At the National Screen Institute, we’re thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of our community. Through Focal Point, we aim to highlight significant milestones our alumni, associate faculty and friends achieve in their projects and careers.

Congratulations to Julie Hackett on her appointment as contract program manager of TELUS STORYHIVE. Julie will manage the Black Creators Edition and Game Changers Documentary Edition.

Julie is a film editor and post-production supervisor with over 20 years of industry experience. She got her start working in post-production on the television series The Adventures of Shirley Holmes. Captivated by the artform, Julie and her husband Bruce Little launched their own post-production company iSplice Films in the early 2000s.

Julie is driven by her desire to help others through storytelling. For many years, Julie worked as an associate faculty member for CBC New Indigenous Voices, mentoring emerging Indigenous filmmakers as they learned the essentials of the industry.

In honour of her dedication to uplifting these creators, the National Screen Institute nominated Julie to receive the Winnipeg Arts Council Making a Mark award in 2017.

When presented with the opportunity to join the National Screen Institute as program manager, Julie was ready for the challenge.

“This position has reinvigorated my drive to help my own community create their own success,” says Julie. “When this program came up, it was an absolutely natural fit.”

Julie’s first program will be the inaugural TELUS STORYHIVE Black Creators Edition, launching this February. The program is designed to support and empower the next generation of Black content creators in British Columbia and Alberta. Selected participants will receive a $20K production grant, training and mentorship from the National Screen Institute and distribution support.

Julie was thrilled to see the excitement and interest leading up to the program launch. She hopes this program not only builds a community of Black creators in western Canada, but also helps creators strengthen their voices and have their authentic stories heard.

“I love to see how participants grow into these confident creators. I’m hoping my enthusiasm rubs off,” says Julie.

Welcome to the team, Julie! We’re excited to have you lead these creators as they tell their stories and share them with the world.

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TELUS STORYHIVE is a community-powered funding program from TELUS for content creators in British Columbia and Alberta. Content creators submit their pitch ideas for a chance to win a production grant and distribution opportunities.

Once the finalists are chosen, the National Screen Institute provides mentorship and training for the selected projects and their creators.