisa Alvarez Restrepo

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, Jennifer Irons and Vanessa Carpino.

“We’re excited to see continued growing interest in this mentorship opportunity. This is a testament to the need for more focused mentoring and new opportunities in talent management and representation. We are thrilled to work with our industry partner, Meridian Artists, and thank them for leading the way and for supporting women’s career development.”

— Laurie Januska, Director of Programming, WIFT Toronto

Over three weeks, Luisa will learn—through job-shadowing—how a select roster of the most talented writers, directors, actors and authors are represented and managed. The mentorship starts in October at Meridian’s Toronto office and will run for three weeks.

“Through the selection process, Luisa showed a genuine interest and enthusiasm in learning about the various divisions of Meridian Artists and the business of talent representation. Her previous experience along with the initiative she has shown to mentoring others in her own network make her an ideal candidate to benefit from this opportunity. We are excited to welcome Luisa into our office this fall.”

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

Founded in 2005, Meridian Artists is a premiere full-service agency and a leading entity in the North American entertainment industry. With principal offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, Meridian Artists is an established leader in the representation of Actors, Screenwriters, Directors, Key Creatives and Authors. meridianartists.com

30

Women in Film and Television – Toronto (WIFT Toronto) is a non-profit, inclusive, member-based organization dedicated to the development and advancement of women and those who identify as women, in the screen-based industry. WIFT Toronto engages, empowers, and educates its 900 members through professional development, mentoring, networking opportunities, and celebrations that underscore the successes of members and non-members alike. In the last three years alone, WIFT Toronto has generated more than 150 mentorships, bestowed 21 bursaries and 62 awards, and produced nearly 700 hours of programming including 65+ networking opportunities.

For more information, image and interviews, please contact: Amanda Fruci, Amanda.fruci@gmail.com, 647-998-2737

‍