20 things I learned at the Toronto Screenwriting Conference

by Allan Tong

TV scribes and some film writers, descended on the Toronto Screenwriting Conference last weekend (April 22-23) to listen to two full days of advice about the craft and business of writing for screen. Gracing the stage at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre were the creators and showrunners of Archer, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Shoot The Messenger, Kim's Convenience and Mohawk Girls as well as big-league American and Canadian producers and network AMC. 

The $500 pass all the panels, but passholders paid $25 or each industry roundtable that overlapped panels to ask showrunners, producers and network buyers anything...as long as they didn't pitch any shows. I didn't attend these, but delegates I spoke to were pleased to meet these folks, and some hoped it would lead to pitch meetings one day.

Overall, the level of advice inspired writers. Speakers raised fresh ideas and reinforced existing notions, which is the aim of the TSC. However, pitching was off-limits and the guest speakers were hard to access once they were onstage, though many were in the audience to watch other panels. The TSC is not a marketplace, but a school. 

2016 WGC Screenwriting Awards finalists announced

The Writers Guild of Canada celebrates 25 years of working for Canadian screenwriters, showcasing their talents at the 20th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards. The gala event takes place on May 2, 2016 at Toronto’s beautiful Koerner Hall.

This year close to 150 scripts were nominated, with 24 scripts chosen as finalists, and 32 screenwriters up for awards. Special awards, including the WGC Showrunner Award, the Alex Barris Mentorship Award, and the Sondra Kelly Award will also be presented.

2016 Writers Guild Awards Screenplay Nominations Announced

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in screenwriting during 2015. Winners will be honored at the 2016 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City.

Feature films eligible for a Writers Guild Award were exhibited theatrically for at least one week in Los Angeles during 2015 and were written under the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Writers Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Great Britain, Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild, or the New Zealand Writers Guild. Theatrical screenplays produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild must have been submitted for Writers Guild Awards consideration.

Documentaries eligible for a Writers Guild Award featured an onscreen writing credit and were exhibited theatrically in Los Angeles or New York for one week during 2015. Theatrical documentaries must have been produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild to be eligible for awards consideration.

2015 Black List scripts announced [UPDATED]

The Black List was compiled from the suggestions of over 250 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to ten of his or her favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2015 and will not have begun principal photography during this calendar year.

This year, scripts had to receive at least six mentions to be included on the Black List. All reasonable effort has been made to confirm the information contained herein. The Black List apologizes for all misspellings, misattributions, incorrect representation identification, and questionable 2015 affiliations.

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announces Special Award Winners

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is pleased to announce six Academy Special Award winners for the 2016 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS: Ivan Fecan, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Ana Serrano, Mark Starowicz, Karen Walton and the Performing Arts Lodges (PAL Canada).

"Each of these outstanding Academy Special Award winners has made innovative and stellar contributions to our Canadian screen-based industries," says Academy Chair Martin Katz. "We are extremely proud to celebrate them and their ongoing achievements at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards."

These Academy Special Awards - as well as additional ones to be announced in the coming weeks - will be presented during 2016 Canadian Screen Week (March 7 - March 13, 2016).

2015 WGC Screenwriting Awards - winners

The WGC Screenwriting Awards, hosted by Ryan Belleville, took place Monday night at Koerner Hall in Toronto. It was an evening of celebrating the work of WGC members (and a great party).

In the Movies & Miniseries category, the winner was Nicolas Billon for his script for the film Elephant Song which was directed by Charles Binamé and stars Bruce Greenwood, Colm Feore, Xavier Dolan, Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Guy Nadon.

CFC Presents an Evening with Academy Award-Winning Writer/Director John Patrick Shanley

[UPDATE BELOW]

Writer/Director John Patrick Shanley on Adaptation and his Creative Process

On the heels of the world premiere announcement of A Woman is a Secret, the new play written by John Patrick Shanley, the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), is pleased to present An Evening with Academy Award-Winning Writer/Director John Patrick Shanley on Adaptation and his Creative Process.

Taking place on Monday, March 23, 2015 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Shanley will take the stage to discuss writing for the screen versus writing for the stage, the challenges associated with adapting work for the screen as both a writer and a director, as well as his experience with casting, working with other directors and producers, and future adaptations of his plays.

Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) announces 19th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards finalists

The Writers Guild of Canada is pleased to announce the finalists for the 19th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards. The WGC Screenwriting Awards celebrate the excellence of Canada’s screenwriters with a gala event on April 27, 2015, at Toronto’s Koerner Hall.

