CROCUSES and MYSTERY OF THE SECRET ROOM will be screening at the University of British Columbia Creative Writing Film Showcase. I’m honoured to have both films show. This showcase features UBC students and alumni. It’s where I did my Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Thanks to UBC and Sara Graefe for including me.

Nickel Screenplay Series – The First 10 Pages

Hey! I’m teaching a screenwriting workshop as a part of the Nickel Screenplay series. It’s on Tuesday nights from June 19 – July 31.

If you are an established writer looking to kick start a new idea, a fiction/nonfiction writer that would like to try screenwriting, or a short film writer who’d like to make the jump to features, then this workshop is for you.

Over the course of six weeks, we will bring your idea from pitch to outline to the first ten pages of a screenplay. We’ll cover character driven narrative diving deep into act structure and what it takes to sustain your story over a feature length. You’ll walk away with an outline of the overall story and the first ten pages of the script.

Why the first ten pages? The first ten pages establishes tone/voice genre of the story, introduces your main character, defines the world, points at theme, and sets up the dramatic premise.

Along the way, we’ll get into the pitfalls of formulaic writing, using film examples that span genre and culture.

Want to participate?

Please submit the following to sarah@nickelfestival.com by 6 p.m. on Monday, June 11:

– Writing sample (maximum 10 pages) or directing sample (viewable links to at least two short films)
– Three-line pitch for a feature film screenplay
– Four-sentence bio

This is an active participation class. Bring a new idea and an open mind!

More details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/222475288484082/
 

 

Thanks to ArtsNL for providing with me with funding to write and research my next project Always Going and Never Gone. I will travel to the Cape St. Mary’s area a couple of times this year to conduct part of the research. It’s a beautiful remote part of the world and I’m really looking forward to spending some time there.

I’m working on a short documentary with Ruth Lawrence for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Think Twice program Think Twice is a provincial anti-stigma and mental illness education initiative for youth.

Ruth is directing. I’m writing. Justin Simms and Brad Gover shooting. Matthew Thomson on sound. Justin is also editing the piece.

As a part of FIN’s Reel East Coast, Crocuses will air on CBC in the fall. Dates will be announced with the release of FIN’s Film Festival schedule.

Thanks so much for FIN for choosing us as a part of the Reel East Coast gala presentation!

Huge news for us! Crocuses has been chosen for the Women in Film and Television International 2018 Short Film Showcase. This means it will be shown in 40+ chapters around the world this year.

From the WIFTI judges: “A beautiful memory, beautiful cinematography and beautiful music.  I was glassy-eyed and moved by this gem. I really enjoyed the addition of personal old photos to give the feeling of nostalgia.”

Thanks to the Regina International Film Festival for featuring me in their 2017 Spotlight of Female Directors.

We have been having a good run with Crocuses, including Best Short at the Nickel Independent Film Festival and an Official Selection 2018 Selection by the Women in Film & TV Short Film Showcase where we will be shown in over 40 countries this year.

Thanks to my amazing producer, Latonia Hartery! Also a huge thanks to the RBC Michelle Jackson Filmmaker Award administered by the incomparable St. John’s International Film Festival. Check out our site here. 

 

Myself, Deanne Foley, and Elizabeth de Mariaffi have received pre-development funding for our TV series Bar Haven. We love this project and developing this series set in St. John’s.

Mystery of the Secret Room will be one of nine films to take part in the Golden Egg Competition at the Reykjavik International Film Festival in October.

As always, I’m endlessly grateful to the team that helped make this happen: Annette Clarke, Jon Montes, Claire Blanchet, Eloi Champagne, Fred Casia, Park Hyun Jin, Jeff Johnston and NFB – and a ton of other very generous people.

I’ll be in Reykavik as a part of the RIFF | Reykjavík International Film Festival Director’s Talent Lab.

Crocuses was chosen to screen at the Gala Presentation of the FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival.   This means that the film will be shown on CBC next year. Here I am speaking on the FIN podcast about the film and with other filmmakers about the gala night.

I have been selected to participate in the 2017 Reykjavik International Film Festival’s Talent Lab.

The lab highlights and promotes the innovative works of filmmakers and fosters, as well as, facilitates the networking necessary to promote their work to buyers and distributors. Participants receive guidance on how to promote their works in the international market.

I am thrilled to take part, and especially excited to go to Iceland!

I am a finalist in the FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival 2017 Script Development Program. Four writers from Atlantic Canada are selected to participate and over the course of 4 months, we will develop a feature film from outline to first draft. In September, we pitch it to a live audience.

The award is presented by Telefilm Canada & The Harold Greenberg Fund.

 

Mystery of the Secret Room is playing tonight at the National Arts Centre as a part of CANADA SCENE program!

