Supporting partners include Netflix, CMPA and Creative BC
VANCOUVER — Screenwriters in BC can now apply to be accepted into a new training course offered by the Pacific Screenwriting Program, a brand new initiative launched today by organizations and leaders from across BC’s media production sector.
The Pacific Screenwriting Program is being billed as an intensive training ground that will provide support and career-advancement opportunities for active and aspiring screenwriters from BC. The program was created with the financial support of Netflix, Creative BC and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). In addition, the Writers Guild of Canada provided strategic guidance during the creation of the program.
Netflix’s support of the Pacific Screenwriting Program comes from the $25-million fund it announced last September to develop the next generation of Canadian creators and talent, according to a Netflix spokesperson.
The Pacific Screenwriting Program’s flagship training initiative, the Scripted Series Lab, is a full-time, 14-week professional development opportunity that will train up to six BC-based, entry-level writers, helping them “to hone their craft, strengthen their collaboration and presentation skills, and obtain a deeper understanding of the global scripted content industry,” according to a news release announcing the program’s launch today.
“This announcement is the result of the BC-based film and TV community coming together to build on our potential to be global leaders in content creation. I’ve seen firsthand how the success of our provincial production sector has created a steadily growing demand for local film and television screenwriters,” said Omnifilm Entertainment’s Brian Hamilton, who serves on the CMPA-BC Branch Council and has been chosen as the inaugural chair of the new not-for-profit Pacific Screenwriting Program.
The Scripted Series Lab combines real-world story-room experience with one-on-one mentorship to equip writers with the skills, experience and connections necessary to build a successful screenwriting career. The longer-term strategic goal of the program is to provide a range of offerings for screenwriters with varied levels of practical experience.
“The Pacific Screenwriting Program is a keystone for the increasingly focused ecosystem of support for BC storytellers,” said Prem Gill, CEO of Creative BC, in the news release. “This collaboration between Netflix, CMPA, the Writer’s Guild of Canada and Creative BC is a strategic complement to the province’s recent inclusion of screenwriters in its Film Incentive BC tax credit. Together, these supports increase BC’s domestic creators’ competitive positioning as demand for screen-based content grows exponentially around the globe.”
“This initiative is exciting for me personally because I’ve worked with exceptional Canadian writers and creatives throughout my career, particularly in the impressive production hub of Western Canada,” said Chris Regina, Netflix director of scripted co-licence and original television. “Fostering the next generation of screenwriters is important to us in our continued collaboration with Canadian creatives, bringing them into the Netflix family.”
Applications for the Scripted Series Lab are now being accepted. The application deadline is September 21, and the training course is scheduled to run from January 7 to April 12, 2019. An application fee of $25 applies, and the program cost is $1,500. An information night is being held in Vancouver on August 8.
For more information about the Pacific Screenwriting Program and the Scripted Series Lab, click here.
