Calling all new and emerging Filmmakers! Apply for $20k in funding and support through STORYHIVE’s Scripted Edition
Vesta Giles - Photo credit to Dani Johnson.
Calling all aspiring filmmakers! Do you have a story to tell? Over the past decade, filmmakers and content creators across B.C. and Alberta have been sharing unique stories from small towns and underrepresented voices, through passionate perspectives with support from TELUS STORYHIVE. These stories have sparked conversations, changed narratives and transformed careers.
STORYHIVE is currently looking for new and emerging filmmakers to apply for the STORYHIVE Scripted Edition. Scripts need to be centred around the community you’re applying from. So, if your story is a time loop drama and your character is stuck in a repetitive cycle, your script must take place in your community.
This is your chance to bring your locally reflective, scripted 20- to 45-minute film project to life!
“The launch of the new STORYHIVE Scripted Edition is an exciting opportunity for new and emerging filmmakers in B.C. and Alberta to engage in a dedicated program designed to support fully scripted, locally reflective content,” says STORYHIVE Interior B.C. Territory Manager, Audrey Kiss.
“We’re thrilled to present this opportunity to our communities and eagerly anticipate the creative ideas and stories that will be brought to life through this program. Whether its a gripping drama, a laugh-out-loud comedy or any genre in between, were seeking new and emerging filmmakers to reflect the rich diversity of Vernon.”
STORYHIVE’s new Scripted Edition is open to new and emerging filmmakers as well as STORYHIVE alumni. Applications for the program must be submitted online at storyhive.com/apply by May 21, 2024.
Vesta Giles working on her short film ‘When I’m Dead’. Photo credit to John Buchanan.
Vesta Giles, a B.C. filmmaker, initially found her start in film through support from a TELUS STORYHIVE Edition.
“My first project with STORYHIVE was a short film called ‘When I’m Dead.’ It’s about parents grieving after the loss of their adult daughter to cancer,” Vesta says. “The story was inspired by the death of one of my best friends. I wrote the script and rewrote it several times before trying to look for funding. I had never directed or produced anything in film. I didn’t think STORYHIVE applied to me because it looked, from the outside, like it was decided by popularity in the voting stage.
“I met Jonas at Totally Indie Day and he said I really needed to apply and that not being from Vancouver wouldn’t have any effect on the selection process. I applied and was surprised (and thrilled) when I was selected!”
With help from STORYHIVE, Vesta brought her story from script to screen.
“Working with STORYHIVE was amazing. The funding for the project was so welcome, but the space they created is really what sets STORYHIVE apart from other programs,” Vesta says. “The camaraderie with other filmmakers in the group (some of whom I’m still friends with), and learning from mentors was an experience that is nearly impossible to find in the industry.”
A passionate storyteller, Vesta was able to develop the skills to share her stories in a new way through STORYHIVE.
“Learning the skills to tell a scripted story can prepare filmmakers to tell stories in the documentary field, as well. You get a feel for plot, drama, tension, and breathing space,” Vesta says. “These elements are needed in all stories and scripting is a great way to really hone those skills.”
Vesta’s most memorable moment from the whole experience came after the cameras stopped rolling and the impact of her hard work shone through in an unexpected way in her life.
“My friends, my parents and the parents of my friend who had died, all showed up to the Kamloops Film Festival to watch my short film on the big screen,” she recalls “My mom was sitting next to an older gentleman who had come to see the feature film that my short was playing ahead of. After my film played he turned to my mom with tears in his eyes and said that his son had died of cancer a few years earlier (and) my film had exactly represented what he had felt. He had no idea I had made the film and he later connected with my friend’s parents.
See your film go from script to screen through STORYHIVE’s Scripted Edition
Selected applicants will receive $20,000 in production funding, training, professional mentorship (in partnership with the National Screen Institute) and gain access to more than one million viewers on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+ and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel. Join a growing community of like-minded creatives in B.C. and Alberta, learning and growing together.
Making an impact in B.C. and Alberta
Over the past decade, TELUS STORYHIVE has distributed more than $59 million in production funding, supporting 1,200+ screen-based projects, with over 148,000 hours of robust training and one-on-one mentorship. STORYHIVE has also supported 270+ communities across B.C. and Alberta. Through innovative programs, they provide production funding, training, mentorship and distribution on TELUS Optik TV and online platforms. STORYHIVE remains committed to supporting and empowering the next generation of Canadian filmmakers, content creators and storytellers!
“STORYHIVE is committed to nurturing the next generation of Canadian storytellers by providing not only production funding, but also comprehensive training and professional mentorship with the National Screen Institute through our Editions program. We’re here to help support creatives to bring their unique, locally relevant stories to life and to ensure these narratives reach a wider audience. It’s more than just entertainment; it’s about fostering a sense of community and shared experiences through compelling storytelling,” Audrey Kiss says.
STORYHIVE’s new Scripted Edition is open to new and emerging filmmakers as well as STORYHIVE alumni. Applications for the program must be submitted online at storyhive.com/apply by May 21, 2024.
Stay connected with STORYHIVE and learn about future funding opportunities on their social media channels Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube.
Kiss says that “your local stories are the heartbeat of our communities. Let’s bring your dream scripted film project to life!”
Photo credit: TELUS STORYHIVE.