Banff, AB (June 13, 2006) – Creative Women Workshops Association honoured two Canadian women filmmakers at the 10th Anniversary Launch Event for The Women In the Director’s Chair Workshop (WIDC), Canada’s one-of-a-kind workshop at the 2006 Banff World Television Festival. Jinder Oujla-Chalmers was presented the 4th Annual WIDC Banff World Television Festival Fellowship and organizers announced the winner of the 4th Annual @Wallace Studios WIDC Alumnae Award.

Leslie Ann Coles, a multiple award-winning filmmaker/actress and founder of the Female Eye Film Festival, receives $10,000 worth of rental fees Toronto-based @Wallace Studio. She will use the prize to direct a teaser for her new comedy television series, Variety Store.

“I am honoured to be the recipient of this award. It’s always wonderful when there is a reward for one’s efforts in the wild and wicked world of show making, the support this prize offers will be invaluable to my project,” said Coles.

“We understand the challenges that women often face in this industry. We’re so proud to be partners with the WIDC in creating this award, and we hope that it helps to put the work of women directors on the map,” says Lillyann Goldstein, owner and CEO @Wallace Studios, North America’s only Studio facility owned and operated by women.

As a 10th Anniversary gift to WIDC, @Wallace is expanding their support by offering all WIDC alumnae a one-year subscription to mymediabiz.com, their growing industry portal and community to spotlight their work and market themselves.

Jinder Oujla-Chalmers is currently seeking production financing for Elvis and Mrs. Singh her first feature and along with Omni Film and Television Productions and Invert Media she has just finished the first draft of her MOW, Code of Silence for APTN and Global Television, expected to go to camera in 2007.

“There is nowhere better than the Banff World TV Festival to network. Being able to attend has allowed me to build on the creative tools I gained in the WIDC workshop and puts my in touch with the people who can help me take my career and my projects to the next level,” said Chalmers.

“The Banff World Television Festival has had a more than 10-year association with Creative Women Workshops and WIDC. We’re pleased to present this Annual Fellowship in recognition of what WIDC brings to the community and the added value that WIDC alumnae bring to the festival,” says Robert Montgomery, CEO, Banff World Television Festival and Achilles Media.

WIDC also kicked off its 10th Anniversary session at the Annual Launch Event where organizers announced plans for WIDC 2007, which will be lead by internationally acclaimed Canadian writer/director/producer Lea Pool. Additional 2007 personnel include: Peg Campbell, Genie Award-winning filmmaker, Head of Media Arts at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and WIDC co-creator; Carolyn Mamchur, award-winning author and professor at Simon Fraser University, Gabrielle Rose, award-winning actress and WIDC co-creator, Roger Vernon, Gemini Award-winning cinematographer; and Mary Ungerleider, Leo Award-winning editor.

For more information

Carol Whiteman, WIDC Producer
Tel: 1.604.913.0747; Email: carol@creativewomenworkshops.com
Web: www.creativewomenworkshops.com, www.banffcentre.ca/bnmi or www.actra.ca.

Backgrounder

Leslie Ann Coles, Woodbridge, ON
WIDC 2005 Director Participant
Leslie Ann is a multiple award winning filmmaker/actress and the proud Founding Director/Programmer of the Female Eye Film Festival (FeFF) in Toronto. The Female Eye is an annual international showcase for women directors. Leslie Ann’s background is in Dance Theatre and mixed media performance art led her from stage to screen in 1996. Her debut film, IN THE REFRIGERATOR, which she wrote, directed and starred in was selected for screenings in more than 35 international film festivals and garnered multiple awards for Best Picture, Best Short Film, Best Avant-Garde, Best Debut Filmmaker, Best Director, Best Actress and the Grand Jury Award: Filmmaker In an Acting Role. Leslie has since written, produced and directed ALICE SMITHEE, PORTRAIT OF AN INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER (2003), a short documentary film and KING OF THE CASTLE a feature documentary currently in post production. Her TV documentary series, SHOOTING STARS won the Banff TV Fellowship Award in 2003 and is now in development with Mictrotainment / DocuTainment which Leslie will write, co-produce and host.Leslie Ann continues to work as an actor/filmmaker and as the Festival Director of the Female Eye Film Festival which will celebrate its 5th year in March 2006!

