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Pamela Gallant wins 2019 WIDC Feature Film Award

$200k prize presented at Whistler Film Festival FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Vancouver, Canada (December 8, 2019) – Award-winning Acadian-Canadian filmmaker Pamela Gallant is the winner of the Women In the Director’s Chair’s 2019 national WIDC Feature Film Award, an in-kind prize of up to $200K in services and rentals, designed to encourage more feature films directed by Canadian women and gender minorities. Gallant’s dramatic shorts have won awards at Canadian film festivals and she is also known for her character-driven documentary work notably with ARTV, CBC, Radio-Canada, BRAVO! and Discovery. She has directed, shot or edited more than 70 documentaries [...]

By WIDC News Editor|2019-12-09T12:52:16-08:00December 9th, 2019|Categories: Feature Film Award, Media Release, Uncategorized, WIDC, WIDC Awards, Women Directors|Tags: Ann Bernier, Carol Whiteman, Closed Captioning Canada, Descriptive Video Works, Front Row Insurance, Karen Wentzell, Line 21 Media Services, North Shore studios, Pamela Gallant, Panavision Canada, Poste Moderne, SIM, Skylab, Technicolor, Terry Greenlaw, The Bridge Studios, The Research House Clearances, Vancouver Film Studios, White Hart Post Production, WIDC, WIDC Feaature Film Award, William F. White International, William F. White International Inc.|Comments Off

Queen of the Morning Calm Bows at Whistler Film Festival 2019

WIDC Feature Film Award winner Gloria Ui Young Kim’s debut feature Queen of the Morning Calm will have its world premiere at the 2019 Whistler Film Festival. Kim (Flamenco Movie, Why Do I Dance?) is also winner of Telefilm Canada New Voices Award. The film starring Tina Jung (Kim’s Convenience, Make It Pop), Shaun Benson (The Boys, Killjoys), Jesse LaVercombe (Mary Goes Round, American Gods) and introducing newcomer, Eponine Lee, is up for Whistler’s prestigious Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature. Screenings: Saturday, December 7th, 5:00pm @ Village 8 Cinemas – Theatre 8 Sunday, December 8th, 12:00pm @ Village 8 [...]

By WIDC News Editor|2019-11-28T11:29:28-08:00November 28th, 2019|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: Gloria Ui Young Kim, Gloryous Productions, Harold Greenberg Fund, Hawkeye Pictures, Josh Barsky, Ontario Arts Council, Panavision Canada, SIM, Sonya Di Rienzo, Telefilm Canada, Tina Jung, Toronto Arts Council, WIDC Feature Film Award, William F. White International|Comments Off

WIDC Alumnae at 30th St John’s International Women’s Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 11, 2019 - WIDC alumnae are playing a huge part of this year's 30th annual St John's International Women's Film Festival. This is an historic must see must be at event at one of the world's oldest and highly respected women's film festivals. Six WIDC alumnae-directed feature films are screening including the opening and closing films: Black Conflux, directed by Nicole Dorsey Honey Bee, directed by Rama Rau Becoming Labrador by Rohan Fernando, Justin Simms and WIDC alumna, Tamara Sagura The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open co-directed by Elle-Maija Tailfeathers and WIDC alumna, [...]

By WIDC News Editor|2019-11-02T06:34:07-07:00October 10th, 2019|Categories: Media Release, Outreach, Uncategorized, WIDC, Women Directors|Tags: Black Conflux, Body and Bones, Deanne Foley, Emily Bridger, Honey Bee, Jordan Canning, Karen Lam, Kathleen Hepburn, Latonia Hartery, Lori Lozinski, Lulu Keating, Martine Blue, Mary Walsh, Melanie Oates, Nicole Dorsey, Rustic Oracle, Sherry White, Sonia Bonspille Boileau, St John's International Women's Film Festival, Stephanie Morgenstern, Tamara Sagura, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, Winnifred Jong|Comments Off

WIDC Announces 2019 BANFF Fellowship Recipients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2019 - WIDC organizers are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 WIDC BANFF Fellowship sponsored by Telefilm Canada. WIDC alumnae Cjay Boisclair and Melanee Murray Hunt will attend the BANFF World Media Festival, June 9 to 12, 2019. Cjay Boisclair is the recipient of the 2018 WIDC Short Works Award: Kamloops edition supported by TELUS STORYHIVE. Her charming short, Stood Up will soon begin its festival run. Cjay is developing her debut feature drama The Bench based on her award-winning script of the same name about a homeless teen in a small [...]

By WIDC News Editor|2019-07-21T06:27:38-07:00June 5th, 2019|Categories: Banff World Media Fellowship, Media Release, Uncategorized, WIDC, Women Directors|Tags: Banff World Media Fellowship, Cjay-Boisclair, Melanee Murray-Hunt, Telefilm Canada|Comments Off

Three Winnipeg women filmmakers win prize packages to create original short films: Inaugural WIDC Short Works Award presented in collaboration with Winnipeg Film Group

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 2018: Organizers of the Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) in collaboration with the Winnipeg Film Group are pleased to announce the winners of a new Short Works Award specially created to offer Manitoba-based women filmmakers the opportunity to direct screen fiction. All three directors attended an intensive story development lab which also brought in professional ACTRA actors to workshop the scripts. Following the lab Angela Froese’s short comedy A Round Tuit, the story of a strange creature that magically shows up on the door-steps of unsuspecting procrastinators, was greenlit for immediate production. Cast [...]

