Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Storytelling is more important than ever as we all face the unique challenges this year has brought us.

Stories entertain, inspire and transform. They remind us of where we come from and where we can go. We need more stories to free our imaginations and open our hearts to create a path of understanding and healing.

To mark the season of giving during December, we’re sharing impact stories from our alumni and board members to show the power of story in action.

Current NSI students are blessed by the commitment of NSI’s Board of Directors – 100% of whom have donated to NSI’s annual fund. Please join them in supporting our students by donating today and making the power of story even more powerful.

Today’s impact story comes from Arnold Lim, an NSI Features First grad.

Arnold credits his NSI training with helping him out of his comfort zone, pushing him to take his project to the next level.

Arnold, a filmmaker from Victoria, BC, entered the NSI Features First program in 2017. His film, All-in Madonna, was in its early stages. After training with NSI and honing his craft, Arnold’s film will premiere at Whistler Film Festival on December 9.

• • •

If you could describe your experience with NSI in three words what would they be, and why?

Inclusive, challenging and motivating.

From the very beginning, my time with NSI was inclusive and supporting; taking me as I was at that point in my film career, while remaining challenging and pushing me to be my best. I was constantly pushed outside my comfort zone to grow and open my eyes to what it takes to level up every day. I take many of the lessons I learned from that experience with me on every project.

How did your training through NSI help you get to the place you’re at in your career today?

NSI was a pivotal moment in my career as a filmmaker. My writing partner Susie Winters and I came in with a passion for film and a feature script for All-in Madonna.

The NSI Features First program helped propel our project through mentorship and training needed to improve the script [and helping us understand] the infrastructure needed to push our project forward.

I believe our work with NSI helped make us more attractive to grants, eventually leading us to apply for and secure a $32,500 BravoFACT grant to make the All-in Madonna short, and then to the Telefilm Talent to Watch for the feature project.

Our feature premieres at the Whistler Film Festival on December 9, and one of the very first major steps for our project was securing the NSI training that was a Northern Star for us to follow on the journey to making our feature.

How did your instructors, mentors and peers influence you to become a better storyteller?

The opportunity to work with the amazing Shelly Quade and Melissa Kajpust from NSI was instrumental. From script notes, to working with the other [NSI Features First] teams were some of the keys to the program.

Being from a smaller film community in Victoria, I hadn’t been exposed to many different filmmakers, and I am proud to say I am still friends with members of other [NSI Features First] teams. They have become valued peers, who offer their expertise to our team to this day.

I never would have met them if it wasn’t for NSI, and that camaraderie and pursuit of continued learning continues on my path to becoming a better storyteller to this day.

What advice or encouragement would you give a prospective applicant considering NSI programs?

If you are thinking of applying for NSI, I would say don’t hesitate. It won’t be easy, but the challenge will help push you further. I am proud of what I accomplished while with NSI, and I would do it again if I could.

What has your career trajectory looked like between when you completed training and now?

I went from having made primarily unfunded shorts when I entered the NSI Features First program, to making funded short films, to now having my first micro-budget feature film.

I still have a lifetime of learning ahead of me, and there were a lot of amazing partners who helped that journey along the way, but NSI was one of the key cogs in helping me grow my craft and understand just how much more I needed to learn. I am still only at the beginning of my career, but that humility is what I try to bring to set every single day.

What was the most transformative part of your learning experience?

There were several transformative moments. Working with the mentors and learning and being inspired by the amazing guest speakers helped me realize that, while it was going to be difficult, making our feature All-in Madonna was possible. As daunting as it seemed, it was possible. Eventually it became a reality and the seed for that was planted at NSI.

What project(s) are you currently working on?

Our NSI feature All-in Madonna premieres at the Whistler Film Festival online starting December 9, and we are working feverishly to get the film ready for its premiere. The film follows Maddie, a small-town teenager who discovers dark secrets about her father and must reconcile herself with the father she thought she knew, and the man he may actually be.

My next project is Best Friend Me, a dark-comedy web series I am producing about mental health that we hope to launch on World Mental Health Day 2021.

Where can people find out more about your work online?

You can follow me at arnoldlimfilms.com, or follow our NSI-supported feature All-in Madonna on Facebook or Instagram @allinmadonna.

What is your favourite Canadian film / TV show / web series?

I love Canadian film so it’s hard to pick just one. I am going to cheat and pick two. I really love Sarah Polley’s Away from Her. Secondly, I loved Albert Shin’s In her Place. I think these two directors are dynamite and deserve way more recognition than they get.

There are so many more up-and-coming filmmakers in Canada too that are amazing but those are two directors whose films I will watch 100 percent of the time for the rest of my life.

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I’ve worked in the Winnipeg film and TV industries for over a decade as a producer and production manager. I’m thrilled to start my next chapter as the newest manager of programs and development at the National Screen Institute.

