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 of Terrace.
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 Northern B.C. Territory Manager, Erin Shaw.
“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 it’s a gripping drama, a laugh-out-loud comedy or any genre in between, we’re seeking new and emerging filmmakers to reflect the rich diversity of Terrace.”
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.
Daniel Stark, a B.C. filmmaker, initially found his start in scripted filmmaking through support from a TELUS STORYHIVE Edition.
“My first project with STORYHIVE was a short film called ‘The Logging Road’. It’s a tense and very grey story about a police officer investigating a suspicious vehicle stopped down a logging road off of Northern B.C.’s Highway 16 in the middle of the night,” Daniel says.
Daniel found TELUS STORYHIVE to be an ‘unbelievably helpful next-step’ into a more structured approach to filmmaking. He also benefited from STORYHIVE’s unique partnership with the National Screen Institute, which partnered him with mentor and fellow filmmaker Nicholas Humphries.
“Nicholas gave me plenty of creative space but was also invested in filling any gaps I was needing help with during the process,” Daniel says.
That support became even more helpful after the film was finished.
“He vouched for our film to get into its first public screening and gave invaluable advice about which festivals to submit The Logging Road into. Having another filmmaker in your corner, giving you confidence in your work, allows you to take steps forward without second-guessing and over-thinking.”
STORYHIVE also provided them the creative freedom and room to make mistakes, find solutions and grow without hindering their natural filmmaker instincts, he reflects.
Daniel was inspired to create a scripted project with STORYHIVE when he learned of the funding opportunities and support the program provides to B.C. and Alberta creators. While other organisations often overlook rural communities, TELUS STORYHIVE is designed to help creators from all backgrounds share their stories.
“Living in Northern B.C., creatives are constantly looking for funding opportunities and sometimes it feels impossible to get the attention of the people or organisations who can help. STORYHIVE is an organisation that I know looks into parts of the provinces that are often overlooked,” he says.
“They also played a critical role in the early careers of many of the filmmakers I look up to in Western Canada, who got a shot (or two) at making their early visions a reality with STORYHIVE funding and support. Seeing how these opportunities kicked off their professional creative trajectories, applying to STORYHIVE was the obvious next step for me.”
One of the most memorable moments for Daniel during the production of his film came in the middle of a late-night shoot. Surrounded by buzzing insects and the eerie roar of passing semi-trucks on the highway, Daniel and his crew raced to finish one of the most pivotal and emotional scenes of the film before sunrise.
“Seeing our brilliant actor, Matt Russell, locked into the most emotional part of our film. I thought, ‘This is exactly what filmmaking is all about. We are really doing it.’ It felt like a first glimpse into what a consistent and stable filmmaking career in the North could be like,” Daniel recalls.
For other aspiring filmmakers Daniel suggests being ambitious, kind and creative with their ideas.
“There is no expectation that you need to be perfect,” he says. “Tell a story that means something to you and the people around you. Every application, every script, and every film is a snapshot of where you are at in your creative journey, so make your thing, make the most of it, and keep going.”
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,” Erin Shaw 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.
Shaw says that “your local stories are the heartbeat of our communities. Let’s bring your dream scripted film project to life!”
