Welcome to the Equity Showcase Cayle Chernin Fund and Awards

“We are at a frontier of new connection to our audiences, marketing and distribution. New ideas, new ways and opportunities to make it happen… and we are ready.”

— Cayle Chernin, Toronto 2005

The 14th Annual Equity Showcase Cayle Awards

Media Arts: Production - $9,000
Theatre: Development - $6,500
2025 Equity Showcase Cayle Woman of the Year

Key Dates

Applications Open: January 2, 2025
Applications Close: April 4, 2025
Finalists Announced: May 2, 2025
Recipients Awarded: May 28, 2025, at the Heliconian Hall, Toronto

Applications can be found below and must be submitted to cayleawards@gmail.com by April 4th, 2025 (11:59 pm EST).

Greetings:

Alan Mohammed (Equity Showcase Executive and Artistic Director), Dwight McFee (Founder of the Cayle Chernin Fund), and Scott Walker CAN (Canadian Artists’ Network) are thrilled to announce that submissions are now open for the 14th Annual Equity Showcase Cayle Awards in Media Arts: Production and Theatre: Development.

Purpose

The Equity Showcase Cayle Awards are dedicated to supporting and nurturing the creation, development, or production of a New Work by female, female-presenting, or gender non-conforming artists in Media Arts and Theatre.

Eligibility

These awards are open to early (minimum five years), mid and late-career female, female-presenting, or gender non-conforming artists in Media Arts or Theatre. Applicants must be members of a Canadian professional arts guild, union, or equivalent and be residents of Ontario.

The Prize

Since its inception in 2012, the Equity Showcase Cayle Awards in Media Arts and Theatre have provided over $200,000 in cash, goods, and services to empower women in the performing arts.

2025 Awards Breakdown:

Media Arts: Production ($9,000+)

$2,000 Cash Prize
Access to a respected paid Industry Mentor (valued up to $3,000) through the Canadian Artists Network (www.can.ca), including $1,500 in approved expenses incurred by the artist during mentorship.
In-kind industry support: $2,500 Certificate from W F White.
Additional post-production support TBD.

Theatre: Development ($6,500+)

$2,000 Cash Prize
Access to a respected paid Industry Mentor (valued up to $3,000) through the Canadian Artists Network (www.can.ca), including $1,500 in approved expenses incurred by the artist during mentorship.
Additional in-kind industry support for the project TBD.

Presentation

The 14th Annual Equity Showcase Cayle Awards will culminate in a celebratory evening at Heliconian Hall on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Hosted by the inimitable songbird Teresa Tova, accompanied on piano by Randy Vancourt, the event honours past recipients, 2025 finalists, and the 2025 Equity Showcase Cayle Chernin Award for Woman of the Year.

Previous honourees include Jayne Eastwood, Wendy Crewson, Marcia Johnson, Jani Lauzon, and Jacoba Knappen.

About the Cayle Chernin Awards

Established in 2012 to honour the life and work of actor, documentary filmmaker, writer, teacher, and mentor Cayle Chernin (1947–2011), these awards provide essential support to female artists at pivotal moments in their careers. Ms. Chernin’s legacy lives on through this initiative, empowering women in the performing arts to tell their stories. Learn more about her career at www.caylechernin.com.

Contact

For more information, please contact:
Dwight McFee
Email: dwightmcfee@gmail.com

Media Production

Theatre Development

Credit: Video by Stephanie Rambharos (@_stxphy)

2024

Media Production

Sedina Fiati for Femme in 5

Sedina Fiati

Sedina Fiati is a multi-award-winning, Toronto-based performer, producer, director, creator and activist for stage and screen. Sedina is the recipient of a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Performance in a web series for her work on Tokens S2 and Lifetime Membership from ACTRA Toronto.

Femme in 5

Through a series of flashbacks taking place every 5 years from 2000 - 2025 on Toronto Pride weekend, Femme in 5 offers a window into key events into Vivian’s life as a Black, queer, femme.

