HELENE TAYLOR

Helene Taylor writes projects ranging from short film, to full length feature and TV series. Recent writing projects include the short films, Bureau 121 (Top 25 Table Read My Screenplay Hollywood, Quarter-Finalist ScreenCraft, Winner, Diversity Feedback Film Festival, Winner, Script to Screen Summit, Winner, The Crime List), Sucker (Best Drama, Hollywood Just4Shorts, Best unproduced script, London International Film Festival), the play  #YOUTHREE and tv pilots ALL THE RAVE (accepted Austin Revolution Film Festival) and FAIRWATERS (co-writer Jax Smith).

Helene has worked as  a script reader, researcher, PSA writer and award-winning TV producer (Canadian Cable Television Award for Best PSA).

She studied at Carousel Theatre, Simon Fraser University , Vancouver's William Davis Centre and Capilano College's Film Production Program. She graduated LAByrinth Theater Company's Master Program (co-artistic director Philip Seymour Hoffman) in 2004 sharpening her playwright skills with teachers such as George C. Wolfe, Stephen Adly Guirgis John Patrick Shanley, Jose Rivera. Alumni of Atlantic Theater Company Acting School. Student of Second City and Upright Citizen's Brigade. Her work behind the scenes as the stand-in for TV series Nurse Jackie (Edie Falco), Prime Suspect (Maria Bello), Win-Win (Amy Ryan) and reader for ABC Studios. She continues her studies at Story Farm.

A student at CapU’s Creative Writing Associate Degree program her short stories have been published in the west coast LIAR literary magazine.

JAX SMITH

Jax Smith is co-creator of the branded-content series, ‘Turning the Tables’ for Shaftesbury Films Inc.

Three of her TV pilots have been optioned to production companies. Four of her projects placed as ScreenCraft Film Fund Quarterfinalists, and she’s earned a ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship Quarterfinalist placement.

Jax directed and co-wrote the short film MENTAL. A BravoFACT recipient, it thrived in an extensive festival run, won several awards, and received five Leo nominations, including Best short drama and Best screenwriting. It garnered Jax the 2019 WIFTV Spotlight Image Award for, ‘an outstanding short work that shows production excellence or a unique, visionary approach.’

Jax also directed THE STAKEOUT, nominated for an EDA award for ‘Best Female-Directed Short’ at the Whistler Film Festival 2017.

She’s directed projects for First Star and the World Wildlife Fund, which have screened on CBS, The Knowledge Network, and Urban Rush TV.

Jax served on the Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival jury and works as a story editor and creative consultant for JBA (Jeb Beach & Associates).

DISCORD

Jax Smith & Helene Taylor co-wrote, DISCORD. The short film script placed in the Top 25 Table Read My Screenplay Austin, is a finalist in the Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards, an official selection of the Cindependent Film Festival and a Quarter-Finalist in both ScreenCraft’s Film Fund and Short Film Screenplay competition.

We thought it might be helpful to include some of the following social media handles for people and organizations that we recall mentioning in our interview with you. We very much believe in raising everyone up.

Ashley Alexander

Instagram - @livingfreeashley  

Twitter -  @livingfreeactor

Jeb Beach

Insta  - @teacherjeb

Twitter - @JebBeach

WIFTV (women in film & tv)

Insta - @WIFTV

Twitter - @WIFTV

www.womeninfilm.ca