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Write 2 Film 2025

July 13 - July 18, 2025

Overnight Camp For Ages 14-19
An unforgettable experience for creative youth to gain first hand experience in film making. Learn the basics from professional instructors while filming, editing, and producing a film!

$800.00 CAD
$
$800 Base Price
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$800 Subtotal
       


Write 2 Film is brought to you through a partnership with CSIF - the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers. Click the link to find out more about CSIF!



Write 2 Film Experience!

PLEASE NOTE: REGISTRATION CLOSES ON JUNE 30, 2025

Write to Film is a multi-disciplinary filmmaking day camp for youth aged 14-19. It offers campers - with interests in front of and behind the camera - a chance to collaborate on a short film all the way from brainstorming ideas and writing a screenplay to screening a finished film. Their process will be supported by a team of professional screenwriters, cinematographers, editor, actors, musicians and more.


    • Ages 14-19
    • July 13th - July 18th, 2024
    • Overnight camp. Sunday to Friday. July 13th (Sunday) is Orientation.
    • Campers arrive Sunday evening and stay until Friday afternoon.
  • SR1 Site (Formerly Kamp Kiwanis): 241001 Range Road 42, Rockyview, Alberta, T0L 0K0
  • Tuition - $800.00

Write to Film Fees Include

9 hours of daily instruction/activities led by highly qualified instructional and supervisory staff, supervised meals and break times. All supplies are provided. Each participant is required to dress for the weather, bring PPE, indoor/outdoor shoes, and will receive a complimentary copy of YouthWrite: The Magazine.

For those of you new to YouthWrite:

Registration steps continue after registration on this site. After you complete the registration on this site, we ask that you proceed to Campfax, a secure camp database and:

  • fill in important details
  • provide a letter of reference from a teacher/mentor
  • provide the answers to the three Write to Film questions

You are not fully registered until all steps are completed.


Please note

Refunds:

All fees include $100 non-refundable fee.  No refunds will be made if registration is cancelled after June 30, 2025.

A full refund will be possible in the event an applicant is not accepted into the program or if COVID restrictions require that we cancel or reconfigure camp. YouthWrite Society Canada reserves the right to cancel courses and restrict enrollment. Courses, instructors and supervisors may be subject to change.

Medical:
In consideration of our campers' and staff well-being, we strongly advise that all attendees be up-to-date on vaccinations for measles, rubella, and mumps.




When

July 13th - July 18th, 2025

Full Week



 

Where

SR1 Site (Formerly Kamp Kiwanis)

241001 Range Road 42, Rockyview, Alberta, T0L 0K0

Who

Guest Instructors thus far:

Rawd Almasoud
Kara Artym
Anna Cooley
Stacey Harrison
Miranda Martini
Gillian McKercher
Bruce Miller
Suitaakii 
Kaz Nakajima
Miranda White

 

Special Guest Presenter:

Cody Lefthand


Our Super Supers:

Elise Leske

Lead Super Joey Lucius

Eli Smart

More TBA!


Write 2 Film Coordinator:

Anna Cooley


YouthWrite Director-Coordinator:
Gail Sidonie Sobat


Guest Instructors

YOUTHWRITE INSTRUCTORS: THE CREAM OF THE CROP!


Throughout YouthWrite's history, we have prided ourselves on the calibre of our fine instructors.


YouthWrite invites superbly talented and reputable instructors who represent the many facets of the performing, visual, musical, dance, film, and written arts. 




 Rawd Almasoud


Bio

Rawd Almasoud Rawd Almasoud is a Syrian-Canadian film and theatre professional based in Calgary. Her multi-award-winning short documentary film, Uncivilized, toured film festivals nationwide. In addition to producing short films and being a mentor on several filmmaking initiatives, Rawd programs for the Calgary Justice Film Festival and the Okotoks Film Festival and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF) and Documentary Organization of Canada's Alberta Chapter. Rawd works in live theatrical productions as a Stage Manager, and as an Audio Describer for blind audiences with companies like Theatre Calgary. She aims to encourage women of colour and faith from visible minorities to engage in the creative fields. 


Course

Film Review - Description coming soon!




Anna Cooley


Bio

Anna Cooley is the coordinator of Write2Film! Her amazing bio is below in the "Coordinator" section. 


Course

Filmmaking Fundamentals - Filmmaking involves a lot of moving parts. In order to get a movie from their imaginations to the big screen, filmmakers must come together as a team to create a shared vision and a plan to make it happen. Using her experience working in camera, lighting, grip, sound, video editing, production design, set decoration, props, writing, producing, directing and more, Write2Film coordinator Anna Cooley will cover the basics of film production and collective creation, so campers feel prepared to work together in the creation of your films. 


 

Stacie Harrison


Bio

A graduate of the BFA program at the University of Calgary,
Stacie Harrison is an actor, director, producer and acting instructor with
over 25 years of experience. She has taught countless students
throughout Alberta and BC and was a Primary Instructor at
Company of Rogues Actors’ Studio in Calgary for 20 years. She is
the co-founder of Any Road Productions and was the founder and
Artistic Director of Shakespeare in the Valley in Cochrane,
Alberta. Stacie’s recent film credits include Faultline, Marlene, A
Bridesmaid in Love and Damnation.