2024

Theatre Development

Rebecca Auerbach for Discount Dave & The Fix

Rebecca Auerbach

Rebecca is an award-winning actor, a writer, singer, music and theatre maker. Born and raised in Vancouver she has worked extensively on stages across the country. She is one of this seasons emerging playwrights at Studio 180 where she has been developing her new solo show Discount Dave and The Fix.

Recent film and TV credits: Sunset Superman (TUBI), Riley Rocket (Sphere Media/Oasis Animation), Bike (Bell FibeTVOne.

Rebecca also plays in the roots/folk/country band Regal Road. She is most grateful to her German Shepherd, Archer, for keeping her in the moment.

Discount Dave & The Fix

When a rockstar crashes a backstage party at a Shakespeare Festival, a thrill-seeking young actor is set on a path of self-reckoning. A provocative blend of truth and fiction, Discount Dave and The Fix is a suspenseful, hilarious, and harrowing examination of our obsession with celebrity, how addiction can bury our wounds, and what it takes to heal.

Cayle Alumni

Delve into the captivating world of Cayle Award winners and finalists, exploring their groundbreaking projects throughout the years in our compelling Cayle Alumni section.

Cayle Alumni

History and Governance

Established in 2012 to honour the life and work of actor, documentary filmmaker, writer, teacher, and mentor Cayle Chernin (1947 – 2011). Cayle Chernin’s career spanned four decades in film and on stage, developing new works and encouraging artists both emerging and veteran artists.

Cayle was a member of the board of Directors of Equity Showcase Theatre from 2008 until her passing in 2011. The Cayle Chernin Fund and Award were founded by Cayle’s husband, Dwight McFee in memory of Cayle and developed and launched by Equity Showcase Theatre and its Cayle Committee, including; Artistic Director, Kevin McCormick, Founder Dwight McFee, EST board member Genna du Plessis, David Gale, Lisa Baylin, Alexa Carroll, Alan Mohammed (Social Media and Events Director) and Jeff Saunders. The committee provides governance and direction for the fund and its activities.

ABOUT the FUND

The Cayle Fund continues to grow, raising money for the Cayle Awards, salons and educational opportunities for women. It is now one of the largest awards in Ontario, having provided nearly $200,000 in cash, goods and services to empower women in Media and Theatre Arts.

We thank our Champion Donors, Sponsors and Partners for their generous support.

Help support our cause by making a donation today and making a lasting impact on the lives of those in need.

Donate

ABOUT the AWARD

The Equity Showcase Cayle Award is dedicated to supporting the creation, development or production of a new work by female, female-presenting or gender non-conforming artists of any age for creation in Media or Theatre Arts. Specifically, the award is for an artist exploring a new discipline in media or theatre arts, for example, Actor to Director, Director to Writer, Writer to Producer etc.

The award offers a $2000 cash prize, a mentorship package provided by CSARN (Canadian Senior Artists Resource Network) of up to $ 3000 for a paid mentor and up to $ 1500 in mentee-related expenses. The total value of $6,500.

In addition, the Cayle Media Award for media production or media development offers $2500 in film equipment rental, sponsored by our partner at W.F. White, thus making the media award a value of $9000.

PARTNERS

Canadian Artists Network (CAN, Formally CSARN) provides an invaluable paid mentor to each of our Cayle winners. The past mentor list is a who's who of Canadian film and theatre, including such high-profile artists as:

Juno nominated & Gemini Award-Winning: Jani Lauzon
Award-Winning Writer, Director, Producer: Penny Eizenga
Academy Award-nominated Director: Atom Egoyan
National Society of Film Critics Award Winner: Guy Maddin

CSARN.CA

We are deeply grateful to our partner in production, William F. White who provides each Cayle Media winner, with resources, equipment and knowledge which helps to empower and position them for success.

WFW

Equity Showcase Woman of the Year

The Equity Showcase Cayle Woman of the Year acknowledges and honours a female arts leader or Artist: creative, civic, leadership or mentorship contribution to the arts.