Photo description: Cassidy Civiero on set directing Return to Nature (2024). Photo credit: Jack Major.
When you take extra care to support others and accommodate the myriad factors in people’s lives, they show up for you in more meaningful ways than you ever could have anticipated, and that magic finds its way to the screen.
As a nonbinary person, it can be hard to find media projects with accepting environments. Additionally, it is difficult to find projects to be a part of that are led by and/or about gender and queerness and that are also monetarily compensated. Cassidy Civiero’s project, however, was both of these things thanks to Level UP! and allowed for a comfortable, authentic experience that I have not found on many sets.
Cassidy Civiero
Cassidy Civiero
Care Support During Film Production
Pilot Project: Creating a compassion fund and alternative models for production meetings to increase flexibility, accessibility, and care in film production.
Project Duration: October – December 2024
Continuing to Implement: Alternative models for production meetings to increase flexibility, accessibility, and care in film production.
Resources Shared: Project Field Notes, Compassion Fund Offer Letter and Form
About Cassidy Civiero
Location: Ontario
Artistic Discipline: Film
Operating Budget: Project-based
Cassidy Civiero is an independent producer who prioritizes the mental health and physical wellbeing of his colleagues in film. His latest film, Return to Nature (2024), premiered at the Penticton Art Gallery as part of their mental health related exhibit Gifts of Madness, and went on to win the Critic’s Choice Award at the Experimental Film Fest. His previous film, Ethical Consumption (2023), was funded by the Mental Health Commission of California through the Voices With Impact Production Grant. He is a writer and co-executive producer for the series You’re My Hero (2022–2025) on CBC Gem and co-creator, writer, and director for the series Sweet as Sugar (2026-) on OUTtv. Cassidy’s debut feature film as a director, Stages of Change, will go to camera in 2026. He favours bold stories which blur the boundaries between fantasy and reality, and believes anything is possible: both in life and on screen.
Level UP! Project Details
Cassidy Civiero’s Level UP! project focused on creating and distributing a compassion fund, as well as exploring alternative models for production meetings for Needle Tips, a film directed by Cassidy Civero and Alanna Schwartz. The project was implemented in collaboration with cast and crew members and aimed to introduce greater flexibility and care into the filmmaking process. This flexibility proved essential, particularly for the subject of the documentary being filmed, who was undergoing IVF treatments and navigating unpredictable medical timelines. The need for last-minute schedule changes was met with calmness and compassion by everyone involved.
The project generated both short-term and long-term benefits: in the short term, it fostered ease, flexibility, good faith, and a sense of care throughout the production; in the long term, it set a precedent for carrying these values forward—advocating for compassionate, inclusive practices in future projects.
Project Highlights:
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- Pre-production meetings were optional to accommodate varying schedules. Directors shared detailed information— including location photos—by email, and crew members could provide input by email if unable to attend.
- Cassidy drew inspiration from compassion funds created by past Level UP! partners—Shakespeare in the Ruff, Bad Dog Theatre, and Rice & Beans Theatre—which greatly streamlined the planning process.
Resources
Cassidy Civiero | Project Field Notes
About This Resource Cassidy Civiero created these Project Field Notes in 2025 as part of his Level UP! Pilot Project. His project involved the creation and distribution of a compassion fund and alternative models for production meetings for the documentary Needle...
Cassidy Civiero | Compassion Fund Offer Letter and Form
About This Resource Cassidy Civiero created this Compassion Fund Offer Letter and Form in 2025 as part of his Balancing Act Level UP! Pilot Project. Cast and crew members working on the film Needle Tips were offered a $300 Compassion Fund stipend and an additional...
More Information
For more information about Cassidy Civiero, visit www.cassidyciviero.com.
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