Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Amherst Island native screenwriter Laurel Brady has been named one of five recipients of Telefilm Canada’s New Voices Award.
Brady was recognized with the national award for her script, Better In The UK, which follows a small-town teen who dreams of bigger adventures in far-off places. In the process she accidentally falls in love with many parts of her small town.
Brady, who lived on Amherst Island for her teen years and attended Napanee District Secondary School from 2003-07 says she’s often asked if the script is based on her life.
“It’s kind of like any writer where there’s definitely aspects that are autobiographical in the sense of feelings and experiences, but the work is fiction,” she said. “It is a bit more fiction, but definitely aspects of myself because as a writer it’s natural bits of your own experience would come into a story.”
Earning the New Voices Award is a huge vote of confidence for Brady as she hopes to workshop the script into a series.
“It just feels like a great thumbs up for the body of work and the experiences I’ve had, I’ve been writing as an adult for 14 years, so it’s very exciting.” Said Brady.
Along with the recognition the award brings with it some materials to help get her script to the next step. That includes being connected with a mentor via Zoom meetings to help develop the script, access to a Professional Screenwriting and Television Writing Workshop hosted by award-winning playwright and screenwriter Corey Mandell as well as the ability to attend webinars hosted by industry professionals.
During her years on Amherst Island Brady gained experience through productions at NDSS as well at the Selby Community Theatre. She spent a semester honing her skills at LCVI with a focus program centred on film and media. After graduating NDSS she went on to study theatre at York University, screenwriting at George Brown College and sketch writing at Second City Toronto. In 2019 she won the Magee TV Diverse Screenwriters Award.
Along with screenwriting she also has credits as a playwright as well as actress, having written six short films, most recently HUNGRY, which was an official selection of the Portland Comedy Festival. Her plays have also been featured on stages across Ontario.
“I’m story editing and consulting on some projects as well as working on a number of my own as well,” she said of what’s next. “It’s really exciting and I’m so grateful to be working within my field. It is years and years of writing.”