First-time filmmaker shares her TELUS STORYHIVE experience

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Apply for $20K through the STORYHIVE Scripted Edition

TELUS STORYHIVE is calling on new and emerging filmmakers to apply for its latest program, the STORYHIVE Scripted Edition, and share community stories from local points of view. This is a starting point for those with big ideas and is tailored to support fully scripted, locally reflective content. Selected filmmakers will get $20,000 in production funding, training, professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) and distribution to over one million viewers on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel. STORYHIVE is looking for original, compelling, local stories and voices from your community through a scripted 20-45 minute film project. Those interested will need to submit a draft script and include themes that are G or PG rated. Your project can be a scripted story in any genre, from drama to comedy and beyond. Most importantly, the script needs to take place within the community in which you are applying from. So, if you submit a story about a magical realm where an unlikely hero embarks on an epic quest, your script needs to be based in your community. It’s your story, your narrative!

Lights, Camera, Action: From Idea to Reality

Love Nwigwe brought her vision to life with her award-winning film, I Can’t Breathe, which was funded through STORYHIVE’s Black Creators Edition. The short film shares real-life stories of racial discrimination from Black people living in Alberta.

As a first-time filmmaker, Nwigwe knew she had an idea and the motivation, but was worried about finding partners for collaboration because of the sensitive theme. She was surprised to learn that STORYHIVE was willing to support her vision.

“I made a short film on racism,” she said. “My idea was to highlight the impact of racism on the community. I also wanted to show that racism does not respect age. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. I wanted to be heard and get my voice out, knowing that visual art is a great way to reach the public.”

The film features a scene from a daycare and shows how young children can be preferentially treated based on ethnicity. She includes a Black teenager’s confusing encounter with the police and an incident at a medical office, where a doctor is disrespected because of her skin colour. It touches upon the effects of racism on a family, as parents and children fight to retain their dignity in spite of being mistreated. “I wanted to explain how a family can leave the house happy and come home beaten down,” she said.

As her first venture into writing, directing and producing a film, Nwigwe was keen on doing it well. The production funding from STORYHIVE propelled the making of the film as a top up of what Nwigwe invested herself.

Her community got involved in sponsoring the film, with a restaurant providing food and hairdressers stepping in to help with styling and makeup.

“It was my first (film) and I wanted to give it the best chance. I didn’t want money to stop me from creating what I wanted,” she said. The film has been screened on various platforms and has been shown in schools for educational purposes, to not-for-profit organizations for training, and in diversity and inclusion programs,

Join the STORYHIVE Community

Shaun Cathcart, STORYHIVE’s Southern Alberta Territory Manager shared his enthusiasm, saying, “The launch of the new STORYHIVE Scripted Edition is an exciting opportunity for new and emerging filmmakers in B.C. and Alberta to engage in a dedicated program designed to support fully scripted, locally reflective content. We are thrilled to present this opportunity to our communities and eagerly anticipate the creative ideas and narrative that will be brought to life through this program. Whether it’s a gripping drama, a laugh-out-loud comedy or any genre in between, we’re seeking new and emerging filmmakers to reflect the rich diversity of our more rural Alberta communities.”

Cathcart said STORYHIVE is committed to nurturing the next generation of Canadian storytellers by providing production funding, training and professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) through its Editions program. “We’re here to help support creatives to bring their unique, locally relevant stories to life and to ensure these narratives reach a wider audience. It’s more than just entertainment; it’s about fostering a sense of community and shared experiences through compelling storytelling.”

Cathcart beckons all storytellers with an invitation: “Your local stories are the heartbeat of our communities. Let’s bring your dream scripted film project to life!”

Apply at STORYHIVE.com/apply by May 21, 2024.

Since 2013, STORYHIVE has been dedicated to supporting and amplifying local stories and voices. It supports and accelerates local talent, creativity and development through production funding, training, mentorship and distribution, to help B.C. and Alberta content creators share the stories that are important to them and their communities.

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