#MysteryOfTheSecretRoom @wandanolan is one of many great Atlantic Film Waves on July4 7pm @CanadasNAC #free #Ottawa https://t.co/rh0315eMLK pic.twitter.com/ge6pj7OTfl

— Canada Scene (@CanadaScene) July 4, 2017

Crocuses won Best Newfoundland and Labrador Short at the Nickel Film Festival!! We are thrilled. Thanks so much to the Nickel! Also thanks to my producer, Latonia Hartery, and our whole team, especially our keys:

• DOP: Ian Vatcher
• Production Designer: Deb Vatcher
• Costume Design: Alison Ruth Hicks
• Editor: Chris Darlington
• Composer: Duane Andrews

I’ve been working on a TV Series, Bar Haven, with Deanne Foley and Elisabeth de Mariaffi.  It has been a blast. Love these two!  Stay tuned for more…

Mystery of the Secret Room screens on April 25th at 7:45 pm at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Orange County, California.

https://www.newportbeachfilmfest.com/event/mystery-secret-room/

 

 

 

Mystery of the Secret Room has been nominated for two Golden Sheaf Awards: Emerging Filmmaker and Animation.  I am soooooo thrilled! Thanks to the Yorkton Film Festival!

See the full list of nominees here.

Mystery of the Secret Room (Trailer) from NFB/marketing on Vimeo.

Crocuses played in four festivals in March in Canada and the U.S.:

• Kamloops Film Festival in Kamloops, BC
• Eve Film Festival in Ottawa, ON
• LOYNO Film Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Equinox Film Festival in Palmer, Alaska.

We’re so happy that audiences are seeing this film.  Thanks to the programmers!  You can learn more about Crocuses here.

Tonight is the World Premiere of Crocuses at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival‘s Closing Night Gala! We are thrilled that it will be opening for the the highly acclaimed feature film Maudie starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. Congrats to Mary Sexton and team on their success.

Crocuses was the winner of the RBC Michelle Jackson Award. The director mentor was Anita Reilly McGee. It was produced by Latonia Hartery of LJH films. And, the uber talented Ian Vatcher was the cinematographer.

Crocuses stars Sheilagh Guy Murphy, Paula Morgan, Emily Corcoran, Kyle Snow, Mike Daly and the show stealing Maggie Deming  Emily Deming Martin.

My short animation Mystery of the Secret Room produced by the National Film Board of Canada is playing at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival Saturday OCT 22 at the LSPU Hall at 7 pm. Tickets can be bought here: http://rca.nf.ca/box-office/purchase-tickets-2/

Exec Producer/Producer Annette Clarke, Associate ProducerJon Montes, Animation Supervisor and Art Direction Claire Blanchet.

My short animation Mystery of the Secret Room is premiering at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax next week. Check out the link to see the trailer. There are so many people to thank when it comes to this project. But, first and foremost, I have to thank Annette Clarke and Jon Montes who always push me further than I think I can go. Animation Supervision and Art Direction by the fiercely talented Claire Blanchet.

Mon Sep 19, 2016 | 2:00PM NFB Showcase: Shorts Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane Theatre 2

Thursday, Sept. 22 | 9:15PM Reel East Coast Shorts, Program 6 Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane Theatre 3

Here is the gorgeous trailer. Music by Jeff Johnson.

Mystery of the Secret Room (Trailer) from NFB/marketing on Vimeo.

The first film I ever wrote will be showing at Raw Refrains, August 9th at 7 pm. It will play at the Abbey Café at Monastery Spa, 63 Patrick Street, St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Kalem Mahoney will be the songwriter for the evening, Emily Bridger will be reading from her new work and Catherine Marshall will be exhibiting her artwork.

We shot my RBC Michelle Jackson Award film “Crocuses” from July 31 – Aug 2nd. I had an incredible crew of focussed, smart and creative people.

The whole production ran without a hitch due to the even hand of Latonia Hartery.   It was a ton of work and I am so deeply grateful for her time and generosity.

Ian Vatcher was the director of photography. And, Deb Vatcher was the production designer. They made the film look incredible.

The RBC Michelle Jackson Award film is for emerging directors. It’s a huge opportunity and I learned so much! Thanks to Anita McGee, the director mentor. And a huge thanks to the St. John’s International Film Festival for the award.

 

 

On June 17 at 1:30, my animator and collaborator, Claire Blanchet, will be joining me to talk about storytelling and animation. The focus will be my short film Mystery of the Secret Room, see schedule here: http://www.womensfilmfestival.com/2016-scene-heard-schedule/

Ellie Yonova’s documentary about artists Luben Boykov and Elena Popova received a green light for production in May by the National Film Board of Canada.  The producer is the amazing Annette Clarke. I was the story consultant on the proposal.

An incredible artist in her own right, Ellie is the perfect person to tell this story.

My episode for the web series Sex in Cars was shot on March 20. It stars Alison Woolridge and Brian Marler.

Sex in Cars is a web series developed and directed by Justin Simms.  He asked several writers in the community to write scripts. The instructions were simple, write something that involved sex and a car.  Other contributors are Ed Riche, Emily Bridger, Mark Hoffe, Dave Sullivan and Justin.

The series should be out in the fall.

In the Fall, I wrote episode 2 (The Atlantic Bastion) for Hors Circuits, a French television program produced out of Newfoundland by Sibelle Productions. I worked with a great team, including Xavier Georges (producer), Christian Sparkes (director), Allison White (producer), Scott McClellan (cinematographer) and Justin Oakey (director).

It’s a documentary mini-series about forbidden and inaccessible places starring Lou Poirier.

Thanks to Phillip Lewis for this fabulous post on my animation The Mystery of the Secret Room http://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2015/10/14/madness-animation-mystery-of-the-secret-room/