 MEDIA RELEASE |
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MEDIA RELEASE |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stellar group of Canadian Women Film & TV Directors selected to direct in Banff
2000 WOMEN IN THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR
Banff, AB -- The Banff Centre for the Arts, the ACTRA Performer's Guild, WIC Entertainment Ltd. and Creative Women Workshops are pleased to announce the selection of the 2000 Women in the Director's Chair participants.
Women in the Director’s Chair named Emmy award-winning Nancy Malone (Cagney & Lacey, former vice-president, 20th Century Fox) and Hugo award-winner Janet Greek (Babylon 5, LA Law) the mentor directors for its year 2000 program targeted at mid-career Canadian women with experience in directing or related areas in the arts. Malone and Greek will mentor a stellar group of Canadian women directors in the program running January 15 to 29, 2000 at The Banff Centre for the Arts. The 15-day program seeks to support and promote Canadian women in leadership positions in the television, film and video community in the area of directing in Canada and abroad.
"WIC Entertainment is proud to continue its support of the Women in the Director's Chair initiative," commented Dale A. Andrews, executive vice-president. "For several years we have taken a lead sponsorship position in this program, as part of our commitment to encouraging the growth of Canadian talent."
A national jury selected nine directors who fall into one of two streams: directors who have a recognized track record directing low-budget features, documentaries, non-fiction, specialty television or video works, or directors who are experienced in other areas of film, television, and video production (bios attached). The hands-on program focuses on storytelling and developing the director’s voice and technique by working with actors and the director of photography to develop the story, production, and post-production of original pieces, as well as the director/producer relationship, issues around ownership and copyright and the initiation of follow-up mentorship.
Senior women directors lead the overall program and provide constant mentorship. A trained and experienced creative team including Peg Campbell, award-winning actor Veena Sood, acclaimed director of photography Roger Vernon, artistic director of Media and Visual Arts and executive producer of Television and New Media Coproductions, The Banff Centre for the Arts Sara Diamond, as well as staff at The Banff Centre for the Arts will support the nine directors. Women in the Director's Chair is coordinated and produced by Carol Whiteman.
Women in the Director’s Chair participants emerge from the program having directed and edited an original short piece and a greater sense of focus and ability to achieve career goals. Alumni progress is monitored and supported as participants are put in contact with an appropriate mentor based upon individual needs, future projects and career goals. Following completion of the program, alumni become part of an ongoing communication network facilitated by the organizers.
This is the fourth year of a successful union with The Banff Centre for the Arts and the ACTRA Performers Guild. Creative Women Workshops was borne out of this partnership. Previous sessions of the course have been taught by acclaimed writer/director/producer Anne Wheeler and Gemini award-winning director Stacey Curtis. This year's national representative selection committee included Suzanne Chapman, director of development, Alliance/Atlantis; Sara Diamond, Bell Canada award winner ; Peg Campbell, award-winning filmmaker, instructor of film and video at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design; John Dippong, director of development, Telefilm Western Office.
Women In the Director’s Chair is sponsored by Telefilm Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, British Columbia Film, the Director’s Guild of Canada, the Independent Production Fund, Manitoba Film and Sound, along with other private and public organizations.
WOMEN IN THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR, 2000 -- DIRECTOR PARTICIPANT BIOS (in alphabetical order)
SHAWNA DEMPSEY & LORRI MILLAN, Winnipeg,
Manitoba
Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan have been creating performances, films, videos,
publications and public art projects since 1989. They are infamous for "We’re
Talking Vulva", "A Day In the Life of a Bull Dyke" and "Lesbian
National Parks and Services". Their works have been screened from the Museum of
Modern Art, New York City, to women’s centers in Sri Lanka.
EDA LISHMAN, Calgary, Alberta
Eda Lishman is one of Western Canada’s most ubiquitous filmmakers. A writer, director
and producer, she recently directed 26 episodes for The Discovery Channel called
"John Scott’s World of Horses". In the latter part of 1999 she produced,
for Nasser Entertainment and CBS, "The Return of Charlie McLean" starring Peter
Strauss and Oscar winner Mary McDonnell. Currently, she is developing
"Sweetgrass", a feature film comedy inspired by the acclaimed Canadian play,
"The Rez Sisters".
ERIKA MACPHERSON, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg-based video and film maker Erika MacPherson, who has exhibited nationally and
internationally in festivals and galleries, recently received the Blizzard Award for Best
Experimental for her video, "disobedience". She is currently finishing a script
for a feature film co-production, which she is scheduled to direct in Iceland next year.
MIEKO OUCHI, Edmonton, Alberta
Mieko Ouchi trained at University of Alberta’s BFA acting program, The Banff Centre
for the Arts, and the National Screen Institute of Canada. As a professional actor, writer
and filmmaker, Ouchi has worked across Canada on both her own and mainstream projects. As
an actor, she works in theatre, film and television, most notably in "The War Between
Us", Anne Wheeler’s CBC MOW about Japanese internment. As a director, her
award-winning films include the TV documentary, "Shepherd’s Pie and Sushi"
and short films "By This Parting" and "Samurai Swing".
BETTY THOMAS, North Vancouver, British Columbia
Betty Thomas’ career started in the motion picture industry in 1979 in Vancouver, BC
with her late husband John Thomas, where they built a highly successful special effects
company. With numerous personal achievements, including Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the
Year, she is now using her extensive experience to produce and direct her own projects.
KATE TROTTER, Toronto, Ontario
Kate Trotter is one of Canada’s most respected actresses whose credits include The
Stratford and Shaw Festivals, The Royal Alexander Theatre in Toronto, and The Kennedy
Centre in Washington, too many films and television programs to mention, starring opposite
other luminaries from Claire Bloom to Charles Bronson. Her directing career has gradually
bridged stage and screen, including mounting the premiere stage production of James W.
Nicol’s "Every Dream" and producing, directing, scripting, and starring in
a half-hour drama about sexual harassment in the workplace for the Canadian Auto Workers
and Barna Alper Productions.
GLYNIS WHITING, Port Moody, British Columbia
Glynis Whiting was born and raised in Edmonton and educated at the University of Alberta
(B.Ed) and UCLA (MFA). She has worked as a writer, story editor and producer of drama and
as a writer, director and producer of documentaries. Credits range from the 1990
award-winning feature "Blood Clan" (writer/producer) to the recent CBC Witness
documentary "Jericho: Walls of Silence" (producer/director).
NETTIE WILD, Vancouver, British Columbia
Producer, director, actress and co-writer, Canadian filmmaker Nettie Wild is best known
for her feature length documentary films. "A Place Called Chiapas", for which
she also shared her first cinematography credit, recently won the 1998 Genie Award for
Best Canadian Feature Documentary and the International Documentary Award. Wild comes to
film from a background of journalism and theatre. Her radio documentaries were carried
extensively by CBC on programs such as Sunday Morning, As It Happens, Morningside, and
Ideas. She is a founding member of Vancouver's Headlines Theatre, Touchstone Theatre, and
Tahmanous Theatre.