September 8, 2011

Jacqueline Liu, Leah Mallen and Terra Long were announced today as the winners of the 2011 Daryl Duke & William Vince Scholarships.

The British Columbia Film Foundation’s Daryl Duke & William Vince Scholarships were created to honour the significant contributions of Mr. Duke and Mr. Vince to the film and television industry by assisting in the advanced education of exceptional BC filmmakers.

Eligible disciplines included writing, directing, producing, cinematography, art direction, picture editing, sound design, visual effects and interactive media.  Applications were adjudicated by a jury of active BC film, television and digital media industry professionals.  Each recipient will receive $10,000 towards their educational expenses for the 2011/2012 year.

Producer Jacqueline Liu will use the scholarship to attend the American Film Institute in Los Angeles as a Producing Fellow.  “I feel honored to receive the Daryl Duke & William Vince Scholarship, which will help me attend the American Film Institute for its Producing Program,” says Liu. “I will use this great opportunity to work with aspiring filmmakers from around the world and acquire the knowledge and skills to become a producer specialized in international co-productions. I hope to bring Canadian films to the world, and connect Canada with the world film industry."

Producer Leah Mallen will use the scholarship to continue her studies at the Creative Producer Lab at the prestigious Binger FilmLab in Amsterdam. “I am honored to be one of the recipients of the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarships. This fund will enable me to pursue my studies abroad at the Binger FilmLab in Amsterdam,” says Mallen. “I knew William Vince and he gave me my start in the film industry several years ago and was a great influence and inspiration and I am so appreciative of the opportunity this scholarship affords me.”

Filmmaker Terra Long will use the scholarship to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production at York University in Toronto.  “I feel honored and privileged to be a recipient of the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarships,” says Long. “The support will allow me to focus my energy on my MFA in film production at York University where I will continue to evolve my skills and venture into 3d research. Thank you BC Film Foundation!”

As a director and producer, Daryl Duke’s Emmy Award winning career included successes in feature film, television drama, documentary and television specials. In a professional life that spanned more than half a century, Daryl worked with all of the major North American television networks and for most of the studios in Hollywood.

Daryl began his career as an editor, writer and director at the NFB and a director and producer at the CBC. He is best known for having directed “The Thorn Birds”, the 10 hour mini-series from the best selling book, “Tai-Pan” and “I Heard the Owl Call My Name”. In the mid-1970’s, Daryl founded the independent television station CKVU in Vancouver. He was the station’s first President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, leading it to be the highest rated station in its market.

In a short but prolific career, William Vince produced over 30 feature films including “The Snow Walker”, “Saved!”, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” and the 2006 Academy Award best picture nominee “Capote”. During this time, William established a reputation as a producer with wide-ranging technical knowledge and experience in all aspects of international feature film production, from complicated financing scenarios through post-production and distribution.

William was a champion of emerging filmmakers, giving many people their start in the Vancouver industry. His legacy can be found in the careers of hundreds of film industry veterans who either got their first job with him, or were given the chance to move up the ladder on one of his productions.

 “Jacqueline, Leah and Terra are remarkably talented individuals,” says Michael Francis, British Columbia Film Foundation President. “I am delighted that we are celebrating the lives and careers of Daryl and William by supporting their education and their creative aspirations.”

The British Columbia Film Foundation is a charitable foundation established by British Columbia Film + Media in 2008 to advance the study and teaching of Canadian film, television and digital media studies through the provision of scholarships to students.

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For more information, contact:

Kristen Lukovich
Manager, Communications & Industry Initiatives
British Columbia Film + Media
klukovich@bcfm.ca or 604.736.7997