June, 2013: Toronto, BC – At its annual WIDC Launch Event, June 23, 2013, Creative Women Workshops Association (CWWA) announces a significant cash sponsorship boost from NBCUniversal towards a series of women director-focused initiatives under the Women In the Director’s Chair banner.
Starting in 2012 a benefits package funded by NBCUniversal enabled CWWA to develop and deliver new Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) initiatives designed to advance the careers and projects, and develop audiences for women screen directors in Canada. This second injection of funding to the western-based national non-profit will help develop a third new initiative and further the implementation process.
“NBCUniversal is very proud of the work accomplished through the Women In the Director’s Chair program,” says Wanda Bradley, Vice President of Sales, NBCUniversal “We are very enthusiastic about Canadian talent and honored to have another opportunity to invest in practical, hands-on initiatives that support and encourage female directors and their growth in the industry.”
“WIDC boasts 178 women director alumnae but the statistics for women directing series television are still pretty abysmal,” comments Carol Whiteman, President & CEO and WIDC Producer. “The NBCUniversal benefits answer an ongoing call to help break the patterns of gender stereotyping that sadly still exist.”
WIDC offerings being “powered by NBCUniversal”:
WIDC Outreach Initiative
Delivered in conjunction with Canadian women’s film festivals, Female Eye Film Festival (Toronto), Vancouver International Women In Film Festival, and the St John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Canadian women screen directors will benefit from a series of professional development offerings and awards tailored to these festivals and through special WIDC Events.
WIDC Summit
Anticipating recent reports on women’s participation, a “state of women directors around the world” summit offers an opportunity for brainstorming innovative strategies to move more women directors and their stories to all screens; and a globally ignited spark for new innovative initiatives for the WIDC program.
WIDC ONLINE
This new online space furnishes WIDC with the power of virtual bricks and mortar to build the professional and creative capacities as well as an extended audience-reach for WIDC’s national collection of talented women directors and their screen projects.
WIDC Story Incubation Module (SIM)
In November 2012, NBCUniversal supported the delivery of the WIDC SIM, a specially designed component of the WIDC program where eight Canadian women directors develop both their fiction scripts and their leadership styles through an intensive series of workshops, followed by story-editing on their project with a senior story editor. The SIM is a prerequisite of the WIDC Production Module, delivered in partnership with The Banff Centre and ACTRA, with major support from Telefilm Canada.
The Annual WIDC Launch Event will be held Sunday, June 23 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm, the Avenue Room, Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre, 30 Carlton. Media welcome. RSVP/Media Contact, Carol Whiteman, President and CEO/WIDC Producer, widcproducer@gmail.com, 1.604.913.0747 or visit www.creativewomenworkshops.com
Background Info
About Creative Women Workshops Association (CWWA)
Through initiatives like: The Women In the Director’s Chair program, alumnae development modules, scholarships and awards like WIDC Feature Film Award, CWWA is dedicated to advancing the skills and talents of women story-tellers of live action screen fiction and ensuring that voice is heard in all its diverse forms, across the country and globally. CWWA is also committed to advancing the skills and talents of actors and crew in Canada. Contact: Carol Whiteman, President and CEO/WIDC Producer, 1.604.837.8774 or visit www.creativewomenworkshops.com
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 directors of live action screen fiction. WIDC is presented by Creative Women Workshops Association in partnership with The Banff Centre and ACTRA and with major support from Telefilm Canada, NBCUniversal, William F. White Intl, Panavision Canada, Union of BC Performers / ACTRA, IATSE 669, IATSE 891, IATSE 212, Actra Fraternal Benefit Society, Toronto ACTRA Women’s Committee, Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP. WIDC and or WIDC participants have also received support from the National Film Board of Canada, Independent Production Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, Women In Film Chapters across Canada and nearly every provincial media development corporation in Canada.
About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.
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