This year more than 150 scripts were nominated for awards in seven categories, with 29 scripts chosen as finalists. In total, 53 screenwriters are up for awards. Several special awards, including the WGC Showrunner Award, the Jim Burt Screenwriting Prize, and the Sondra Kelly Award, will also be presented.

2015 Writers Guild Awards – winners

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) tonight announced the winners of the 2015 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio, promotional, and graphic animation categories at simultaneous ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles and the Edison Ballroom in New York City.

Emmy-winning Friends actress and The Comeback star/Co-Creator Lisa Kudrow hosted the West Coast WGA ceremony, which was executive produced by Hugh Fink. Presenters who appeared at the WGAW's L.A. awards ceremony included: Golden Globe-winning actor Steve Carell (The Office), an Oscar nominee this year for Best Actor in Foxcatcher, Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated actress Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Parks and Recreation co-star Adam Scott, Suburgatory co-star Cheryl Hines, actor Sir Patrick Stewart (X-Men: Days of Future Past), actor James Corden (Into the Woods), set to host CBS' The Late, Late Show in March, Brooklyn Nine-Nine co-stars Chelsea Peretti and Terry Crews, Playing House co-stars Jessica St. Clair and Lennon Parham, actress Abigail Spencer (Rectify), actor Zachary Levi (Chuck), About a Boy co-star Benjamin Stockham, and comedian Bob Saget (Full House).

Call for submissions: Toronto International Film Festival

Film submissions for the 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival, running from September 10-20, 2015, is now open. The deadline for submission is May 1. The late submission deadline is May 29.

The festival accepts films from Canada and anywhere around the world, both short films and features. This is their second year accepting international short films. To submit a film, you must register via Withoutabox.com.

TIFF prefers that all short and feature films presented are, at minimum, North American premieres. They will accept submissions that have already premiered in North America, but the film’s premiere status will be taken into consideration when final programming decisions are made.

27th USC Libraries Scripter Award goes to The Imitation Game

Screenwriter Graham Moore and author Andrew Hodges received the 27th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award for The Imitation Game. Selection committee chair Howard Rodman announced the winners at the black-tie event on Saturday, Jan. 31, at USC’s historic Doheny Memorial Library.

Moore based his adaptation on “Alan Turing: The Enigma,” a 1983 biography by Hodges of the brilliant British World War II code-breaker and computer pioneer who was later persecuted for his homosexuality. Rodman accepted the award on behalf of Hodges, who teaches mathematics at Oxford University’s Wadham College.

“Alan Turing never got to stand on a stage and hear people applaud his name,” Moore said in his acceptance speech. “And I do right now, and that is a profound injustice. All that I can do is spend the rest of my life endeavoring to repair it.”

The 27th Annual USC Libraries Scripter Award – finalists announced

Scripter honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author or authors of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.

The Friends of the USC Libraries established Scripter in 1988. Previous Scripter winners include the screenwriters and authors of 12 Years a Slave, The Social Network, A Beautiful Mind and The English Patient.

Chaired by Howard Rodman, USC professor and vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West, the 2015 Scripter selection committee selected the five finalists from a field of 97 eligible adaptations.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin, Anne Thompson and Kenneth Turan; authors Michael Chabon, Michael Ondaatje and Mona Simpson; screenwriters John Ridley, Erin Cressida Wilson and Steve Zaillian; and USC deans Elizabeth Daley of the School of Cinematic Arts, Madeline Puzo of the School of Dramatic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.

2015 Writers Guild Awards Screenplay Nominations Announced

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during 2014. Winners will be honored at the 2015 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 14, 2015, at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City.

Feature films eligible for a Writers Guild Award were exhibited theatrically for at least one week in Los Angeles during 2014 and were written under the WGA’s Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) or under a bona fide collective bargaining agreement of the Writers Guild of Canada, Writers Guild of Great Britain, Irish Playwrights & Screenwriters Guild, or the New Zealand Writers Guild. Theatrical screenplays produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild must have been submitted for Writers Guild Awards consideration.

Documentaries eligible for a Writers Guild Award featured an onscreen writing credit and were exhibited theatrically in Los Angeles or New York for one week during 2014. Theatrical documentaries must have been produced under the jurisdiction of the WGA or an affiliate Guild to be eligible for awards consideration.

10th anniversary Black List scripts announced

The Black List was compiled from the suggestions of over 250 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to ten of his or her favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2014 and will not have begun principal photography during this calendar year.

