ANDRE BEGIN

Last weekend, I had the most amazing opportunity to attend “Screen Summit”, a conference bringing together film industry professionals, as part of the International Film Festival of Ottawa.

With seven completed screenplays in my back pocket, you’d think that I’d be more confident heading into the event, but in the days prior, I admit that impostor syndrome followed me like a shadow.

That being the case, in wanting to make the best impression possible and not to look like a babbling idiot, I reverted to my public sector experience and went in deep preparation mode:

• I prepared a few speaking notes in anticipation of questions about what I do and where I am on this journey.
• I refined the elevator pitches for my screenplays.
• I prepared specific questions for the industry professionals I was hoping to meet.
• I also prepared a few general questions to keep the conversation ball rolling with my fellow film industry professionals.

As with many things in life, it takes a lot of work to look effortless and natural. Just the same, with these tools in my back pocket, I felt prepared and slightly more confident.

Shortly after my arrival, the moment I was handed the lanyard and badge saying, “Andre Begin, Screenwriter” the little imposter syndrome voice reappeared, saying, “It’s not too late to back out.” With every ounce of courage I could muster, I chose to ignore the voice.

Fortunately, any nervousness I felt melted away the moment I walked into the conference room. I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in a while and gravitated toward the group with whom he was chatting. Introductions were exchanged, more people joined the group, and before I knew it, I started to feel part of the club.

Introducing myself as a romantic comedy screenwriter didn’t feel second nature at first. But the more that people congratulated me and welcomed me into the community, the easier it got.

As the first panel discussion unfolded, I was riveted by the behind-the-scenes stories shared by the producers. For an aspiring screenwriter, these anecdotes are the building blocks to gaining an understanding of how the business works, to better understand my role in the grand scheme of things. These discussions fed my insatiable appetite to know more about all aspects of television and movie production.

Throughout the day, the panel discussions, networking opportunities, and one-on-one meetings with mentors and industry professionals, in a room full of fellow creatives, left me with a profound sense of belonging and deep gratitude. The mutual respect for each other’s areas of expertise and desire to create impactful stories was an undeniable common thread for everyone in the room.

I truly felt like I was in the right time and place. Imposter syndrome was gone… for now.

The experience exceeded my expectations as I was welcomed and accepted as a screenwriter and offered words of encouragement by complete strangers I had just met. What a great community!

After this great information-sharing and networking opportunity, who knows what the future holds? One thing is certain: given my great experience, conferences like this will continue to be on my radar.

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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André