By Carol Whiteman|2018-05-29T11:19:24-07:00May 27th, 2018|Categories: Media Release, Outreach, Uncategorized, WIDC, WIDC Awards, Women Directors|Tags: Angela Froese, Canada Council for the Arts, Rachel Beaulieu, Shira Newman, WIDC, William F White Intl, Winnipeg Film Group, Winnipeg Foundation, Women Directors|Comments Off

WIDC Alumnae Earn 28 Leo Award Nominations Including 7 for Best Direction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2018, Vancouver - Organizers of the Women In the Director's Chair are thrilled to announce that WIDC alumnae and their projects have earned 28 Leo Award nominations including 7 for best direction. "Through a system of peer adjudication, with final ballot tabulation by Ernst & Young Chartered Accountants, we are pleased to confirm the following 2018 Leo Award Recipients.We would like to extend a special thank you to all of our jurors who exemplify the spirit of community service. We are grateful for their care and consideration while deliberating. On behalf of all of [...]

By Carol Whiteman|2018-04-30T18:48:46-07:00April 30th, 2018|Categories: Media Release, Uncategorized, WIDC, Women Directors|Tags: Ana Valine, Brianne Nord-Stewart, Carol Whiteman, Feature Film Award, Julia Hutchings, Kathleen Hepburn, Leo Awards, Lori Lozinski, Marie Clements, Mary M. Frymire, Siobhan Devine, Sophie Jarvis, Tara Hungerford, WIDC, Women Directors|Comments Off

Telus Optik Local Supports Web Series Roundtable at WIDC in Whistler

Telus Optik Local Supports Web Series Roundtable at WIDC in Whistler As announced in November 2015, during WIDC Story & Leadership program at the 2015 Whistler Film Festival, Telus Optik Local sponsored a special web series roundtable for this year's eight women directors. Telus also supported a Director's Chair scholarship for a BC or Alberta-based director developing a web series at the inaugural WIDC Story & Leadership program. This year's recipient of the Telus Optik Local WIDC Director's Chair was Marie Clements who is developing a web series entitled, Crooked Bones, based on a true story of First Nations artist [...]

By Carol Whiteman|2016-11-15T00:08:38-08:00January 5th, 2016|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off

Top-notch Talent to Attend Whistler Film Festival for WIDC Story & Leadership Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, October, 2015 – Vancouver BC: Eight women directors from across Canada have been selected to attend the 20th annual session of Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC), which includes the pilot program, WIDC Story & Leadership. Over the coming months this top-notch group of content creators will develop their feature films and web series, working with an ensemble of hand-picked professional actors, technicians and other industry experts. A major component of the program takes the form of an Industry Immersion at the 15th anniversary Whistler Film Festival (December 2-6), and culminates with a [...]

By Carol Whiteman|2016-11-15T00:08:38-08:00October 13th, 2015|Categories: Media Release, Story & Leasdership, Uncategorized, WIDC|Tags: Ana de Lara, Anita Reilly McGee, Feature Films, Frances-Anne Solomon, Jordan Canning, Karen Lam, Marie Clements, Mary Walsh, Maya Gallus, Nicole Dorsey, Rachel Talaley, Siobhan Devine, WIDC, Women Directors, Women screen directors|Comments Off

Demystifying Web Series with Independent Production Fund’s Andra Sheffer

As a special add-on offering to the Female Eye Film Festival, WIDC presents an insider information session: Demystifying Web Series with the Independent Production Fund’s award-winning CEO, Andra Sheffer. Learn about web series development; best practices; program offerings, guidelines and project selection process. Facilitated by WIDC producer, Carol Whiteman, this particular WIDC session is open to the public and will include a moderated Q&A. Friday June 19 5 pm to 7 pm Room 107, ArtsScape YoungPlace 180 Shaw Street, Toronto, ON Admission Free. Space is limited. ABOUT ANDRA SHEFFER Andra Sheffer is the CEO of two private funds [...]

By Carol Whiteman|2016-11-15T00:08:38-08:00June 15th, 2015|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: funding, independent producton fund, Web Series, women content creators, Women Directors|Comments Off

Diverse Directors Selected for WIDC at Female Eye Film Festival

For Immediate Release, Toronto, ON: The Women In the Director’s Chair Career Advancement Module (WIDC CAM) kicks off the Female Eye Film Festival (June 16 to 21, 2015). The award-winning director participants selected for this session of the CAM include, Toronto-based filmmakers Jackie English (Nimby), Nadine Valcin (In Between/Entre Deux), and Vancouver filmmaker, Maryam Najafi (Kayan). Each has a slate of feature film and series projects they are developing. Also, being awarded a private WIDC mentorship is alumna Christine Buijs (Divorce Photographer) who has been selected to pitch at the FeFF’s inaugural LIVE PITCH! initiative. The WIDC master class will [...]

By Carol Whiteman|2016-11-15T00:08:38-08:00June 14th, 2015|Categories: Career Advancement, Media Release, Uncategorized, WIDC|Tags: Director Development, Female Eye Film Festival, filmmaking, Telefilm Canada, WIDC, Women Directors, Women screen directors|Comments Off