Kellie Ann Benz

Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award-winner and Leo nominated, Vancouver-based writer/director Kellie Ann Benz began her writing career in 1994 when she optioned her first screenplay to Cambridge Films. This opened up the doors for funding from BC Film for a feature script entitled Celia. In 1996, Kellie Ann wrote and directed The Second Coming that screened at festivals in London, Austria, France, Ohio and Toronto.

In 1999, Kellie Ann won a Telefilm Canada/Director’s Guild of Canada Kickstart grant to write, direct and produce another short film, Cinderella; Single Againthat premiered at the 2001 VIFF. She was co-commissioned in 1999 to create a television series for the Comedy Network which led to the development of three series, all which aired on the Comedy Network from 1999- 2001. The last of those projects, Rockpoint PD garnered Kellie Ann and her cast and crew a number of Leo nominations.

Since 2001, Kellie Ann has worked steadily writing feature film scripts. The Wedding Guy, How to Break Up With Your Mother and Driving Dad Home are just some of the comedy screenplays she has developed. In 2007, her only drama script – the 17th century British based period piece entitled Celia – was optioned to Somnapix of Vancouver and Los Angeles. In the summer of 2007, a feature script Kellie co-wrote for Amaze Film and Television went to camera. Finn on the Flyarrives in theatres in 2009.

Her third short film, Awkward premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2008 and has since been officially selected for the BFI London Film Festival, NY Short Film Festival, VIFF, France’s prestigious Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, Okanagan Film Festival, Spokane International Film Festival, Austria’s 11/22 International Festival of Comedy Short Films, Italy’s Slow Food On Film Festival, Korea’s Puchon Film Festival, Montreal’s Just for Laughs Film Festival and Canada’s most important short film festival, the CFC Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival. Awkward will soon be seen through the UK on Propeller TV.

In April of 2009, Kellie Ann was awarded the Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award for Awkward. As a proud member of the Vancouver filmmaking community Kellie Ann began publishing The Shorts Report in 2009. The Shorts Report is a popular online blog highlighting the achievements of Canadian short films around the world.