Women in Film & Television Vancouver (WIFTV), is pleased to announce the recipient of the WIFTV BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL MENTORSHIP 2019. This year, the jury selected Indigenous film actress and writer Sarah Kelley, who will be mentored by Elizabeth Schofield; Director of Scripted Development for Omnifilm Entertainment Ltd.
In addition to a thorough consultation with her mentor, Sarah will have the astounding opportunity to attend the Banff World Media Festival from June 9-12, 2019, at the Fairmont Banff Springs. She is also set to meet with a member of the WIFTV team before and during the festival.
The WIFTV Mentorship jury was comprised of Shannon Kaplun, filmmaker and VP of WIFTV’s Board of Directors; Nessa Aref, filmmaker, Production Coordinator/Manager; Elizabeth Schofield, Director of Scripted Development for Omnifilm Entertainment Ltd; Jessie Anthony, filmmaker Outreach Coordinator at WIFTV. Executive Director of WIFTV, Carolyn Combs, sat as Chair, and spoke on behalf of the jury:
“There were so many strong applications but the jury was unanimous that Sarah Kelley with her TV series project, In The Shadows, was best poised to benefit from this opportunity.”
Sarah has been interested in film as both a performer and a writer for several years, relocating to Vancouver from Ottawa, Ontario to pursue this passion. She booked a recurring role on the TV series Arrow (2017), a small role in When We Rise (2017), and landed her first big role as supporting lead in the film Kayak to Klemtu (2017). She was able to ground her focus on writing through WIFTV’s Tricksters and Writers program, leading to the completion of her first feature film.
When asked about her reaction to being selected as this year’s mentee, Sarah expressed her gratitude for the opportunity:
“I feel so, so grateful for this wonderful opportunity Women in Film & Television has given me. I really believe this is a stepping stone that I need not only to be a successful writer, but to help me in meeting the right people to help get this and future projects made. Being a successful, Indigenous woman story teller is important to me and to my community; I want to show the youth and my family to never give up on your dreams.”
From company promotion to creative development and production management, it is no surprise that Elizabeth will be serving as this year’s mentor. Elizabeth pulls together the strongest and most suitable talent possible, working closely with talent to nurture the material and pitch to its potential. During production, she is a key part of managing and reviewing each creative stage, and other core production aspects.
Elizabeth shared her excitement regarding mentoring Sarah:
“It’s been a pleasure and an honour to be a part of the Banff Mentorship jury, and to now be mentoring the incredibly talented Sarah Kelley. Thank you to WIFTV for organizing such a wonderful opportunity for local talent. I’m positive Sarah is destined for great things in this industry – watch this space!