Montreal: This year’s edition of the Summer Institute of Film and Television, the 20th, is scheduled for June 20-25 in Ottawa. The five-day program includes a popular nightly screening series, chances for serious networking, especially at parties, and professional development workshops in screenwriting, directing, producing, performance, new media and the production crafts.

For its 2000 edition, sift is inviting a number of prominent graduates as special day guests or to present their new productions, says Institute founder Tom Shoebridge.

Screenwriting workshops from beginners’ level to advanced, children’s to comedy will be led by Ken Davidson (The Deceiver), Don Truckey (Net Worth), Greg Lawrence (The Endless Grind), Ken Chubb (Giant Mine), Mary MacKay-Smith (Katie and Orbie), the writing team of Jack Blum and Sharon Corder (PowerPlay, Babyface) and Aussie filmmaker Paul Cox (Man of Flowers, Innocence).

Directing craft workshop instructors include Annette Mangaard, Leon Marr, Clement Virgo and John Greyson.

Producing workshop instructors – covering the range from documentaries to shorts, feature films to tv drama, and low-budget filmmaking and production management, include Shimmy Brandes (The Five Senses), Murray Battle (Water Damage), Penny McCann, Bill Marks (External Affairs), Paul Lauterman (Harry’s Case, Cover Me), Gary Burns (Kitchen Party) and Pete O’Brian (My American Cousin).

sift’s impressive list of acting craft instructors this year includes Booth Savage, Gale Zoe Garnett and Megan Follows.

sift is also offering workshop series on new media, lighting design, art direction and assistant directing

Discounts are available for members of the dgc, actra, the wgc and the acct.

The Summer Institute of Film and Television is operated by the Canadian Screen Training Centre, a national non-profit organization based in Ottawa.