On Sunday, October 22nd, hordes of talented individuals from ages 4-99 attended the Canadian Model and Talent Convention (CMTC), which took place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Saskatoon. Numerous talented youth from Martensville attended the Saskatoon event and performed their hearts out, getting a call back and the opportunity to attend the Toronto convention.This event was held in order for local talent to audition for a chance to pursue more education within the modelling and talent world. According to the CMTC website, “our mandate is to educate and provide the best venue to launch the national and international careers of potential models and talent from regional centers all across Canada.”
Those that “wowed” the judges were invited to a four-day convention in Toronto, taking place May 9-13 and will consist of a wide variety of options including; modelling, acting, singing and dancing competitions, educational workshops and seminars and awards ceremony. Those attending the Toronto convention will also be provided with an opportunity to meet with modelling and talent agents, scouts, managers, casting directors and record labels.
JACKSON WILLIAMS
One of these gifted young individuals was 10-year-old Jackson Williams, whose family saw the advertisement for the event on Facebook and thought it was be a fun opportunity. Not knowing what to expect, the family was beyond thrilled when Jackson received the news that he would be invited to the Toronto experience. A fan of soccer, basketball and Tae Kwon Do, Jackson has yet to gain any experience in the entertainment world; however, is jumping at the chance to further widen his range of talents. “This will be a new experience for him, as he has not been involved in anything like this before. Right now, we are just thrilled to be chosen to go to the event. There will be 50 of the top modelling, talent and casting agencies from around the world that are scouting for new talent. If Jackson is selected to go further, then we will have to make a decision at that point, but ultimately, it will be Jackson’s choice,” Jackson’s mom Heidi said. Throughout the audition, Jackson was photographed and interviewed, following which there was a one hour workshop on modelling and talent, the difficulties in making it in the business and information about the expenses that may be incurred throughout the experience.
According to Williams, 30 people out of over 200 who auditioned in Saskatoon were invited to attend the May 2018 event, with Jackson of course being one of them. “From here we fundraise. We are responsible for all costs which include; event fees to attend, workshop fees for various training seminars, flights, lodging and food,” the proud mother explained.
MATTHEW LETKEMAN
Another talented individual from Martensville is 18-year-old Matthew Letkeman, whose mother had seen an ad online for the convention and suggested it to her son. “It sounded like a pretty good opportunity so I went to try out for acting,” said Letkeman. Upon arriving, Letkeman had his photo taken, and then was interviewed and asked about his goals of becoming an actor, and experience in acting. “I feel very excited as well as surprised. I wasn’t expecting to make it at all, so when I got the call, I was quite shocked. Hopefully I can get connected to the acting community,” Letkeman added. With a desire to pursue acting, Letkeman is looking forward to the experience in Toronto, “My future goal is to hopefully be able to do what I love. To be able to step into a character’s shoes and to be able to tell stories is very fun for me. I also really enjoy making people happy, so hopefully I can achieve that through acting. I believe CMCT is a great opportunity to get connected to the world of acting, as well as to meet new people also interested in the same thing.”
HANNAH CHIVILO
16-year-old Hannah from Martensville also attended the CMTC event in Saskatoon to help learn more about the modelling business. Chivilo already has experience in the industry; however, with modelling being a passion of hers, she is always looking to further educate herself. “My audition consisted of an interview, they looked through my portfolio and then they took a photo. I was very excited to find out the following day that I was one of the lucky contestants invited to participate in the convention in Toronto. There will be over 70 scouts from around the world that will come together for five days to see what Canada has to offer in modelling and talent,” Chivilo said. With approximately 400 people invited from across Canada to participate in the event, it is sure to be a fantastic experience.
In addition to being invited to Toronto for CMTC, Chivilo is also participating in Faces West 2017, a convention taking place in Vancouver from November 9th to 12th. “I was the winner of a Saskatoon Model Search in the spring. An international scout travelled across western Canada searching for new faces and I was awarded $1,000, which was the registration fee for Faces West,” explained Chivilo. At Faces West, Hannah will be competing in various events such as; runway, group runway, sport, photo competitions, etc. “These competitions give the international agents a chance to see me and if I’m lucky, they will ask for a meeting to discuss an overseas contract. If I get an offer, I will only take one that is in my best interest considering I just turned 16. This convention will be the perfect way for me to meet and discuss my future modelling career and to have contacts from all over the world.”
Chivilo wants to take these opportunities to meet scouts that can help her to pursue her dream of modelling overseas, and eventually walking the runways in London, Milan and New York. “I love fashion, health & fitness and travelling, so I can’t think of a better job than modelling to be able to do what I love and get paid very well while doing it.” Following her modelling, Chivilo plans to pursue an education in medicine.
JONAH CHIVILO
Another talented individual hailing from Martensville is Jonah Chivilo who attended the event in Saskatoon to pursue further opportunities within his wide range of interests. Jonah is a singer, producer, actor, and according to him, “honestly, you name it and I probably can do it!” Chivilo was focusing mainly on his singing career, which is his true passion. “I submitted a cover of mine and the judges absolutely loved it. The scouts at CMTC also said I should do some acting auditions while there because I, ‘have a natural look for the screen’. Luckily, I love acting and will gladly take the opportunity to showcase what I can do,” said Chivilo.
Excited about being selected to attend the event in Toronto, Jonah is going to do everything he can to capitalize on the opportunity. “It is a great honour to be selected and I am going to make the most of whatever comes out of it. It is always nice to see hard work paying off.”
Future aspirations for Jonah include pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, touring for music and making a change in the world. “As of right now, I am working on a lot. I am working on my debut album, some EP’s and some singles. I am producing every single track on all the projects so it takes some time,” Chivilo laughed. Looking forward to the New Year, Jonah is expecting to release a wide range of material. “I’m cooking up some real original music and working on my own sound. I can’t wait to share these new songs with the world, but by going to this event, I know that it’s going to be a great way to increase my exposure, get my name out there to possible record labels, scouts and other possible industry people.”