Event poster for 'Cold Read' film screening, scheduled for Thursday, July 23 from 5 to 7 PM at Interlake Brewing Co., featuring a photograph of a woman holding a camera or phone, surrounded by a purple and blue gradient background.

EVENT DETAILS:

 Event Date: July 23, 2026
 Location: Interlake Brewing Company ,72-A 1st Avenue, Gimli, MB.
 Time: 5PM-7PM!

NOTE:

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE GIFF X ACTRA x OURTOBA

NEW SUBMISSIONS WILL STILL BE CONSIDERED FOR FUTURE COLD READS.

Learn more

The Cold Reading Events Offers a creative space for networking, education, inspiration, and creative exploration for women, non-binary and gender diverse filmmakers.

We are accepting script submissions from women, non-binary & gender diverse writers. We accept All scripts; Feature Film, TV episode, Web Series, Short Film, Radio, & Play scripts.

We are also accepting submissions from actors of all diverse backgrounds and genders. We always have a variety of roles to fill.

Submissions will be considered for programming through the whole year.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a script this month! We were incredibly impressed by the number and quality of submissions :)

If your script wasn’t selected for this Cold Read, don’t be discouraged! Many of our applicants will be featured at upcoming Cold Read events. Be sure to follow along and subscribe to our newsletter / instagram so you don’t miss future announcements!

GIFF x ACTRA x OURTOBA

LIVE COLD READ

Submit Here!

HOST:

Woman kneeling on the floor holding a handgun, surrounded by firearms and gun accessories.

Clarke Wayne is an award-winning filmmaker, novelist, and producer. At 47 Filmworks, she develops documentaries and the docu-series, What Do You Do? After years as a bestselling ghostwriter and an English instructor of grammar and editing, Clarke now writes her own genre fiction and scripts that prioritize uniqueness and engagement. She is represented by ScreenMaster's International.

Reserve Your Tickets here now!

PARTICIPANTS:

Close-up of a woman with dark brown hair, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Lauren Messervey has been involved in the film and television industry since the age of 15. Starting out as a film actor, she performed in several independent films and television series on the East Coast, including Beach Girls (Lifetime), Mr. D (CBC), Haven(ABC), and Hobo with a Shotgun (Rhombus Media). She also attended the acting program at Dalhousie University from 2005-2008. After moving to Toronto, Lauren switched gears from acting to screenwriting. A self-taught writer, she was commissioned to create a Hallmark/Slasher film called Hell for the Holidays for Collingwood Film Co., and her first original feature, The Winner, went to the second round at the prestigious Austin Film Festival Screenwriting competition in 2024. When Covid, pregnancy, and family brought her and her husband to Winnipeg, Lauren found her way back into the film industry. She wrote two episodes of the Super Channel original series, Finally Caught, before switching to original content with her creative partner and friend,

Suzanne Pringle. This led to the creation of Hot New Thing, the first short film that Lauren both wrote and directed. The short won the Golden Boy Award at the Member Initiated Production showcase in June of 2026, and is currently being submitted to the festival circuit. Lauren is thrilled to have her first original screenplay, The Winner, join the Cold Read Series at the Gimli International Film Festival. She’d like to thank OurToba for their incredible support, and give a shout out to her A Team - Suzanne, her husband, Mark, her daughter, Ripley, and her adorable corgi/labrador hybrid, Mr. Bear.

A woman with multiple facial piercings smiling while holding a camera, wearing a black beanie with 'Film Training Manitoba' embroidered on it, and a black leather jacket.

