Toronto rapper Sean Leon has received a grant to write and direct a new video.
The MVP Project, the new Canadian music video grant for “emerging artists,” has chosen its first nine recipients.
The initiative, which launched last year in part to fill a hole left behind by the discontinued MuchFACT, provides funding, mentorship and networking to up-and-coming musicians and filmmakers. It’s a partnership between RBCxMusic and the Prism Prize, administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
More than 300 applications were received from across Canada and across genres. Here’s who’s getting the grants, which range from $5,000 to $15,000:
• Beatchild and the Slakadeliqs and director Dan Lemoyne
• GOVI and director Jorden Lee
• Jeremy Dutcher and director Chandler Levack
• Jordan Klassen and director Farhad Ghaden
• Milk & Bone and director Soleil Denault
• director Sean Leon and producer Noor Khan
• Tim Baker and director Jordan Canning
• Wild Black and directors Lulu Wei and Lindsay Goeldner
In addition, every funding round includes one Curated Music Video Production, a commissioned collaboration between a director and musician. The first recipients are Jessie Reyez and director Peter Huang.
Toronto rapper Sean Leon will receive the grant for a video he will direct himself. “Even though it felt like a one in a million shot, not trying for this wasn’t an option for me,” he tells NOW.
“The fact is, the most consistent headache amongst independent artists is a lack of resources. I’m fortunate enough to live in a country that encourages and supports the arts and I’m grateful to the MVP committee.”
The next round of submissions will open Tuesday (January 15). You can apply here.