By Benjamin Pola

When Matt Chenuz set his sights on becoming a successful film and television producer, he knew he would have to leave Canada to make it happen. So, he made a bold move and applied to what he called the “best producing program in the world” – the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

But before moving to Los Angeles, Chenuz had already begun carving a name for himself in the Canadian entertainment scene. Born and raised in Kamloops, British Columbia, he studied musical theatre, performed on Disney cruise lines, and found ways to keep producing in between gigs. Things were moving – but he knew he was reaching a ceiling.

“I was working as a producer, but I knew I wanted to do more,” Chenuz says. “So, I literally Googled ‘best producing program,’ and Peter Stark came up. Then I saw someone on LinkedIn who went there and now works at Netflix Canada, and I just went for it.” And his instincts proved right! He earned a highly coveted spot in the 24-person “Starkie” cohort.

With that, Chenuz wrapped up his work in Canada, packed up his life and made the move to L.A to pursue his Hollywood dreams. But just as he was settling into his first year at USC, he got a call from back home—he had been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award, the top honor in Canadian film and TV (think Canada’s version of the Oscars or Emmys).

The nomination came from his work on These Triggas, a comedy series created by Canadian writer, comedian and showrunner Anthony Q. Farrell (best known for his work on the U.S. version of The Office). The show explores power, identity, and injustice through the lens of Black Canadian life, telling stories by, for, and about Black Canadians. Chenuz, who worked with Farrell on the project, earned a nomination for Best Web Program or Series, Fiction.

But that wasn’t his only involvement in award-recognized work at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards. Though not officially nominated himself, Chenuz also contributed to PD True, a docuseries about police work, further growing his reputation as a rising producer to watch.

As Chenuz prepares to fly back to Canada for the May 31 Canadian Screen Awards ceremony, he’s also gearing up for his final year at USC, with a focus on securing producing roles in prestige scripted comedies and feature films in Hollywood.

Beyond the classroom, Chenuz is already making an impact in the SCA community—serving as a teaching assistant for a core undergraduate course and constantly supporting his fellow Starkies and filmmakers, all while continuing to develop and produce his own original projects.

From Kamloops to cruise ships to comedy series and now to Hollywood, Matt Chenuz is doing exactly what he set out to do—and he's just getting started!