Sophie Kokott has been awarded the WIFTV Whistler Film Festival Film Market Preparation Mentorship for her project Butter. Sophie is a passionate Canadian filmmaker who works tirelessly to bring creative people together and push boundaries in order to tell unique stories. As one of the co-creators of Floor Thirteen Films, she isn’t one to wait around for opportunities, she makes them happen.
“I am incredibly excited for this opportunity to grow my skills as a filmmaker,” Sophie expressed. “While I feel that my independent learning has provided me with a great base for how to navigate this crazy career path, I cannot wait to finally get some one-on-one time with an industry professional and take a deep dive into my creative process.”
Sophie’s experience working with film, theatre, and digital content, displays her love of the craft and creation of Canadian content. Her primary goal as a filmmaker is to tell stories that resonate with and represent audiences that are often overlooked or forgotten about. Focusing recently on telling queer female-led stories. She has a voice, a story, and a perspective and wants nothing more than to share it with others.
Sophie will receive industry immersion at the Whistler Film Festival, as well as personalized coaching sessions with an experienced producer/mentor. This year’s mentor is Tina Pehme, Creative Partner, Sepia Films, and co-founder of Honalee Entertainment. For the last two decades, Pehme has developed projects and relationships internationally through her extensive work on US, Canadian and International co-productions. Pehme’s background in production allows her to bring hands-on knowledge of physical production as well as the ability to anticipate production needs in a variety of budget ranges and co-production scenarios. As a partner at Sepia Films, Tina has developed, consulted, and produced for both film and television in Canada, the US, India, the United Kingdom, China, South Africa, Ireland, Spain, and Argentina.
“We are proud to collaborate with WIFTV and continue to address gender diversity in film, television, and digital media,” says Angela Heck, Managing Director of the Whistler Film Festival. “Through programs like these, we seek to achieve a more gender-balanced industry, on and off-screen, while elevating the voices of Canadian creators.”
The WIFTV Whistler Film Festival Market Preparation Mentorship is going into its 9th consecutive year. Special thanks to the WIFTV Whistler Film Festival Mentorship jury which consisted of Carleen Kyle, President of the WIFTV Board of Directors and Writer/Director/Film School Lecturer; Naomi Ambrose, Director/Camera Operator/Editor, (Winter Poetry Talkshow) and founder of BrillyShine Entertainment Inc.; Petie Chalifoux, Writer/Producer, (Bella’s Story for APTN); and Michelle Kee, VFX Producer at Crafty Apes VFX, (Ghostbusters, The Terror). The jury could not have been more pleased with their selection of Butter.
“Sophie’s body of work and fresh voice put her in a great position to make Butter an irresistible coming-of-age story for generation Z,” says Carleen Kyle. “Sophie’s eagerness and excitement to participate in the mentorship was noticeable and commendable,” adds Naomi Ambrose.
The Whistler Film Festival Society is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development, and promotion of new talent culminating with a must-attend festival for artists, industry, and audiences in Whistler. Find out more at whistlerfilmfestival.com
For further information on Women In Film and Television Vancouver (WIFTV) please visit the following social media links
Facebook: @womeninfilm
Twitter: @WIFTV
Instagram: @WIFTV
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