Short content development program open nationally for up to six emerging Aboriginal Canadian film artists.
Whistler, B.C. (June 21, 2017) - To mark National Aboriginal Day and to support the voices of Aboriginal Canadians, the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has opened the call for applications for its 5th annual Aboriginal Filmmaker Fellowship. The four-day creative and business immersion experience to be held from November 29th to December 3rd during the Whistler Film Festival and Summit is open nationally for up to six emerging Aboriginal Canadian film artists with short films, webisode projects or television pilots to attend.
The program is designed to advance Canadian Aboriginal talent, by focusing on strengthening and advancing short script projects by facilitating feedback from group of mentor filmmakers who are successful, well-respected members of the Canadian film community.
“WFF’s Aboriginal Filmmaker Fellowship is designed to nurture Aboriginal content creators from across Canada who are looking to advance their short form content from script to screen,” says Angie Nolan, WFF’s Director of Industry Programming. “We are proud that a number of participants have utilized the knowledge and contacts provided during the lab experience to further their projects past the development stage and into completion, and that it has been a platform for their success.”
Recent Aboriginal Filmmaker Fellowship success stories include:
Allan Hopkins’ Indian Road Trip which grew from a short script into a feature and is currently in production;
Mary Galloway’s Unintentional Mother completed in 2016 with the assistance of the Kevin Spacey Foundation Artist of Choice Award of which Mary was the first Canadian recipient;
Trailer for Unintentional Mother(click here)
Daniel Foreman’s Raven and the Sea Wolf, which is part of an animated series of short stories now in production called Legendary Myths: Raven Adventures.
Over four days the Aboriginal Filmmaker Fellowship will focus on individual and project-specific feedback through a series of one-on-one sessions with mentors, as well as group sessions in order to strengthen their projects. Feedback will include everything from where to take your script, to changes the project may require in order to move it to the next level, as well as finding the project’s audience once it’s made. The facilitator will provide high level strategic advice and counsel to the filmmakers over the course of the Fellowship, and help them to receive feedback from Industry mentors. Participation includes access to WFF's Industry Summit where the fellows will gain firsthand insight into the world of narrative short form storytelling through panel discussions, pitches, networking, and screenings with filmmakers and industry experts, including the MPPIA Short Film Pitch and WFF’s ShortWork Showcase screening and reception. Participants will also have access to Festival screenings and WFF's Industry Summit from November 30th to December 3rd.
Short scripts in all genres can be submitted for consideration. Writers must be Canadian citizens and of Aboriginal descent. All rights remain with the filmmaker. WFF has no proprietary interest in any of the projects. The application deadline is August 30th, and the finalists and mentors will be announced by October 3rd. Application details and information are available at whistlerfilmfestival.com.
Whistler Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the generous support and commitment to the Aboriginal Filmmaker Fellowship sponsored by Canada Media Fund, Creative BC and Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and supported by the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler.
From November 29th to December 3rd, the Whistler Film Festival + Summit (WFF) will celebrate its 17th edition with fresh films, special guests, unique industry initiatives, epic events, and time to play in North America’s premier mountain resort destination.
The Whistler Film Festival Society (WFFS) is a cultural charitable 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 Canadian talent. Find out more at http://whistlerfilmfestival.com/.
Thank you for reading this
Sincerely
Anthony Nadeau
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