Wallaceburg woman advances to phase two of television program

The television series concept by Wallaceburg’s Eva Thomas, one of the creators of Dwayne Has Issues, has advanced to phase two of National Screen Institutes Totally Television program.

“Eva and her writing partner Darren Anthony (of Etobicoke) enter phase two along with fellow participants Eva Colmers and Gordie Lucius (both from Edmonton, Alberta,” National Screen Institute officials said in a press release.

“The four will continue to polish their TV projects with the support of industry mentors.”

National Screen Institute officials say Thomas has participated in the inaugural imagineNATIVE/Harold Greenberg Fund Indigenous Story Editing Mentorship.

“As a story editor/mentor, Eva has worked with writers in the imagineNATIVE Screenwriting Intensive, Magee TV Diverse Screenwriters Mentorship program and Women in Film and Television (WIFT) – Vancouver’s Tricksters and Writers program,” National Screen Institute officials say.

“Eva was selected for the 2018 LA SKINS Native American Feature Film Lab in Los Angeles, the 2019 Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative and the 2019 Telefilm Talent to Watch program.”

She will be producing her first feature in 2020, National Screen Institute officials say.

For both teams remaining in the Totally Television program, a three-day intensive boot camp will be delivered online later this year to provide teams with customized guidance and mentorship as they prepare to attend Content London in December, travel guidelines permitting.

“NSI Totally Television provides customized, hands-on training for Canadian producer/writer teams to develop story ideas into polished packages to present to buyers in the global marketplace,” National Screen Institute officials said, adding that the program has gotten results.

“The creators of Ethics 101 from 2019 have signed a development contract and both phase two projects from the 2018 edition of the program were picked up by production companies for further development, six series have been produced, five series have been optioned, one project was produced as a feature film and 3,000+ jobs have been created in Canada’s screen industry through NSI Totally Television projects.”

The program is made possible by presenting sponsor Bell Media, program partner Telefilm Canada, supporting sponsors Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and CBC Gem and provincial sponsor Creative BC through the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarship Fund.

The program’s core funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and the city of Winnipeg, through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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