MPPIAVancouver, BC (September 24, 2007) – Creative Women Workshops Association (CWWA) and the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC (MPPIA) announced a new award designed to encourage more feature films directed by women in British Columbia.

Through the combined support of MPPIA members, CWWA will administer an annual award valued at nearly $100,000 in in-kind rentals including one-week studio rental at North Shore Studios, The Bridge, or Vancouver Film Studios, production equipment rentals from William F White Ltd., and post production from Rainmaker and Sharpe Sound Studios, towards a feature film project directed by a woman.

“After a decade of delivering the Women In the Director’s Chair Workshop (WIDC) to nearly one hundred women directors from across Canada,” states Carol Whiteman, President and CEO of Creative Women Workshops Association and WIDC co-creator, “CWWA is eager to find ways to help usher Canadian women directors further onto the industry playing field and the MPPIA WIDC Feature Film Award is one giant leap in that direction.”

“Recent BC Institute of Film Professionals studies revealed some startling data. When we got the call from Creative Women Workshops asking MPPIA to help close the gender gap for women feature film directors we were happy to respond,” affirms Peter Leitch, Chair of MPPIA and President, North Shore Studios. “This award offers a win-win for women directors and for the BC film and television industry.”

In 2006 a BC Institute of Film Professionals (BCIFP) commissioned study by Cari Green revealed that between 2000 and 2005 only 11% (3) of the twenty-seven Telefilm funded feature films made in BC were directed by women. The award announcement coincides with the launch of the BCIFP Please Adjust Your Set campaign designed to increase the participation of women in the film and television industry to more equitable levels.

Open to all independent feature film projects with a woman attached as director and set to shoot and post in BC, the deadline for applications for the inaugural BC MPPIA WIDC Feature Film Award will be January 15th, 2008. A link to the award, BCIFP study results and other related information will be available at www.pleaseadjustyourset.com. Award application details and information about WIDC are available at www.creativewomenworkshops.com.

Media Contact and for more information

Carol Whiteman, President and CEO, CWWA / Producer, WIDC
Tel: 1.604.913.0747; Email: carol@creativewomenworkshops.com
Web: www.creativewomenworkshops.com
Leslie Wootton, MPPIA Communications
Tel: 1.604.983.5980; Email: info@mppia.com
Web: www.mppia.com

MPPIA WIDC Feature Film Award backgrounder

Creative Women Workshops Association through initiatives like The Women In the Director’s Chair Workshop, alumnae development modules and Awards like the MPPIA WIDC Feature Film Award, @Wallace Studios WIDC Alumnae Award and the WIDC Banff World Television Festival Fellowship, is dedicated to strengthening the voice of women story-tellers through the media of screen fiction and ensuring that voice is heard in all its diverse embodiments, across the country and globally. It is also committed to advancing the skills and talents of actors and crew in Canada. Contact: Carol Whiteman, President and CEO/WIDC Producer, 1.604.913.0747 or visit www.creativewomenworkshops.com

The Women In the Director’s Chair Workshop (WIDC) is a one-of-a-kind professional development program specially designed to advance the leadership and creative capacities of mid-career women screen directors of fiction. Eight women are awarded director’s chairs annually to attend the workshop now entering its second decade. WIDC takes place annually at the world-class Banff Centre and is presented in partnership by Creative Women Workshops Association, The Banff Centre and ACTRA with the participation of a variety of film and television industry organizations including Telefilm Canada, CBC Television, CTV Inc, William F. White Ltd, Union of BC Performers / ACTRA, IATSE, Director’s Guild of Canada, the Independent Production Fund and the Quebecor Fund.

MPPIA is the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia – a broad-based film and television industry association 80 members strong and growing. Established in April 2002, MPPIA has emerged as the “voice and vision” of the motion picture production industry in British Columbia. MPPIA’s diverse membership represents all sectors of the film industry and is proving extremely effective in working together and with various levels of government, NGO, business and community organizations to improve our competitiveness on the world stage. MPPIA members are steadfastly focused on the vision of our association, which is to grow, diversify and promote a globally competitive film industry in British Columbia.