Vancouver, Canada (March 2013) – Siobhan Devine is the recipient of the 2013 WIDC Feature Film Award, a $120,000 in kind prize designed to encourage more feature films directed by women in Canada and supported by some of Canada’s most influential western screen-industry companies.

Administered by Creative Women Workshops Association, the award will help Devine complete her feature film directorial debut, The Birdwatcher, starring acclaimed Canadian actress, Gabrielle Rose. The prestigious prize includes a tailored combination of in kind rentals and services from some of Canada’s most influential companies that may include North Shore Studios, The Bridge Studios, Vancouver Film Studios, William F. White Intl., Clairmont Cameras, Panavision Canada; Deluxe Vancouver, Finale Editworks, Post Modern Sound, Sharpe Sound Studios, Vision Globale, and Front Row Insurance.

“I am thrilled and honoured to have my project chosen as this year’s recipient of the WIDC Feature Film Award,” enthuses Siobhan Devine. “I know that competition is intense and I am truly humbled to have been single out.”

“William F White International is pleased to support the talented women directors and projects recognized by this award,” says Ed Brando, William F White International. “We’re looking forward to working with Siobhan and her team on this deserving project.”

“Siobhan Devine has a deft touch for bringing out emotionally truthful performances in her story-telling, finding just the right combination of comedy and drama to make her characters compelling,” says Carol Whiteman, President & CEO, CWWA and WIFT Vancouver’s 2012 Woman of the Year. “Siobhan has a terrific team assembled to support her vision for this poignant story that will resonate with a broad audience base.”

2009 winner Katrin Bowen’s debut feature Amazon Falls won multiple awards and Katrin has already directed her second feature, Random Acts of Romance; 2010 WIDC Feature Film Award winner, WIDC alumna Lulu Keating’s musical comedy Lucille’s Ball is currently screening at festivals and has aired on Super Channel. Ana Valine, 2011 winner is about to go to camera on her feature film directorial debut Sitting on the Edge of Marlene, and 2012 winner, Marie Clements continues development on her feature debut, Stonefaces.

Research shows that women still significantly trail their male counterparts as directors on feature film projects in Canada. The WIDC Feature Film Award represents industry leadership and support from some of the most significant industry members in Canada to help change that statistic.

For more information

Carol Whiteman, CWWA / WIDC
1-604-913-0747 | carol@creativewomenworkshops.com

About the WIDC Feature Film Award 2013 recipient Siobhan Devine

With both undergraduate and graduate degrees in theatre, Siobhan began her working life as a researcher in the biggest theatre of all, the House of Commons. She worked for a number of non-profits including, Children’s Aid and Covenant House where, along side her day jobs, Siobhan made short films including: festival favorite, Breakfast with Gus; award winning Rape; and the CBC documentary, My Tango With Porn.

In 2007 Siobhan moved to Vancouver and began to work full time on her career. She took some film courses at UBC and was accepted as a director participant for Women In the Director’s Chair. Subsequently, Siobhan trained as a camera coordinator and now works regularly on the YTV/Disney XD hit TV show, Mr. Young and the City TV primetime comedy Package Deal. Thrillingly, Siobhan has moved into the director’s chair having directed several episodes of Mr. Young. For the big screen, Siobhan directed the short film OMG, which premiered at VIFF in 2012 and is still on the festival circuit. She has also recently been awarded the Spotlight Image Award and a Legacy Award at the Vancouver International Women In film Festival, for excellence for her work on this film. Siobhan is currently in active development on her debut feature film The Birdwatcher, the story of single mother, Saffron, who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer goes on a quest to reunite with her birth mother only to find Birdy (Gabrielle Rose), a prickly professional bird watcher in the midst of her own personal crisis.

About Creative Women Workshops Association

Creative Women Workshops Association (CWWA) is a national non-profit organization whose main activity, Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) is a one-of-a-kind annual professional development program specially designed to advance the leadership and creative capacities of mid-career women screen directors of fiction, presented in partnership with The Banff Centre, and ACTRA, with major support from Telefilm Canada, NBCUniversal, William F White Intl, Panavision Canada, IATSE 669, IATSE 891 IATSE 212, Actra Fraternal Benefit Society, UBCP/ACTRA, and the participation of many others. The WIDC program includes professional development workshops, awards (see sponsors listed in media release) and mentorships to help advance the skills, careers and fiction projects of women directors in screen-based media.