VisionTV & NSI name writers to join DiverseTV training program

Six aspiring screenwriters from across Canada have been chosen to participate in the first DiverseTV training program.

Launched in September 2005 by VisionTV and the National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI), this groundbreaking program offers visible minority and Aboriginal writers the chance to create a dramatic television series for national broadcast.

The six successful applicants will take part in a rigorous training program that teaches the skills needed to bring a TV drama series to fruition.

Said VisionTV Director of Programming Joan Jenkinson: "From the quality of the applications, it's clear that Canada is blessed with writers from many different backgrounds who possess an abundance of raw talent. DiverseTV is designed to show them how to lay the foundation essential to the success of any drama series: a solid, workable script."

Added Susan Millican, CEO, National Screen Institute – Canada: "DiverseTV is another step towards bringing Aboriginal and visible minority stories to life. The writers who receive our training will help to create a broadcast industry that better represents the Canadian audience. They're a very talented group, and we are pleased to be working with them."

The selected DiverseTV participants are:

 

• Tihemme Gagnon, a Métis screenwriter from Hope, B.C. A 2004 recipient of the Canada Council'sAboriginal Media Arts Program grant, Gagnon is currently developing several projects, including a dramatic television series, two feature-length docudramas and a documentary series. She works as a teaching assistant at Vancouver Film School.

• Andy Marshall, a Caribbean Canadian filmmaker from Etobicoke, ON, whose credits include nearly a dozen short films - among them the award-winning The Sadness of Johnson Joe Jangles. Marshall has also produced television commercials for a number of North American clients, and has written and directed corporate films and videos.

• David Morgan, a broadcast designer from Calgary, AB with more than 20 years of industry experience. A Cree status Indian, Morgan has earned several PROMAX awards for his work on marketing presentations, branding campaigns and other graphics projects. He is currently design director for Calgary-based green spirit images.

• Jari Osborne, an award-winning Chinese Canadian documentary filmmaker from Toronto, ON. She has written and directed the acclaimed National Film Board of Canada productions Unwanted Soldiers and Sleeping Tigers: The Asahi Baseball Story, and has directed documentary and reality programs for broadcasters such as CTV, W Network and Life Network.

• Mieko Ouchi, a Japanese Canadian actor, filmmaker, playwright and theatre director from Edmonton, AB. Since 1995, she has made several award-winning experimental and dramatic short films, a music video and a number of short documentaries, as well as the National Film Board of Canada documentaries Minor Keys and Shepherd's Pie and Sushi. Her play The Blue Light will premiere in Calgary in February.

• Christina Sang-St. Catherine, a Caribbean Canadian producer from Aurora, ON. Sang-St. Catherine received a BFA in Film Studies from Toronto's Ryerson University, and has worked at a number of studios, earning credits on both live action and animation projects, including Odd Job Jack and Jacob Two-Two. She currently works as a line producer for Smiley Guy Studios.

In the first phase of the program, the participants will experience an intensive five-day "incubator" session devoted to the key aspects of story writing. Three will be chosen to advance to the subsequent phase, and ultimately one project will be green lighted for production as a short-run series, to premiere on VisionTV.

For more information about DiverseTV, please visit: www.nsi-canada.ca

VisionTV (www.visiontv.ca) is Canada's multi-faith and multicultural broadcaster, dedicated to programming that celebrates diversity and promotes understanding and tolerance among people of different faiths and cultures.

The National Screen Institute — Canada, with headquarters in Winnipeg, is one of Canada’s four nationally recognized film and television training schools helping emerging writers, directors and producers bring their stories to life and to audiences at home and abroad. Its market-driven programs have led to employment for NSI graduates by giving them a competitive edge — according to the 2005 NSI Graduate Survey, 97% of respondents are working in the industry.

The National Screen Institute — Canada operates with ongoing funding from Telefilm Canada through Canadian Heritage, and Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism. Additional support provided by Patrons: CTV and CBC Television, Partner: Warner Bros. Canada Inc., and financial assistance provided by the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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For more information contact:

Liz Hover, Publicist, National Screen Institute – Canada,

Email: liz.hover@nsi-canada.ca
Telephone: (204) 956-7800 ext. 212

David Todd, VisionTV Marketing & Communications
Email: dtodd@visiontv.ca

Phone: 416-368-3194, ext. 207