Friday, April 17, 3pm AT

A Talent to Watch Primer with Telefilm and the team from The Snake

Telefilm’s annual Talent to Watch program supports emerging filmmakers looking to finance the production stage of their first feature film project. Many Canadian success stories have emerged from the program, including Blue Heron (Sophy Romvari), I Like Movies (Chandler Levack), Scarborough (Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson), Werewolf (Ashley Mackenzie), and Murmur (Heather Young)—all of which have won several awards, played international festival circuits, and were distributed theatrically.

This session will offer an overview of the program from Telefilm’s Myriam Rafla, as well as a visit from the team of Talent to Watch’s latest triumph, PEI’s The Snake, fresh from its world premiere at South By Southwest and its acquistion by Game Theory Films. Here you can determine whether the program is right for your project, pick up tips to strengthen your application, or bank them for next year.

With Gillian Everill (investment analyst, Telefilm), Jenna MacMillan (director, The Snake), Myriam Rafla (Regional Feature Film Executive, English Market, Quebec Region, Telefilm),
and Melani Wood (producer, The Snake)

About Telefilm:
Passionate about Canadian content, Telefilm is a crown corporation that works to finance, develop, and promote the Canadian audiovisual industry of today and tomorrow.

About The Snake:
The Snake was funded through the Talent to Watch program in 2023. In March of this year, it world premiered in competition at the South by Southwest Film Festival, the first time a feature from Prince Edward Island has done so. The film stars Susan Kent as Jamie, an “ungovernable” wild woman whose abrasive behaviour leads to upheaval in her personal life after a conflict with her mother Anne (Robin Duke) results in her being evicted, and who initiates an affair with her best friend’s husband after being dumped by her own boyfriend.

Note to Making Waves passholders: Every attendee gets access to the online workshops, so there is no need to buy a ticket. You’ll receive an RSVP link each Monday before the sessions.

Friday, May 1, 3pm AT

Designing for Film with Tamara Deverell

Join Academy Award-winning Production Designer Tamara Deverell for an inspiring session of cinematic exploration as she shares her creative process and behind-the-scenes experiences from a number of her latest projects including: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Nightmare Alley, and Sofia Copolla’s Priscilla. Through an in-depth look at various distinct scenes from each film, Tamara will guide participants on the journey from script to screen, revealing how story, design, and collaboration shape the visual world of a movie. This presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, allowing participants to engage directly with Tamara and gain deeper insight into the art of production design.

About Tamara Deverell:
With over 35 years of experience in film and television, Tamara Deverell has devoted her talents as a Production Designer and Art Director to an extraordinary range of projects spanning multiple genres, periods, and visual styles. Tamara’s most recent film is Frankenstein, which reunited her with frequent collaborator Guillermo del Toro, winning her the Academy Award and BAFTA for Production Design. Before that, she designed Priscilla, working closely and creatively with Sofia Coppola. In 2023, she received an Emmy Award for her work on del Toro’s eight-part anthology Cabinet of Curiosities. Her production design for Nightmare Alley earned multiple accolades, including Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, and the Art Directors Guild Award for Best Period Feature. Other notable credits include Star Trek: Discovery and Short Treks for CBS, The Strain for FX, and Incorporated, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Her journey began in Montreal, where she worked in the art departments of numerous productions alongside celebrated Canadian designer François Séguin. As an Art Director, she collaborated with Carol Spier on David Cronenberg’s Crash (1996) and eXistenZ (1999), as well as del Toro’s Mimic (1997). She also served as Art Director on X-Men (2000) with Academy Award–winning designer John Myhre.

Note to Making Waves passholders: Every attendee gets access to the online workshops, so there is no need to buy a ticket. You’ll receive an RSVP link each Monday before the sessions.

Friday, May 8, 3pm AT

Short Film Festival Strategy with Festival Formula

You’ve found the money, shot the movie, composed the score, and made the poster. Now what do you do? Festival Formula knows exactly what you do, and they’ll tell you all about it in this interactive session. Learn what festival strategy is, how to determine whether your project is right for a festival, what’s worth the money (and what isn’t), and tips on how to get programmers to notice you.

With Katie Bignell (founder) and Ian Bignell (film festival strategist), Festival Formula

About Festival Formula:
The film festival circuit is large and competitive. Independent filmmakers often fall in a trap of spending unnecessarily on festivals that do not suit their film or are hoax festivals making a quick money scheme. This complicated aspect of the industry benefits from enlightened guidance and opportunities to connect with other film professionals. Festival Formula wants to nurture your film through an efficient system that is approachable, informative, and showcases your film to the right audience. Our detailed, bespoke strategies and support means you can pursue your filmmaking career with more projects and more networking opportunities; safe in the knowledge you have the guidance you need. We strive to be the ultimate and global resource platform offering trustworthy and strategic guidance for filmmakers and festivals aiming to create a robust film community that gets films noticed.

Note to Making Waves passholders: Every attendee gets access to the online workshops, so there is no need to buy a ticket. You’ll receive an RSVP link each Monday before the sessions.