Bridget Clemente (she/her) is a Filipino-Canadian filmmaker and editor based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s Digital Film & Media Production program, Bridget is drawn to character-driven stories that explore identity, community, and the awkward emotional messiness of being human. While she enjoys working across different areas of production, editing is where she feels most at home. Her work has been featured on CBC Manitoba, Festival du Voyageur, and Bell Fibe TV1 (Project Avenue). Her participatory documentary BTM: Unmasking Stereotypes in Alternative Subcultures screened at the 2025 FascinAsian Film Festival, while her recent documentary Vintage in Pride was released through CBC Manitoba, celebrating queer experiences through fashion. Bridget also edited Friendchips, a 48 Hour short film that screened at the 2025 Gimli International Film Festival and continued onto additional festival runs. Bridget is also the Fundraising & Marketing Lead for OurToba Film Network, a Winnipeg-based not-for-profit supporting emerging women & gender-diverse filmmakers. Outside of film, she spends most of her free time at local shows! When she’s not editing or surviving off caffeine and little sleep, she’s probably dancing in a crowded venue, obsessing over hardcore and alternative rock music, colouring, or hanging out with her fat cats.

Đỗ Phương Linh (Dolly) is a Vietnamese filmmaker and editor whose focus is on dreamy and psychological-driven storytelling. They are currently an international student who study at University of Manitoba while also learning and working in film. Their portfolio includes several short films and screenplays which they wrote, directed and edited. They are interested in the language of cinema as a way to express themselves and connect with others. Dolly believes that the film is something that goes beyond words, and one can enjoy it regardless of their culture. When writing a script, they often envision the scenes playing out through a camera lens, closing the distance between words and pictures. They enjoy being on set as the experience enhances their storytelling skills, plus meeting others is always fun. Dolly is joining in with the festival to learn more about the industry and to get to know more people, all while improving their own writing and editing skills.

People sitting around a table in a colorful room with papers, water bottles, and drinks.

Four women sitting at a conference table, reading documents and waiting.

Four women are sitting at a long conference table in a room with white walls. Two women in the middle are smiling and engaging in conversation; the woman on the left has long dark hair and the woman on the right has shoulder-length light brown hair. The table has various items including drinks, a bag, notebooks, and a laptop. Other people are partially visible on the right side, and the background features a plain white wall.

People sitting at a table with documents and water bottles, in a room with colorful wall art including a red bird, yellow coins, and black animal outlines.

“OurToba's Cold Reading Series is integral to the film and theatre community within Winnipeg. Having been lucky enough to feature some of my unpolished work at the series has been a significant help to my writing process. Hearing the characters brought to life by local actors has been amazing, fun and comfortable in the low stakes environment established by Our Toba.

As a queer and non-binary theatre artist, I am so happy that Our Toba is centering a space around the creative work of women and non-binary individuals working in Film and Theatre. It's a fantastic event for actors looking to practice reading, for writers wishing to explore their new material, and great for all who want to connect and network at the event. As I move forward with my current project, I am grateful for the opportunity provided by Our Toba to share my work with an audience, and help me take next steps in my workshopping process.”

— Sarah Struthers

Group of women smiling and sitting around a wooden table in a cafe with large windows, street view, papers, drinks, and a mural on the wall.

A busy indoor restaurant or cafe with many people seated at tables, some standing and talking, some drinking. There are yellow menus, a large whiteboard with drink menu items, and hanging lights visible.

A group of people sitting around long wooden tables in a restaurant or cafe, listening to a woman speaking into a microphone. The room is decorated with blue and white triangular flags hanging from the ceiling, and a large graffiti-style mural on the

A woman with dark hair and glasses, wearing a denim jacket and pearl necklace, is speaking into a microphone while reading from a paper in a graffiti-adorned space. Two other women are seated nearby, one with black hair wearing black clothing and the

A woman holding a microphone, sitting in a crowded indoor space, possibly a cafe or restaurant, with other people seated around her. A large window in the background shows street lights and a reflection of the interior.

A group of seven women standing in a semi-circle indoors, holding papers or books, participating in a singing or reading activity. The background features a large graffiti-style mural on the wall and blue and white checkered pennant banners hanging f

A woman in a yellow dress holding a microphone is speaking to a group of people seated at a long wooden table in a restaurant or cafe. The interior is decorated with blue and white checkered bunting and a large abstract mural on the wall. There are g