WIFTV BANFF WORLD MEDIA

FESTIVAL SCHOLARSHIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 5, 2011

Women In Film & Television Vancouver
Announces the WIFTV BANFF World Media Festival Scholarship Recipient

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – Women in Film & Television Vancouver (WIFTV), in partnership with the Banff World Media Festival, is pleased to announce the recipient of the WIFTV Award is Vancouver producer and WIFTV member Lauren Grant.

“The applicants were all impressive and the projects they’re doing are very exciting.  There’s a great wealth of women’s stories being created in Vancouver. Lauren Grant was selected because of the depth and breadth of her projects,” said Peggy Thompson, WIFTV Board of Directors and Scholarship jury representative.

The WIFTV Banff World Media Festival Scholarship gives one Executive or Professional member of WIFTV (producer, director or writer) the invaluable opportunity to attend the Banff World Media Festival, June 12-15, 2011 at the Fairmont Banff Springs. The participant receives not only a festival pass, but also intensive pre-festival mentorship with LOUISE CLARK, President of Lark Productions and a seat at WIFTV's popular pre-festival pitching workshop with MICKEY ROGERS in Vancouver. The recipient is responsible for all booking arrangements, and all travel and accommodations.

Grant, A UBC graduate with a BA in Film Production and History received a Genie Award last year for Best Live Action Short Savage.  Lauren is currently at work on her coming-of-age feature film Get Happy with Raymond Massey Executive Producing, as well as the feature film Jenny Two Bears based on the short story by acclaimed novelist Joseph Boyden.  She is developing an interactive web series entitled Sex With John and is in pre-production on the Sepia Films and National Film Board’s feature documentary Hue with Vic Sarin directing.

The jury would like to congratulate all the applicants on the quality of their submissions and WIFTV looks forward to supporting more such projects and women filmmakers in the future!

 Applications are now closed - see you next year!

ELIGIBILITY

Women who are producers, directors or writers are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have a minimum of one short film screened at an established film festival and a minimum of one feature film or TV series project in development. A selection committee composed of industry representatives will review the applications. The winner will be announced in early May.

Applicants must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for consideration:

• a WIFTV Executive or Professional member (women producers, directors or writers) in good standing (may join at time of application)
• must have a minimum of one short film screened at an established film festival
• must have a minimum of one feature film or TV series project in development
• able to participate in pre-festival Pitching Workshop and individual mentorship session (both in Vancouver)
• must complete a final report within two weeks of the scholarship completion

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants must be WIFTV Executive or Professional members in good standing. If you are not a current member, you may apply online and pay by credit card online or by phone before you complete your WIFTV Banff World Media Festival Scholarship submission.  Click here to become a WIFTV member.

Applicants must complete the online submission form, and pay the $30 administration fee by credit card online or by phone (Visa or Mastercard). Incomplete applications will not be considered. Completed applications must be submitted by Thursday, April 28th, 2011 by midnight PDT. Click here to apply.

BENEFITS

The successful WIFTV Banff World Media Festival Scholarship recipient receives:

• one (1) complimentary all access pass to the Banff World Media Festival
• one (1) complimentary registration in the WIFTV Pitching Workshop with Mickey Rogers on May 14, 2011 at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver, and
• preparation for the Banff World Media Festival with Louise Clark, President of Lark Productions.
  

  Vancouver-based Louise Clark is President of Lark Productions, which has an exclusive first-look deal with NBCU International Productions to develop both scripted and non-scripted content for Canadian, as well as international markets. As part of the deal, NBCU will provide a development fund for Lark Productions to produce and co-produce content with international appeal for the Canadian market, with the opportunity to distribute its TV content in markets outside Canada.

  Louise Clark's career in production, development and as a broadcast executive spans 25 years across television drama and comedy, feature films, movies of the week and documentaries. As Vice-President of Program Development for Canada's top Network, CTV, Clark developed and oversaw production of the number one comedy Corner Gas for five seasons (with TCN) and three seasons of the critically acclaimed Robson Arms. Additionally, she oversaw production for season one of Flashpoint and The Listener, and set up Defying Gravity - all three shows were groundbreaking Canada/US co-ventures at the time. Other series included Whistler (the N), Kaya (MTV USA), D'Myna Leagues, Mentors, Cold Squad and the International Emmy-award winning Magician's House.

  Previous to CTV, she served as the Ontario Film Development Corporation's (OFDC) Head of Production and Development, as well as acting CEO. There she oversaw all feature film investments and development, as well as TV movies, pilots and documentaries. Clark is a longtime member of the Board of the National Screen Institute and continues to serve as the Chair of its Program Committee. She was Vancouver Women in Film and Television's Woman of the Year in 2002.

Women In Film & Television Vancouver (WIFTV) is an internationally affiliated non-profit society committed to advancing and celebrating women in screen-based media.