Director Harmony Wagner was recently awarded a 1KWave Atlantic award to produce her latest film, Singing to Yourself. A drama, the story answers the question—when a young deaf woman decides to forsake the world, what can pull her from her island of silence?
Presented by Women in Film and Television Atlantic and pUNK Films, 1KWave Atlantic is a call for brave and bold features from Atlantic Canadian women. The initiative will allow five female filmmakers the opportunity and to make a feature film under the guidance of industry mentors. With just $1000 in cash.
More importantly, says Wagner, the initiative addresses the discrepancy between male and female directors in the industry. She explains that in Canada, just 17% of feature film and television programs are directed by women. Of those projects, only 4% have budgets higher than $1M.
“I think people get scared to hire women directors when big bucks are on the line,” says Wagner. “If five women can crank out five features in five months with five thousand dollars, then we’ve done our parts to say it’s time to put those fears aside.”
