BC
SCREENWRITER
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
SEASON TWO
Supporting British Columbia’s next generation of horror
and genre screenwriter.
3
EMERGING B.C-BASED SCREENWRITERS
3
PROFESSIONAL MENTORS
MORE THAN FEEDBACK.
IT’S SUPPORT BEYOND THE PAGE
The BC Screenwriter Development Program gives emerging BC-based writers the tools, mentorship, and feedback to take their stories and careers further.
LIVE TABLE READS
A live table read of your screenplay before an audience of horror fans and industry professionals
LIVE
TABLE READ IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE
PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK
In-depth feedback from a panel of three established screenwriters who have reviewed the script in advance
1-ON-1
MENTORSHIP & PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP
One-on-one mentorship sessions to support your next draft, pitch materials, or professional development
INDUSTRY COMMUNITY
Opportunities to connect with members of Vancouver and BC’s film and television community
There’s something unavoidably vulnerable about hearing your work out loud. Raw, unrelenting, nowhere to hide. The VHS BC Screenwriting Program put CRYPTID on its feet in a room full of strangers, and it changed how I understand my script. I received incredible feedback from the people who know horror inside and out and am grateful for the connections and friendships that came out of this. Thank you VHS!
- Alex Vance, Screenwriting Program Alumnus
The Program
AUG 14
OCT 17
LIVE TABLE READS
4
PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK
SEPT 14
GET SELECTED
5
MENTORSHIP SESSIONS
Selected screenwriters will have their scripts presented as part of a live table read series before an audience of horror film fans, industry professionals, and a panel of three established screenwriters, each of whom will have reviewed the scripts in advance.
Following each table read, the panelists will offer constructive feedback to the writer on what worked, what didn’t, where the strengths and opportunities lie, and provide advice on how to elevate the script and story as the writer prepares to approach their next draft.
Each writer will be paired with a mentor for follow-up one-on-one sessions, offering further advice and guidance as they continue developing their screenplay, refine their pitch deck, or pursue another professional development activity agreed upon by the mentor and mentee.
Participants will also have the opportunity to connect with established writers in the field and take part in high-quality networking events with the broader Vancouver and BC-based film and television community.
Learning how to receive feedback, discern what serves the work, and apply it without compromising one’s artistic voice is a practice writers continue to refine throughout their careers. This program will help selected participants strengthen that skill, turning constructive criticism into meaningful fuel for their creative process. This program is designed to help emerging writers strengthen their screenplays, sharpen their creative instincts, and build the tools and networks that will serve their careers for years to come.
Screenwriters must be based in British Columbia.
Screenwriters may not have been the lead writer on a produced feature film with a theatrical release.
Screenwriters may have been the lead writer on a completed short film.
Scripts must be 25 pages or under including title page.
VHS takes a broad and liberal definition for what constitutes "horror", and will accept submissions in adjacent genres like Dark Drama or Gothic Fiction so long as scripts contain elements which share thematic, stylistic, or psychological elements associated with horror.
Scripts must be in English, or be provided with English translation.
Dennis Heaton is a writer, showrunner, and executive producer currently working on Fox's "Murder in a Small Town", and show-ran Netflix's "The Order".
Karen Lam is a celebrated and award-winning horror director ("Curse of Willow Song", "Evangeline", "Armageddon Road") and writer.
Rachel Langer is a Vancouver-based screenwriter whose television credits include Transplant, The Order, The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, Ghost Wars, and This Life.