michelle jackson emerging filmmaker award
Created and administered by the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, the Michelle Jackson Emerging Filmmaker Award was founded in honour of the late St. John’s filmmaker and student mentor Michelle Jackson.
This annual peer-juried award is open to emerging women and gender-diverse directors who reside in Newfoundland and Labrador and have not yet directed a feature film.
With a total value of over $35,000, the prize includes mentorship, in-kind services, and $15,000 cash towards creating a short six-minute film. The completed film premieres at the Closing Night Gala of the 35th annual St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival.
2023 WINNER
Elizabeth Hicks
Elizabeth Hicks is an actor, writer, and filmmaker from Newfoundland and Labrador. She wrote and directed the Picture Start film Bounce, available on CBC Gem. Elizabeth co-produced the Bell Fibe series JackTV and Tales from the Floordrobe. She and her work have been featured at the Women’s Work Festival, Atlantic International Film Festival, St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Nickel Independent Film Festival, St. John’s Shorts, and sketch comedy festivals in NYC, Chicago, Montreal, and Toronto. Elizabeth holds a Master’s degree in English and a Diploma in Performance and Communications Media from Memorial. She is currently a law student at the University of Toronto.
award alumni
2023 - Elizabeth Hicks, I Need to Get This Off My Chest
2022 - Brianna Russell, Poster Child
2021 - Anna Wheeler, Vegas
2020 - Jamie Miller, Proximity
2019 - Kerrin Rafuse, La Véillée
2018 - Latonia Hartery, The Death of Winter
2017 - Kerry Gamberg, Crush
2016 - Emily Bridger, Waste It
2015 - Wanda Nolan, Crocuses
2014 - Jenina MacGillivray, The Tour
2013 - Tamara Segura, Before the War
2012 - Jackie Hynes, The Passenger
2011 - Ruth Lawrence, Two Square Feet
2010 - Allison White, Decolored
