Shiloh Mahgwees Nyce
Shiloh Nyce is an Indigenous female screenwriter and actor from the Haisla Nation on the northwest coast of Canada. Her First Nations name is Mahgwees, meaning "snag on the beach". The Pacific coast was her childhood playground and has had significant inspirational influence on her artistry. She attended MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada, where she received a degree in Theatre Performance. Additionally, Shiloh then went on to receive a Bachelor’s Teaching Degree in Theater & Music from BYU-Idaho. Shiloh soon transitioned her stage practice to film with acting credits including Lakes 7 and the Golden Gun, The Life of Jesus Christ, and Maggie to name a few. In 2016 Shiloh founded the Salt Lake Actors Studio; a workshop that provided free performance education for the acting community.
Shiloh then took time off to re-establish her roots in Haisla Territory. During this experience she realized she could play a significant role in keeping her history and culture alive through story. She had two personal dreams given to her that eventually became the foundations for her short film scripts; Hear Him and One Who Knows.
In late 2020, Shiloh was accepted to WIFTV’s Tricksters and Writers Program in Canada, a film writing scholarship for Indigenous women. She was instructed by Indigenous female filmmakers and under their tutelage wrote One Who Knows, which was then selected to be read and performed live at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival. One Who Knows is currently still receiving several festival selections and wins. Shiloh plans to direct One Who Knows and adapt it into a children’s book. She is also working to complete and direct her newest feature length film, The Matriarch. Presently, she lives in Midvale, UT with her husband and 4-year-old daughter. More dreams to come.
My first ten pages are attached in PDF format. Ken Sheridan, a member of the Pager Turner Awards Team informed me via email to upload my FULL pdf short screenplay (23 pages) onto the submission link provided. I am aware only the first 10 pages will be read by judges. Thanks, Shiloh Nyce
LOGLINE:
A young Indigenous woman mysteriously wakes up in a creek on the Pacific Northwest coast of Canada. While in the wilderness, she follows the guidance of an old Shaman to complete a series of dangerous quests where she must face her deepest fears. The monsters await. Will she live to tell her tale?
Comments
FYI Readers
One Who Knows is written in English but has some authentic Indigenous Haisla language with translations throughout.
A moving love letter to tradition
Loved it!
It's a simple but very enjoyable initiation journey. The world has a mystical dimension to it and the atmosphere is engrossing. We know very little of DU’QWELA or her culture, but it doesn't matter, we are with her every step of the way.
It reminds me a lot of Michaël Dudok de Wit's Red Turtle and similarly, I think it would work tremendously as an animation.
All the best with your project moving forward, and hopefully we get to see it on the big screen!
Thank you Abe!
In reply to A moving love letter to tradition by Abe de Cugnac
I am just seeing this comment now and it made my day!:) Thank you so much Abe for all the great feedback and kind things you had to say about my screenplay. Feeling really honored someone read it and compared it to The Red Turtle. Wow. Thank you.
I agree that not much needs to be said about some of the characters as they are a universal connection to us all. It’s meant to inform us of our own personal journeys and making it too specific would take away from the important questions we need to ask ourselves. I am glad you saw that as intentional, because it was.:)
Like you, several others have also mentioned that it would be well adapted to an animation. I think this would be so neat… but I can’t ignore the fact that my old stomping grounds of the Canadian west coast has an incredible landscape that would be phenomenal on film, so would love to produce that project first. Maybe at some point a less scary/simple version of a children's picture book as well.
And of course, there is always room for improvement on any piece of writing. I will continue to take constructives and make it better:). Good luck with all your future projects and endeavors friend. ♥️🙏🏽 Much appreciation, Shiloh