Jinder Oujla-Chalmers, Ladner, BC
WIDC 2005 Director Participant
Prior to her film career, Jinder studied and graduated from BCIT, in Broadcast Journalism. Her ten years in Broadcasting included on air reporting stints with Global, CBC, and CKVU in regional and national news. She also spent several years as a news reporter and traffic reporter in radio at CFUN, CHNL and CISL radio. Jinder has spent the last 12 years in the film and television industry. She first studied Screenwriting and Film at Ryerson Polytechnical University in Toronto. She then moved to Vancouver and mentored with Alan Difiore from The Vancouver Film School and head writer for DAVINCI’S INQUEST. She stepped out of learning mode and joined forces with Dusmar Productions and wrote, co-produced and directed numerous documentaries, corporate and educational videos. Somewhere in there she also found the time to research and write an East Indian cookbook. Through her experience with Dusmar, Jinder decided to try it out on her own and formed her own little production company, Inner Vision Productions. With Inner Vision Jinder has produced, written and directed two national documentaries, COLOUR BLIND for the NFB and GOING BEYOND THE PAIN for Vision TV. In 1999, Jinder was the first recipient of the BC Film’s Episodic Writing for Television Grant, which took her to TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL where she worked and co-wrote a television series pilot with Co- Executive Producer, RJ Colleary. Jinder then in 2000-2001 joined forces once again with ABC’s Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer and Show runner Michael Braverman, who over saw the editing on her new series, THE SEEKER. That association led her to doing a directing mentorship on Fox Family’s series, HIGHER GROUND. In 2001, Jinder once again took flight and landed in Los Angeles, only this time she was the honoured recipient of a mentorship placement with eight-time Emmy Award-winning director, James Burrows whom she shadowed on two episodes of NBC’s hit comedy series, WILL & GRACE. Jinder is writing and co-producing a movie of the week called CODE OF SILENCE with Omni Films from Vancouver, and is currently working on a feature film script with Independent Moving Pictures entitled ELVIS & MRS. SINGH which she plans to direct.

@Wallace Studios is the only studio rental facility owned and run by women in Canada.  Located in the heart of Toronto’s west end the 56,000 square-foot studio rental facility can meet all your film, photography, television and video needs under one roof. With three versatile, fully equipped sound stages, each sound stage is equipped with a hard-wall cyclorama, secured lighting grids, and easy-access loading doors. All studios at Wallace are fully air-conditioned.  The floors have recently been resurfaced with Stonhard Stonshield, a patented undercoating that makes each space ideal for rolling casters or dollies. Contact: Lillyann Goldstein, CEO, 1.416.537-3471 or visit www.wallacestudios.com

MyMediaBiz.com is the essential online Community for people in the film and television industry. MyMediaBiz.com is an ever-growing organization that is designed to promote professional development, education and networking opportunities, as well as provide a diverse range of services to help members stay informed, find employment, locate training and connect with other players in the industry. Contact: Lillyann Goldstein as above or visit www.mymediabiz.com.

The Banff World Television Festival is the world’s most important television content creation event. Now in its 27th year, this annual forum is dedicated to the development of business and creative opportunities for those in television programming and new media industry. In addition to honouring excellence in international television, the Festival provides a global platform for networking, discussion and debate, and explores current issues and challenges within the industry. Contact: Keri Levinsky, Director Partnership Marketing Achilles Media, 1.416.921.3171 x226 or visit www.banff2006.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 skills of women screen directors.  Eight women are awarded director’s chairs annually to attend the workshop now celebrating is 10th Anniversary. WIDC takes place 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, and the Independent Production Fund. Visit www.creativewomenworkshops.com for more details.

Creative Women Workshops Association through initiatives like The Women In the Director’s Chair Workshop is dedicated to strengthening the voice of women story-tellers through the media of film, television and video drama and ensuring that voice is heard across the country and globally. It is also committee to uniting, promoting and developing the different layers of talents behind domestic production in Canada as well as a diversity of stories told from women’s perspectives. Contact: Carol Whiteman, WIDC Producer, 1.604.913.0747 or visit www.creativewomenworkshops.com

The Banff New Media Institute commissions research, trains people, provides supportive creative production and learning environments, develops new media art and industry capacity and actively engages in interdisciplinary partnerships and projects. Practitioners are able to access a range of expertise, peers, facilities, and environments – all in the inspiring mountain campus location of The Banff Centre. Contact: Tahira Baulackey, BNMI Special Events and Workstudy Coordinator, 1.403.762.6624 or visit www.banffcentre.ca/bnmi

ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is a national organization of professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of more than 21,000 members across Canada – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community.  Contact: Joanne Deer, National Public Relations Officer, 1.416.489.1311 ext 4045 or visit www.actra.ca