FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 20, 2014 – Vancouver, BC
Creative Women Workshops Association (CWWA) is pleased to announce a first-time collaboration with the Whistler Film Festival. The WIDC WFF Industry Immersion will offer a practicum to eight mid-career women screen directors as part of the upcoming session of the popular Women In the Director’s Chair Story Incubation Module, WIDC SIM 2.0.
“Whistler recognizes quality when we see it. We’ve been eager to collaborate with the WIDC program for many years. This year, our calendars have finally synced and we’re very excited to host WIDC talent together with our Industry Summit at WFF 2014,” says Shauna Hardy Mishaw, Executive Director, Whistler Film Festival.
“WIDC is all about facilitating peak experiences to advance women screen directors. Adding the Whistler Film Festival experience to an already robust curriculum, our WIDC participants will be exposed to the some major peaks and perks,” says Carol Whiteman, CWWA President & CEO and award-winning WIDC Producer. “The timing for this alliance couldn’t be better.”
Building on the success of the WIDC program in Banff, this SIM session will be delivered in three parts over the course of two months (November 25 to January 5, 2015). Focusing on both fiction feature film and web series development, up to eight women screen directors who are slated to direct their projects will be selected by a jury of industry professionals.
In Part 1, in Vancouver, participants will explore a variety of tools to help them reflect on and sharpen their own creative and leadership skills while workshopping their original feature or web series scripts with professional actors.
In Part 2, the eight director participants travel to the Whistler Film Festival for a hands-on industry immersion where they will receive a WFF Premium Industry Pass, one to one meetings with Industry Experts and make plans for their follow up consultations with WIDC Mentors.
In Part 3, participants receive further mentorship to refine their projects towards the next stage of development.
Who Should Apply?
Directors: The WIDC SIM 2.0 is open to ALL WIDC director alumnae, and any female-identified mid-career Canadian screen directors with at least one produced film (outside of film school), transferable directing skills, and a feature film or web series project she is planning to direct. While synopsis-stage projects will be considered, projects that have a full draft feature or pilot script are preferred. Director Participants must be prepared to attend the entire program.
Director Deadline: August 31, 2014 (Early*) | September 15, 2014 (Extended)
Actors: Open to ALL ACTRA, UBCP/ACTRA, and Apprentice members. Based on the casting needs of the eight selected directors’ projects, an ensemble of up to ten union actors will participate in Part 1 workshops with the directors (November 26 to 30, 2014). The Acting Ensemble travel, lodging and per diem costs have been fully subsidized by the workshop through sponsorships generously provided by ACTRA National, AFBS, UBCP/ACTRA, and ACTRA Alberta.
Actor Deadline: October 31, 2014
For Applications and More Information
Go to www.WIDC.ca | enquiries@creativewomenworkshops.com | 604.987.0747 | 1.877.913.0747
About WIDC – Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) is an internationally respected Canadian professional development offering specially designed to advance the skills, careers and screen projects of women directors. With nearly 200 director alumnae across Canada, WIDC is presented in partnership by Creative Women Workshops Association, The Banff Centre and ACTRA, with major support from Telefilm Canada, William F. White Intl., and with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des Arts du Canada, Encore, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, Panavision Canada, SIM Digital, Clairmont Camera Film and Digital, North Shore Studios, The Bridge Studios, Vancouver Film Studios, Front Row Insurance, Banff World Media Festival, the Actra Fraternal Benefit Society, UBCP/ACTRA, ACTRA Calgary, IATSE 669, director’s chair scholarship sponsors, including the National Film Board of Canada, and special initiatives powered by NBCUniversal. www.widc.ca @WIDC_ca #WIDC
About Whistler Film Festival – The Whistler Film Festival Society (WFFS) is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. WFFS produces one of Canada’s leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering project development programs for filmmakers both within and beyond our borders. www.whistlerfilmfestival.com @whisfilmfest #WFF
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