WORKSHOP (In-Person)

The Development Landscape: Preparing your Script and Package for Execs - SOLD OUT

with Courtney McAllister, VP of Development, Vortex Productions
Sunday, December 12, 2021 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Location: Arts Court

Courtney McAllister will draw on her vast experience as a screenwriter and development exec to lead a workshop and discussion about what it takes to get your project optioned or into development with production companies. This will be an excellent opportunity for screenwriters and filmmakers to hear about the process and expectations, how to get noticed, see examples of successful pitches and projects, as well as to ask questions directly to an executive. She will also discuss current trends in the Canadian film and television landscape for emerging screenwriters.

This is an in-person workshop, with a maximum of 8 participants. COVID-19 protocols will be in place for all attendees.

This workshop will be offered in English only.

About Courtney

In her role as VP of Development at Vortex Media, Courtney has helped both emerging and established filmmakers develop and package their scripts, including a script she optioned that has since sold to Blumhouse and Amazon. Of the hundreds of screenplays she’s read and provided notes for, she has proudly seen 20+ greenlit projects go to camera— selling well internationally afterwards, including the indie horror hit Anything for Jackson, directed by Justin Dyck.

In addition to her development responsibilities, Courtney wrote four made-for-tv movies throughout 2020-2021, including Inn for Christmas, starring Jonna Walsh and Jesse Hutch, which aired on Lifetime in the USA and on The W Channel in Canada, as well as A Perfect Match, which aired on The W Channel in Canada. Her other two titles (Baking All the Way and Christmas in Trinket Town) are currently in post-production and are scheduled to air in Q4 of 2022.

And though her background is in writing, in the spring/summer of 2018, Courtney produced the critically acclaimed documentary series Street Spirits for Bell Canada. While earning her Master’s Degree in Media Production in 2016, Courtney managed the production on Night Owl, a web-series that premiered at SXSW Film Festival in March, 2018.