TFS Grad Obata Oriuwa Joins Anthony Q. Farrell’s Diversity Showrunner Bootcamp – Toronto Film School

“At first, I didn’t think I would be accepted, as the program was for people a little more experienced than me,” the Class of 2023 Writing for Film & Television grad said of this year’s bootcamp, which kicked off in November 2024 and wraps up this month, “ but, I was on my way and with a bit of a candid approach and a dash of humour, I thought maybe he would give a ‘brother trying to thrive’ a chance, and I’m glad he did!”

First launched by Farrell in 2021, the Diversity Showrunner Bootcamp aims to bridge the knowledge gaps that exist in the creative industries by providing select BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour), persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQIA+ participants with a series of eight, three-hour virtual training sessions run by industry leaders.

Shortly after its launch three years ago, Farrell told the Hollywood Reporter that the entire aim of the program, which he co-designed with writer and executive producer Jinder Oujla-Chalmers, is to train mid-and upper-level BIPOC writers to make the jump to showrunning so that they can “avoid the pitfalls of a Canadian TV industry too reliant on white gatekeepers.”

“They (BIPOC creators) might be a great writer, but now (as a showrunner) you have to be the manager of other writers, you have to answer questions to different departments, be part of postproduction — you have a lot of things happening which you have not been trained for as a writer,” the Shelved creator and longtime writer on The Office told the magazine in 2021.

For Oriuwa, learning that Farrell had gained the sponsorship of  Warner Bros Discovery Access Canada to relaunch a new edition of the bootcamp in 2025 was a no-brainer – he knew he had to “shoot my shot” right away.

Now, nearing the end of his bootcamp experience, Oriuwa recently reflected back on the program as an “extremely eye-opening” one.

A lifelong storyteller, the self-described wanderer said he tried out many other roles – from world traveller, to barkeep, to machine operator, to teacher – before ultimately deciding to pursue his passion for screenwriting at Toronto Film School. “The one thing that has remained steadfast is my affinity towards storytelling.”

Living in Toronto, Oriuwa said when he finally made the decision to work towards actualizing his passion for the written word, he quickly realized the city’s expanding contemporary film industry and culturally defining works made it the perfect place from which to embark on that journey.

“That’s what drew me to the industry-leading Toronto Film School, and from the onset of my application, I met cool staff and professors who helped broaden my skillset of storytelling from predominantly prose to screenwriting and the intricacies of filmmaking as a medium,” he said.

“My time spent learning at TFS inspired me so-much-so that I offered to volunteer as a TA after my graduation to hopefully impart some of my passion and gratitude onto others,” he added, noting that the position was also a self-serving one. “The wheels were in motion and I wanted, even needed, to keep the momentum of creating, community building and learning going.”

Post Views: 49