Guest Industry Expert — All Access 2020:
ANITA ADAMS
Executive Director of First Weekend Club
Anita Adams has over 30 years experience working in film and television. She got her start in the film industry as an actor, and has worked in development and production on various feature films and shorts. In 1998, Anita launched the Alibi Unplugged Script Reading Series, a monthly forum that brought provocative screenplays to life in front of a live audience. In a short time, the script series became an integral part of the Vancouver film community serving writers, directors, producers and actors.
Through her work with the script reading series, Anita discovered a need to help Canadian filmmakers find their audience and in 2003 she launched the First Weekend Club, an initiative designed to build awareness around a film’s critical first weekend in theatres. What started as a Vancouver based initiative has grown into a national organization which has helped to promote over 700 Canadian films and countless talent. First Weekend Club is highly respected by film industry professionals and organizations from coast to coast. Anita has help facilitate partnerships with some of the biggest film industry organizations, including the Directors Guild of Canada, BC Branch, the Directors Guild of Canada, Ontario, Creative BC, Ontario Creates, The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Union of BC Performers, the National Film Board of Canada, and many others.
In 2018, Anita was honoured with the Women in Film and Television Woman of the Year Award.