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Two-Day TV Writing Intensive Program with Ins Choi

By March 23, 2023February 5th, 2024No Comments

FascinAsian Film Festival is proud to host playwright and television writer, the creator of Kim’s Convenience, Ins Choi, for two very special events:

TV Writing Workshop with Ins

In this two-day workshop, Ins Choi leads six participants through the process of writing half hour sitcoms.

The purpose of this workshop is to demystify the process of writing for TV by leading participants through the nuts and bolts of a TV writing room: pitching ideas, developing stories, outlining and scripting. Like anything, to get good at it takes hard work and a long time but learning the tools and getting a feel for it doesn’t have to. Previous participants have come from playwriting, sketch comedy, improv, stand up, fiction, screenwriting or have had some real tv/film experience and wanted more. Six participants will be chosen from an application process that includes:

  • A CV
  • Ten pages of original writing sample
  • A one-page cover letter introducing themselves and why they want to be part of the workshop

*For the FascinAsian film festivals, all applicants must self-identify as Asian or have Asian as part of their multi-racial identity. The goal is to provide development opportunities to this specific under-represented group, not to be exclusionary of other racial groups.

**The workshop runs over two consecutive days from 10am-5pm with an hour lunch from 12:30pm-1:30pm.

***Those selected to participate will also receive a Super Pass to the festival as well as some festival swag!

Winnipeg

When: May 4th & 5th, 10am-5pm @ the University of Winnipeg Theatre and Film Department

Cost: For those selected, the cost is free – Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Canada Media Fund and the University of Winnipeg Theatre and Film Department

Calgary

When: May 11th & 12th, 10am-5pm @ Calgary Central Library – BMO Meeting Room

Cost: For those selected, the cost is free – Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Canada Media Fund and the Calgary Central Library

Submissions: To submit your work for consideration, please send your materials in PDF format, and information to this submission page.

Submissions open on Thursday, March 23rd and close on Thursday, April 6th at midnight.

Always Writing with Ins

Ins Choi shares from his experience as a writer and growing up as an Asian artist in Canada. A Q&A based on some questions sent in advance via social media to follow.

Winnipeg: Saturday, May 6th @ 11am – Ilipvik – The Learning Steps, Winnipeg Art Gallery

Calgary: Saturday, May 13th @ 11am – Calgary Central Library – Patricia A Whelan Performance Hall

Cost: $10 or free with a festival Super Pass

Early-bird passes available now at our box office site: Winnipeg | Calgary

Ins Choi was born in Korea but grew up and currently lives in Toronto with his wife and two children. He graduated from the acting program at York University. Some of his acting credits include Banana Boys, lady in the red dress (fu-GEN); Hamlet, The Odyssey, Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew, All’s Well That Ends Well (Stratford Festival); Alligator Pie, Death of a Salesman (Soulpepper). As a writer, his debut play, Kim’s Convenience, won the Best New Play award and the Patron’s Pick at the 2011 Toronto Fringe festival. It then launched Soulpepper theatre company’s 2012 season, toured across Canada, and was adapted into a TV series of the same name on the CBC and Netflix for 5 seasons. Ins was a writer, executive producer and co-creator of the TV series. He has also written a solo show called Subway Stations of the Cross and was part of the collective that created Alligator Pie, re(birth): ee cummings in song, Window on Toronto (Soulpepper); 2000 Candles (Brookstone). His latest play, Bad Parent, was recently produced by Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre and toured to Prairie Theatre Exchange, the Cultch and Soulpepper. He recently taught at the Canadian Film Centre through it’s Bell Media Prime Time TV Program and enjoys giving writing workshops. Whether it’s poems, songs, stories, theatre, tv or film projects, he’s always writing except when he’s hiking in the woods or camping in a provincial park.