Course

Acting - Sanford Meisner defined acting as “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances”. In this class Stacie will use Meisner’s principles and techniques as the stepping stone for guiding students toward truthful, authentic and engaging performances. Students will learn how to break down their scripts, embrace the actor’s preparation and bring the written word to life through their own unique perspective. Throughout the workshop the actor will be encouraged to create a personal and intimate connection with their artistic practice.







 Miranda Martini


Bio

Miranda Martini has been writing music since she was twelve, when she composed an original song for her grade six graduation. Since then, she has composed for theatre, film, television, video games and beyond. She’s currently working on a sci-fi musical, and just launched a new album, The Historian (which you can find on Bandcamp and wherever music is streamed). Her favourite movie score is Joe Hisaishi’s for Princess Mononoke.


Course

Hearing Pictures: Using Music and Sound to Elevate Your Films! - Whether you want to tug heartstrings or build tension, music is an essential tool in your filmmaker’s toolbelt for communicating with your audience. As we take our films into post-production, we’ll learn about music’s role in establishing genre, character and tone, as well as some ways to create an effective film score even if you don’t play an instrument.




Gillian McKercher


Bio

Gillian McKercher is a filmmaker best known for directing the feature film, Circle of Steel, an Audience Award winner at the 2018 Calgary International Film Festival. She studied directing at the Canadian Film Centre, where she developed her next feature film, Lucky Star, which also received support from the Harold Greenberg Fund and CFC/Netflix Development Accelerator. Her documentary about oil and gas cleanup, Orphaned, is streaming on CBC Gem.


Course

Directing - Orson Welles once said, "the only job a director can do in a film of real value is to do something more than what will happen automatically". What is directing and why is it important? Gillian McKercher breaks down the mythology of directing with exercises to bring one's "vision" to actuality. Going over techniques such as emotional storytelling, actor blocking, shot lists, and stress management, Gillian's class introduces students to the craft of direction.


 

 Bruce Thomas Miller


Bio

Bruce Thomas Miller is an Anishinaabe filmmaker, writer, director, and producer. He is the owner of First Nation Creations Productions. Bruce attended Theatre Production and Film Production and received a diploma in both. He has worked as a stage manager and in various other positions in the theatre community in Toronto. He then decided to take a detour into social work, and although rewarding, it became too much and he returned to the entertainment industry. Bruce has made numerous short films and various projects and is currently developing his first feature film based on his short film Conviction. Bruce continues to grow as a filmmaker and artist.


Course

Idea to Page to Screen - Basics of Screen Writing - Everybody is a storyteller. But where to find stories, your story? And how do you make an idea come to life? How do you nurture ideas? Learn what a screenplay is and the role of the screenwriter. Explore how to format a screenplay and to set up a scene. Develop characters and dialogue. Examine the importance of story, of knowing your story and our history with story. Let’s brainstorm. Work together. Work alone. Put in the work. And in doing so, learn the basics of screenwriting so that you can get a grasp on filmmaking and begin your filmmaking adventure.




 Kaz Nakajima + Kara Artym


Bio

Kaz Nakajima is a Calgary-born artist. His highly observant and curious personality grew into storytelling and filmmaking. His film credits include: Lost & Searching and Cotard as Director; Sleepwalker and Outrun as cinematographer; Lucky Star and Faultline as Key Grip. He also worked as Grip on Heartland, Ghostbusters - Afterlife and Fraggle Rock. Kaz’s goal is to delve deeper into his creative side and create works of art such as his photography, woodworking or anything that ignites his creative drive and can be enjoyed by those around him.
Kara Artym is a Director of Photography who has 15 years experience in the film and television industry. She specializes in documentaries, web series, and corporate production, all of which seek to bring important stories to the forefront and engage viewers through enticing storytelling.

Kara's approach to filmmaking is one of teamwork, in-depth insight, and building a positive community on and off set. This has provided a well-rounded approach both to project development and to the implementing of the vision of the creative teams involved.


Course

Film Craft: Intro to Cinematography, Lighting and Sound - Discover the magic behind the scenes of movies and TV shows! In this engaging workshop, dive into how you can capture and create stories with camera work, lighting, and sound. Explore different types of shots and lighting techniques used in film and television, and gain the skills to start creating your own cinematic masterpieces. 





 Suitaakii (ᓴᒣᖽ )


Bio

ᓴᒣᖽ  is a Blackfoot storyteller and cinematographer from Siksika Nation. She works and lives in southern Alberta, where the mountains meet the prairies. ᓴᒣᖽ is an alumni of the Adam Beach Film Institute, CineFAM Limitless, and TIFF's The Big Pitch competition. Over the years, she has developed film practices that focus on what it means to be a Two-Spirit and neurodivergent filmmaker that honours land back practices on set. 


