Aliens and Vampires and Monsters, Oh My! Five Winners Selected for the 5th From Our Dark Side

Posted on by

Welcome to The Dark Side!

This year’s Genre Concepts explore the mutability of identity, monsters, aliens, ghosts and vampires. Each with a female protagonist with her back up against the wall.

Welcome to the world of genre film, an area where women are challenging social norms and generating worldwide box office.

Congratulations to this year’s winners and their projects!

  • 50 by Mary Cross, Guelph, ON
  • Fire Lookout by Caitlin Vanstone, Vancouver, B.C.
  • Flesh by Kaye MacDonald, Verdun, QC
  • Hotel Ghost by Melanie Butler, Sooke, B.C.
  • Tick by Ashlea Wessel, Toronto, ON
clockwise from top left ashlea wessel, mary cross, kaye macdonalc, melanie butler

Clockwise from top left: Ashlea Wessel, Mary Cross, Kaye MacDonald, Caitlin Vanstone & Melanie Butler

We would like to recognize the ten runners-up for their outstanding concepts:

  • Homestay by Karen Budra, North Vancouver, B.C.
  • Jerky by Amy Trefry, Halifax, N.S.
  • Maneater by Kim Morrison/Julia Rowland, Toronto, ON
  • My Only Sunshine by Jessica Landry, Winnipeg, MB
  • Oregon by Jackie Bateman, North Vancouver, B.C.
  • Smile by Kaylin Shioma Metchie, Vancouver, B.C.
  • Strange Harvest by Alexandra Caulfield, Vancouver, B.C.
  • The Cannery by Ariel Hansen, Vancouver, B.C.
  • The Gentleman’s Guide to Practical Pathology by Vesta Giles, Kamloops, B.C.
  • The Invincible Trayvon Martin by Melanee Murray-Hunt, Calgary, AB

The judges noted that this year’s entries “hit a new high”, said Peggy Thompson and Sharon McGowan, Contest producers and WIFTV Board Members.

The five finalists receive a cash prize as well as a six-month incubator program designed to take their projects to the next stage of development. A highlight of the program is full accreditation to the Frontières International Co-Production Market in Montreal where the winners will pitch their projects to national and international industry professionals as part of Frontières’ new initiative, “Created By Women.”  (#CreatedByWomen)

Prior to pitching at Frontières, the winners attend the 2019 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival in March where they will have workshops and consultations with genre creators, producers, story editors and a digital marketing strategist.

The five winners will be presented with their awards on Sunday, March 10, 2019, during the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival Closing Night Event (#VIWFF).

This year’s jury consisted of Producer Rupert Harvey, Raven Banner Entertainment Executives Michael Paszt and Andrew Step, Producer Steph Ouaknine, Director Nicholas Humphries, Screenwriter/Actor/Director Sonja Bennett and Screenwriter Dennis Heaton.

The contest was developed by Women in Film and Television Vancouver’s Advocacy Committee and is generously supported by Super Channel, Telefilm Canada, TELUS STORYHIVE, and Creative BC.

For more information on the From Our Dark Side Genre Concept Contest, click here. 

 

Leave a comment