Things have been moving along here. A couple of announcements:

After a beautiful train trip to Montreal for lunch, Denys Arcand is on board as Mentor for my first feature, Sitting on the Edge of Marlene. We (Amber Ripley and I) are currently in development with Telefilm funding; sponsorship from William F White, Panavision, North Shore Studios, Bridge Studios, Deluxe Vancouver, Post Modern Sound, Creative Women’s Workshops Assn (Women In the Director’s Chair Feature Film Award); and sponsorship from Kodak (WIFT-T Kodak New Vision Mentorship Award). It’s amazing to have all the support.

Will be attending the much-hailed Women In the Director’s Chair Banff Workshops in November and January. Really looking forward to that – everyone I know who has participated talks about how much it has transformed their approach to directing.

And…one of the five directors shortlisted to pitch at the Whistler Film Festival Dec 3 for the MPPIA Short Film Award, which has in-kind sponsorship of $100,000 as well as cash. Rachelle Chartrand has written a twisted little short, Happiless, that could be fun.

That’s all for now…stay tuned for more adventures.

Ana Valine has won the Women In The Director’s Chair Feature Film Award, valued at $120,000 in kind towards production of her first feature film, “Sitting on the Edge of Marlene”. Valine wrote the screenplay (which is based on Billie Livingston’s novella) and will direct.

MR_WIDC_FF_AWARD_2011