presented by
Seminar 2: Sunday October 20, 2024
10am - 3pm • The Studios at Assembly Park
From Script to Screen:
Crafting Stories that Captivate Audiences
Join us for a screenwriting seminar that guides you from script to screen. We'll explore how to find story ideas that connect with audiences, draw from personal experiences for authenticity, and understand audience preferences. Learn to create compelling characters, develop their arcs, and write dialogue that reveals their motives and traits.
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Sean Cisterna
Panelist
Director
Sean Cisterna is a multi award-winning and versatile film director. His latest film is the feature documentary The Long Rider (2022), the expansive and inspiring story of Filipe Leite's journey from Canada to Brazil entirely on horseback, and filmed in 13 different countries. Cisterna found success with From the Vine (2020), an international coproduction starring Emmy winner Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, Memento, The Sopranos), and distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Cisterna directed the acclaimed cancer drama Kiss and Cry (2017), which topped the Canadian box office, and is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide. His 2015 feature Full Out, starring Jennifer Beals (Flashdance, The L Word), is based on the true story of gymnast Ariana Berlin. The film was broadcast on NBC, now residing with Netflix Worldwide and Disney Europe. Cisterna is currently working on a slate of drama and documentary television projects with national broadcaster TLN Television, supported by the Canada Media Fund. Cisterna was awarded a Canada 150 Citizenship Award by the Federal Government for his dedication to and community engagement in the arts. He is currently in production on Silver Screamers, a feature documentary about a group of senior citizens who come together to make a horror movie.
Fabio Montanari
Moderator
Filmmaker/Professor
Fabio Montanari is a filmmaker and film professor, who has written a number of series for top networks including Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video, and National Geographic. As a Screenwriter and Director, Professor Montanari’s independent work has been screened in major film festivals around the world. He has created content in multiple markets including in the U.S., Argentina, and Venezuela. Montanari is an Assistant Professor at York University and is a member of the Connected Minds Program, where he researches the intersections of Artificial intelligence, Storytelling and Screenwriting.