GEMS x Rephrase Table Reads

Our stories. Out loud.

This series has been archived.

In traditional industry settings, feedback for racialized female and gender-diverse screenwriters often comes through a white male gaze and those who do not grasp the nuances of intersectional and culturally diverse narratives. This dynamic can pressure writers to self-censor, dilute and code-switch our stories to fit industry norms. Rephrase Table Reads™ by Rephrase Filmworks was created to dismantle this scenario.

Rephrase Filmworks, in collaboration with GEMS, showcases Vancouver talent. It focuses on stories by racialized women and gender-diverse creatives in a supportive space where screenwriters guide the feedback they need—whether it’s pacing, dialogue, story structure, or character development. This is about building creatives up and fostering a community that helps independent productions come to life.

Event Information

GEMS x Rephrase

TABLE READ #3

Thursday April 17, 2025

5-6:30pm PST / 8-9:30pm EST

Virtual (Zoom)

Moderator: Alison Fraser

Story Editors: Helene Taylor, Michael Flamank

Watch as a cast of professional actors bring a 30-minute excerpt from screenwriter Vanessa Magic’s feature, To The Sea, to life. Followed by a live story editing session.

Upcoming Events

April 17, 2025

5-6:30pm PST / 8-9:30pm EST

August 29, 2025

Application Deadline (Extended)

September 2025

Finalist Announced

November 2025

Personal Coaching Phase

December 3-7, 2025

Whistler Film Festival

Past Participants

Vanessa Magic, Screenwriter

Vanessa Magic is a writer/director whose work centers on loneliness and grief, often viewed through an Afrosurrealist lens. She is an alumni of the Slamdance, The Warner Media Discovery Access x Canadian Academy Writers Program and Women In the Director’s Chair. Vanessa’s short film The Absurdity Of The Black Female Experience was selected for the Brooklyn Film Festival, where she won the Audience Choice Award for Best Experimental. Her film The Future Above Us won Best Local Short at Breakthroughs Film Festival, and her latest horror short How To Stay Awake, premiered at Fantasia. Inspired by her dreams, Vanessa aims to create worlds with Black female protagonists, and she is eager to create narratives untold, unseen and filled with magic.

Alison Fraser, Moderator

Alison is a former GEMS board member, former Storyhive, Telefilm and PSP’s first Executive Director, and Executive Producer at Rephrase Filmworks. She’s also an award-winning producer and media executive with over 20 years of experience across the North American entertainment industry including HBO, BET, Court TV, Entertainment One, Rogers and Shaftesbury.

Helene Taylor, Story Editor

Helene Taylor is a West Coast Canadian screenwriter whose eclectic background and neurodivergent perspective fuel her storytelling. She specializes in crafting compelling history-adjacent, genre-blending narratives inspired by real events and IP, often featuring sharp-witted female protagonists navigating unconventional careers. An alumna of the Pacific Screenwriters Program Scripted Series Lab and The Orchard Project Episodic Lab, Helene secured funding from the Bell Fund and Creative BC to develop three original TV series (one-hour drama, procedural to 30-minute comedy) through her production company, Orange Knapsack Productions. Her collaborative strengths shine through mentorships with industry veterans like Simon Barry (Warrior Nun), participation in multiple Whistler Film Festival Talent programs, and partnerships with Corner Gas alumni and Elevation Pictures. Drawing from decades of film industry experience in Canada and New York, Helene’s writing dismantles social constructs, amplifies underserved voices, and explores themes of acceptance, unconventional bonds, and institutional dysfunction with authenticity and heart.

Michael Flamank, story editor

Michael is a writer, story editor, & filmmaker who has built his reputation on recognizing and supporting fresh ideas, stories and unsung voices across the industry. His work has been featured across North America on television and in multiple award-winning films, including the Jamaican folk-horror DUPPY with Director Andrew Hamilton, and winner of the TIFF Jury Award, “JELLY” in collaboration with Director March Mercanti. He is a proud protege of acclaimed Story Editor Daniela Saioni (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Bridesmaids, Suits), who hails Michael’s “unparalleled passion and dedication to enhancing the specific vision of the creator” while being “quite simply, a joy to work with.”