Course

Storytelling/Identity- This workshop will start outside, sharing the practice of introducing yourselves to the land, a frequency that very much exists on Blackfoot Territory. This will help create a sense of grounding and connection with the land that takes care of all of us to help us learn how to take care of it back, especially in a film context


Once inside, we’ll look at personal storytelling and how we can use inspiration to help us in our process of making a movie. Inspiration can include favorite movies, favourite songs, favourite nature spots etc., and how it’s okay to allow those inspirations to assist in your own storytelling. We’ll learn about creating process and goals and be open to experimentation and working with, not against, the things we cannot control.  




 

 Miranda White


Bio

Editors are the third writer of a film, using visual and audio queues to make the audience feel and believe the story. Miranda White loves editing and has been an editor for the last 18 years in Calgary. She has worked on documentaries, corporate videos, television shows, CTV & CBC news, and short films. She has taught editing at SAIT, NUTV (University of Calgary), Emmedia, Telus Community Stories and GIFT (Girls in Film & Television). The coolest project she worked on was Fraggle Rock - season 2 episodes 1-4 (as the dailies operator). When not editing, she is can often been seen taking an art class, and has recently been blowing glass and learning pottery.


Course

Editing -  Editing is taking all the hard work from the first 4 days of the program and piecing it together to tell your story. We can add music, sound effects, transitions and visual effects to bring it to life. This is challenging, but can be a lot of fun! 


The Amazing Supers

Handpicked and multi-talented, YouthWrite Supers are the centre of our camps. As artists, teachers and mentors, they bring the X-Factor to YouthWrite.

Elise Leske 


Elise Leske is a past YouthWriter who now dabbles in comedy, camerawork, and crossword puzzles.  When she’s not on set or doing stand up, she likes painting and crushing her opponents in board games (she often loses).  She is also Gail’s favourite. 




Joey Lucius - Lead Super


Joey Lucius is a Canadian Comedy Award-winning performer and has been a staple at Edmonton’s Rapid Fire Theatre since 2007. He’s also a real life certified teacher! As a writer, Joey is a contributor to the online Beaverton, and is currently developing a project about the Filipino-Canadian experience that received a letter of interest from the CBC. He thinks birds are cool! And he knows he is Gail’s favourite!




Miranda Martini 

Miranda Martini has been writing music since she was twelve, when she composed an original song for her grade six graduation. Since then, she has composed for theatre, film, television, video games and beyond. She’s currently working on a sci-fi musical, and just launched a new album, The Historian (which you can find on Bandcamp and wherever music is streamed). Her favourite movie score is Joe Hisaishi’s for Princess Mononoke.




Eli Smart  


Eli Smart (He/They) is a local award-winning director/writer/producer from YYC. He started writing prose at the age of 9 which, in turn, kickstarted his filmmaking and theatre journey, which he began at age 15. Eli’s passion for filmmaking has given them many amazing opportunities, and shown him that the best part about the arts is the community surrounding it. Whether it’s staying up late with your friends trying to finish a project, or sharing ideas while juggling the ones you already have, being in the arts is one of the greatest joys in the world, and Eli is honored to be a part of it!! They are also eager to become Anna’s favourite! 




Maia Tustonic

Maia Tustonic is a journalism and political science student at Carleton University with a passion for shining light on untold stories. A proud alumna of various theatre and choir programs in Calgary, and currently an editor at the Charlatan and the Carleton Global Review, Maia has loved writing, theatre, and singing for as long as she can remember. She is beyond excited to return to YouthWrite for another summer full of imagination and friendship, plus being Anna’s favourite!




Write 2 Film Coordinator

Anna Cooley


Anna Cooley is thrilled to be back as coordinator of Write 2 Film! She is passionate about championing the next generation of storytellers, and very excited about the talented group of instructors and supervisors who have been assembled to guide campers through the filmmaking process during camp. 


Anna is an award-winning filmmaker, born and raised Mohkinstis (Calgary). Her directing credits include feature films Faultline and A Sauropod Abroad, short films Garden Shark: there are some things dementia can’t touch, See Me, BrokeHer and Sleepwalker, and web series Gender? I Hardly Know Them, Abracadavers and Scout. Her cinematography credits include Living Without Menace, The Goats of Monesiglio and Clebs. 




YouthWrite Director- Coordinator

Gail Sidonie Sobat


is a multi-award-winning teacher and author, with twelve books for children, teens and adults, and a number of educational and academic articles. A Global News Woman of Vision and an Arts and Culture Citation Award recipient, she is the YouthWrite creator/ coordinator, an international presenter, an instructor in the professional writing program at MacEwan University and in the Faculty of Education at U of A. Gail was The Writers’ Union of Canada Regional Representative for Alberta, NWT and Nunavut, and writer in residence with the Metro Edmonton Federation of Libraries. 


She has moved forty times in her life from Badlands to Siksika Nation Reserve to hideous suburbs to Istanbul to the Sunshine Coast to her writer’s garret in a century-old temperamental house. She adores all of her Supers & Coordinators equally, and loves YouthWrite like a madwoman!