This year, scripts had to receive at least six mentions to be included on the Black List.

All reasonable effort has been made to confirm the information contained herein.

2014 BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture Series

Every year, BAFTA and BFI host a Screenwriters’ Lecture Series in London, England. This year's speakers were James Schamus (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Ice Storm) Emma Thompson (Sense And Sensibility, Nanny McPhee) and Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises).

They have made available the audio for each of the lectures, as well as provided transcriptions. These are linked below for all three talks.


James Schamus
Thursday 18 September, 7.00pm
BFI Southbank

James Schmaus is behind some of the most loved and critically acclaimed films of the last 25 years. His collaboration with director Ang Lee has resulted in 11 films; as a screenwriter, these include the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), The Ice Storm (1997) and Lust, Caution (2007). As a producer Schamus’ credits include BAFTA Best Picture winner Brokeback Mountain (2005) and, during his extraordinary career as CEO of Focus Pictures, he helped steward Lost In Translation (2003), The Constant Gardener (2005), The Pianist (2002) and, most recently, Dallas Buyers Club (2013) to the big screen. Schamus is also Professor of Professional Practice in Columbia University’s School of the Arts. Chaired by Tanya Seghatchian.

WGC's Writers Talking Feature Film presents free screening of The F Word (What If)

Writers Talking Feature Film, with Elan Mastai, "The F Word"

Don't miss the WGC's inaugural "Writers Talking Feature Film" event. Elan Mastai, writer of The F Word, will be interviewed by Michael McGowan, writer of Still Mine.

This intimate evening of conversation about the craft and art of the feature film will include a screening of The F Word (U.S. title: What If), starring Zoe Kazan & Daniel Radcliffe (still in movie theatres). And the on stage conversation will wrap with audience Q&A. It's a great opportunity to get the insiders' view of feature film writing with two very talented writers working in the business. The theatre has limited seating, so please RSVP as soon as possible.

Call for submissions: Innoversity Summit Pitch Competition

BELL MEDIA PRESENTS THE INNOVERSITY SUMMIT PITCH COMPETITION

Bell Media presents The Innoversity Summit Pitch Competition - a unique media competition with a staggering amount of prizes in TV Scripted, TV Unscripted, feature film, short film and digital media. Prizes valued at over a quarter of a million dollars.

16 finalist teams are selected and coached to compete for a terrific array of prizes, including months of priceless private mentorships with media industry giants and face to face coaching by Canada’s top media professionals, who have won hundreds of international awards including the Emmy, Sundance, Berlin and the Peabody Award.

Writers Guild of Canada's 2014 WGC Screenwriting Awards – winners

The 18th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards took place Monday night at Koerner Hall at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, and it was a great night.

The show, hosted by Seán Cullen and written by Seán Cullen and Luciano Casimiri, was fun (and funny!). The pre-show reception was packed with WGC members and our colleagues in the industry. All in all it was a terrific evening celebrating the excellence of Canadian screenwriters, and we salute all of the nominees.

2014 Canadian Screen Awards – March 9 winners

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is pleased to announce that 33 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS were presented tonight during the CBC Broadcast Gala, hosted LIVE by comedy legend Martin Short from the prestigious Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

“Tonight we gather in the company of our country’s brightest and most glamorous talent to celebrate the best in Canadian film and television,” says Martin Katz, Academy Chair. “I am honoured to celebrate and applaud this year’s outstanding nominees and winners. Their work brings us together, around screens big and small, enriching our communities through story,” he said.

“At 65 years young, we’re only getting better,” says Helga Stephenson, Academy CEO. “This anniversary marks a celebration of our Canadian screen idols, from Mary Pickford to John Candy to Tatiana Maslany, these world renowned stars have helped to shape a national legacy and continue to create new opportunities for our growing Canadian star system. On behalf of the Academy, I applaud all of tonight’s outstanding Canadian Screen Awards winners and Academy Special Award recipients,” said Stephenson.

Writers Guild of Canada's 2014 WGC Screenwriting Awards – nominations

The Writers Guild of Canada announced the finalists for the 18th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards today. The WGC Screenwriting Awards celebrate the excellence of Canada’s best screenwriters with a gala event on April 28, 2014, at Toronto’s Koerner Hall.

This year, more than 190 scripts were nominated for awards in seven categories, with 30 chosen as finalists. In total, 50 screenwriters are up for awards. Several special awards, including the WGC Showrunner award and the Alex Barris Mentorship Award, will also be handed out at the gala event.