Aspiring Canadian Writers Contests announces The 2015 Screenwriter Mentor Experience!
This new contest accepted entries of short film screenplays up to 10 pages in length from up to 100 aspiring Canadian writers.
Our Contest Judge & Mentor is Geneviève Appleton. Geneviève Appleton (B.A.A.Hons. Film Production, 1994, MFA Screenwriting, 2003) started her career as an actress in the 80s in film and TV projects such as KIDS OF DEGRASSI and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, THE SEQUEL. She was Associate Producer of the feature film WILBY WONDERFUL, directed by Daniel MacIvor and wrote narration for the travel series GAP: GREAT ADVENTURE PEOPLE as well as two feature film documentaries, IN THE LAND OF THE MOOSE, directed by Harold Arsenault, and PARTLY PRIVATE, directed by Danae Elon, which won the best New York Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival. For her company, White Wave Productions (est. 1992), Geneviève has written, produced, directed and co-edited several films. Her documentary A GARDEN'S FAMILY aired on Vision TV and ACTOR'S TRANSFORMATION, about the extraordinary work of acting teacher Deena Levy and her students in NYC, premiered at the Female Eye Film Festival and aired on Bravo! Canada. Her short dance film CALLING THE MINSTREL was screened at the 2010 Olympics' Cultural Olympiad Digital Edition, the Atlanta Film Festival, and the Izmir International Short Film Festival. She was invited to screen and give a talk on her documentary about the EAST TIMOR PEACE MISSION at the 20th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony and Conference in Timor-Leste, where it was also shown on East Timor Television. With Colleen Wagner, she co-directed and co-produced the documentary WOMEN BUILDING PEACE about women in Africa rebuilding their lives and societies after GBV, war and genocide. She is currently producing the interactive documentary BIOLOGY OF STORY, written and directed by Amnon Buchbinder (www.biologyofstory.com). Since 2003, Geneviève has taught Screenwriting and Media Production at Bilkent University, Sheridan College, University of Toronto and York University, as well as in her private workshops.
Our Industry Mentor is director and editor, Navin Ramaswaran. His fourth feature film, Chasing Valentine is currently in post-production. He also recently completed Late Night Double Feature, a horror anthology and the award-winning short One More For The Road. His last short film The Misfortune of Madeline Moody premiered in 28 Cineplex Odeon cinemas across Canada in Feb 2014 as part of distributor Raven Banner’s Sinister Cinema Series. At studio m, a Cannes Lions award winning production shop, Navin has been the creative lead on several commercials, promo spots and corporate videos. Learn more about Navin at www.navinr.com.
Prizes for the contest’s Top 3 Grand Prize Winners will include:
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Online mentoring sessions with Contest Judge & Mentor, Geneviève Appleton, who will provide editing consultation on the contest winning screenplays
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A mention of each winner’s name and the titles of the winning screenplays on the contest website (for an amount of time determined by the sponsor)
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An interview with Aspiring Canadian Writers Contests Inc. (first place winner only)
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An online session via a voice-over-IP program with Industry Mentor, Navin Ramaswaran, on bringing a script to life. The steps involved in taking a script from page to film, from tips on funding an indie film, to collaborating with cast and crew, director, and producers. (first place winner only)
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A complimentary ticket to the 2016 Toronto Screenwriting Conference(first place winner only; travel and accommodation not included; details of this prize will be outlined in the contest official rules available in mid-April 2015)
The contest’s top 3 Grand Prize Winners will also each receive Stephanie Palmer’s e-course, How To Be A Professional Writer. Stephanie Palmer worked for Jerry Bruckheimer Films and then for MGM Pictures as Director of Creative Affairs. In that role, she was named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the “Top 35 Executives Under 35”. Stephanie now coaches small business owners and creative professionals inside and outside Hollywood on how to effectively pitch their ideas. Learn more about Stephanie at www.goodinaroom.com, where you can also download any free resources that she is currently offering.
Visit the screenwriting contest website at www.screenwritermentorexperience.org
We are proud to be a Supporting Sponsor of the Toronto Screenwriting Conference, April 11 to 12, 2015
This was a one-time contest that ran in 2015 but visit the Mentor Services page to order a critique of your short film screenplay and/or one-on-one online mentoring sessions!