I was drawn to this industry by my love of movies, and in 2005 when I heard an ad for a new acting program being offered in Winnipeg, I knew I had to attend. Being in front of the camera and surrounded by creative people opened my world to a career path I didn’t know existed. I quickly realized that I had just as much passion for creating content and pulling a production together so I pursued a career behind the scenes.

COVID-19 has created huge challenges for the film and TV industries but it has been inspiring to see how everyone has pivoted to ensure that the industry still moves forward during these trying times. I know that a common activity these days as we hunker down is to find comfort in stories. I think that creating new content is really important work as is nurturing storytellers through this period.

My first project will be managing the STORYHIVE 2020 Podcast Edition. I am a huge fan of podcasts so this feels like a perfect fit for me and a perfect platform for these COVID times.

I reluctantly started listening to podcasts around 2008 after my boyfriend (now husband) put one on. It was all about video games which was not a shared interest. I thought that was what all podcasts were like until another friend suggested I check out This American Life. That show lit a fire in me and since then I have been obsessed. My friends tease me that I always start sentences with “I was listening to this podcast…”. That said, I’ve worn them all down over the years and they’re all now podcast fans too. These days you can find a podcast about anything and everything and I’m here for it.

Throughout my time working at various production companies in Winnipeg I’ve had the pleasure of working with NSI students and alumni and I have seen the valuable training NSI provides. As the newest manager of programs and development, I am very excited to now be part of the team that brings these programs to life and help provide meaningful training to future generations of storytellers.

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Join a team that is committed to the sustainability and production of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) content in the film and television industries.

The Racial Equity Media Collective (REMC) is currently seeking a managing director to support and lead its rapidly growing organization. This is a six-month contract starting as soon as December 20, 2020 with the possibility for renewal.

REMC is a federally incorporated non-profit organization committed to equity in the film and television industries in Canada. Fueled by research and rooted in community engagement, they work to support creators who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.

REMC’s head office is in Toronto, but they welcome applicants from across the country.

Qualifications include:

• Five+ years of experience in the film and television industry
• A developed understanding of anti-racism and anti-oppression frameworks
• Ability to build and foster relationships with community members, industry leaders and stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience in grant writing
• Knowledge of data driven research and policy reform practices
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage a number of deadlines simultaneously
• Technical aptitude in software/applications like Google Suite, Excel, Word, design software like Canva, Mailchimp, Adobe, website management platforms like Squarespace
• Communications experience and comfort managing social media accounts

Read the full job description and apply by December 16, 2020.

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Registration is now open for CMPA’s Prime Time online 2021 – a free virtual networking event.

The annual event from the Canadian Media Producers Association is a meeting place for leaders and trendsetters focused on media production, broadcasting, television and feature film in Canada. With the 2021 event shifting online, Prime Time plans to incorporate new opportunities for you to connect with buyers and decision makers and help you promote your latest projects.

Prime Time online begins streaming January 28 to February 10, 2021. Registration is free and will give you access to conference sessions, virtual receptions, the CMPA Indiescreen Awards and the Prime-Time Pitch Market.

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The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Gibson to the position of manager of programs and development effective immediately.

In her role, Jessica will manage the TELUS STORYHIVE Podcast Edition working with content creators in Alberta and BC, in addition to several other new NSI programming initiatives focused on diverse creators. Her position replaces Elise Swerhone, current manager of programs and development, who is now working part-time at NSI.

“With 13 years of hands-on producing and production management experience, Jessica brings a fresh, creative energy to the National Screen Institute team,” said Joy Loewen, NSI CEO. “We welcome her passion for storytelling, and genuine commitment to developing greater opportunities for creators from diverse backgrounds whose voices need to be heard.”

“Throughout my time working at various production companies in Winnipeg I’ve had the pleasure of working with students and alumni of the National Screen Institute and have seen the valuable training NSI provides,” said Jessica. “As the newest manager of programs and development, I am very excited to now be part of the team that brings these programs to life and help provide meaningful training to future generations of storytellers.”

Jessica comes to NSI from Winnipeg-based Media RendezVous Inc. where she was production manager looking after a portfolio of projects from development to delivery. She has previously held positions at Eagle Vision and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).

Jessica has built a successful career as a film and television producer and production manager since transitioning from her role in front of the camera as an actor to behind the scenes over 10 years ago.

She has extensive experience managing televised live events, including the Aboriginal People’s Choice Awards and Indigenous Day Live. She was an associate producer on the award-winning We Were Children for the National Film Board and produced the short films Platypus (dir. Trevor Kristjanson) which received funding from BravoFact and Tides (dir. Rowan Grey) which received funding from Harold Greenberg Fund. In her spare time, she and her dog Pepper are a volunteer St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog team.

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