FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2026, Vancouver, BC. – Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) organizers are pleased to announce that award-winning Alberta-based showrunner, writer, director, Paige K. Boudreau is the 2026 recipient of the WIDC BANFF Fellowship Award. Made possible through a long-standing partnership, the fellowship is designed to provide one WIDC alum with the opportunity to network and [...]
The organizers of Canada’s acclaimed Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) program are delighted to announce that recent WIDC alum, Tricia Black is the recipient of the 2026 WIDC Advantage Award for her debut feature film, The B-Side: Dusk. The prize includes a one-year mentorship for Black, a director spot in WIDC’s flagship program Story & Leadership and WIDC’s [...]
WIDC Alumni Shine at 2026 Canadian Screen Awards (updated May 30, 2026) With thirty-nine nominations across Film, TV and Digital categories, WIDC alumni and their work are shining at the 2026 Canadian Screen Awards. Three alumni earned Best Direction nominations for their work in series drama: Nimisha Mukerji - Allegiance Sharon Lewis - Allegiance Winnifred Jong - Law & [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 2026) – Ahead of its world premiere at the prestigious Cinequest in San Jose, California, award-winning, Toronto-based Iranian Canadian director, Marjan Hashemi’s debut feature film After Love has been picked up for international distribution by Madakto Pictures. “We’re excited to be partnering with Madkato Pictures and premiering After Love at the Cinequest festival – both [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 2026: With nearly three decades of measurable impact on the Canadian screen industry, Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) continues to advance mid-career women and non-binary directors at pivotal turning points in their careers. Following an exceptionally strong national response and a highly competitive peer jury process, WIDC announces the eight directors selected for [...]
Award includes $250,000 in in-kind sponsorship for her feature project, JUDAS TREE (December 2025) – Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) is proud to announce that Toronto-based filmmaker Susan Bayani, Anahita Films, is receiving the 2025 WIDC Feature Film Award, which includes an impressive $250,000 of in-kind production and post-production services. This award is being presented to Susan on [...]
Celebrating 29 years of advancing the careers of women and non-binary screen directors Vancouver, BC (November 2025) – Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) is proud to announce the eight directors selected for the 2025–2026 edition of its flagship Story & Leadership program, a career-advancing, multi-phased development initiative that runs from November 14, 2025, through April 2026. The program [...]
(For Immediate Release) Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC), one of Canada’s most respected career development programs for women and gender-diverse directors, is proud to announce the latest cohort of filmmakers selected for the Fall 2025 / Winter 2026 Career Advancement Module (CAM). The CAM is offered twice a year - Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter - and brings together dynamic [...]
Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) is proud to announce that Cjay Boisclair of Kamloops, BC is the recipient of the 2025 WIDC Advantage Award, for her debut feature film MARY, based on her concept short, The Bench. The award supports the development and packaging of her emotionally charged and deeply personal script about a teenage girl navigating homelessness, [...]
Vancouver, B.C. - Women In the Director’s Chair (WIDC) is proud to announce Teresa Alfeld as the recipient of the 2025 WIDC BANFF Fellowship, an annual honour recognizing a Canadian woman or non-binary director whose creative vision and professional promise stand out among WIDC alumni. Based in Vancouver, Alfeld is known for her acclaimed documentary features, Doug and the [...]
