New funds targeted at Manitoba screenwriters

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This article was published 18/01/2024 (990 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Five lucky Manitoban screenwriters could get a huge boost to their filmmaking dreams thanks to a new program launched last week by On Screen Manitoba and Manitoba Film and Music.

The two industry organizations are putting up $50,000 to fund the Script Angel Feature Film Accelerator, a program offering access to personalized mentorship, networking opportunities and training through Script Angel, an international screenwriting and film mentorship organization. Each successful applicant will receive support valued at approximately $10,000.

The deadline for applications is Jan. 26, with the program beginning March 1.

Of the $50,000 needed to fund the program, $15,000 will come from Manitoba Film and Music, while the remainder will be drawn from On Screen Manitoba’s arts, culture, sports and community fund and the organization’s sector council funding.

On Screen Manitoba executive director Lindsay Somers calls the accelerator an important step to develop local talent. Somers pointed to last year’s Manitoba Film and Music’s annual report to suggest there was room to support more made-in-Manitoba films in the ever-busy film production industry.

According to that report, a global production budget of $266 million was spent across 87 film projects in Manitoba in 2023. Of those 87 productions, 41 were solely Manitoban productions. While the number of Manitoban productions in 2022-2023 was lower than it was in 2021-2022 (58), last year’s total production budget for those 41 projects ($46 million) represented a 44 per cent increase as compared to the previous year.

Somers, who joined the non-profit industry organization in September 2023, called the Script Angel accelerator one way to continue to grow at the local level and support feature film script development.

On Screen Manitoba last ran the film accelerator program in 2018, with four participants finishing the program and two of them producing feature films from their scripts.

One of those filmmakers, Cecilia Araneda, said in a release that the program was integral and “enabled me to move forward the project much faster than if I had continued working on it without this added support.”

The program is open to screenwriters based in Manitoba, meaning they must have been a resident of the province for no less than 365 days before the date of application.

Applicants are required to submit both a screenplay sample and a statement of purpose. Individuals from underrepresented and underserved communities are encouraged to apply, with a selection process focusing on promoting diversity inclusion set to be conducted by a panel of industry experts.

On Screen Manitoba, which represents over 2,000 industry professionals, and Manitoba Film and Music will be holding an information session about the accelerator program over Zoom on Jan. 19. To register, interested parties are asked to email On Screen Manitoba program director Maryam Decter at maryam@onscreenmanitoba.com.

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com