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A baseball movie about women written by women. We know. Crazy, right? Well actually it’s not. Hi! We are Lara and Morgan, the writers of SLUMP. Why did we decide to write this film? One, we were tired of waiting to be cast in our dream roles, so we wrote them for ourselves. Two, we wanted to write a movie based on our insider perspective of growing up in, and being exposed to, the inner world of professional sport. We want to share the most beautiful moments, as well as the ugliest, from a completely different perspective - the female one. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will walk away with a better understanding of the damaging effects that team rituals can have on those who are unwillingly - or willingly - involved.
"...if a team's in a slump, or if you personally are in a slump, you gotta find the fattest, gnarliest, grossest chick and you just gotta lay the wood to her..."
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When Sidney, an overweight tomboy, finds herself helping out the underrated baseball player with his swing, rumours and jealousy test their budding friendship. Tensions rise when Sidney’s older sister, Mackenzie, returns to town withholding a secret that has the ability to damage her own precious image. With Sidney suddenly being the talk of the locker room, and an unexpected visit from the sisters' infamous retired pro-athlete father, what lengths will one family go to stay on top?
Director’s Vision - Tom Scholte
First, let me confess that I am an unrepentant sports junkie. So for me, the guiding star of this whole project is the deep and abiding respect and admiration I have for the two powerful young women at its core: Morgan Churla and Lara Deglan. Having been fortunate enough to have been one of their acting professors at the University of British Columbia, I got to know them as performers and as human beings in a way that I feel has enriched me as an artist and as a person. Along the way, they revealed to me a vision of the kinds of resilient and complex characters they have inside of them, as well as the profound need for these characters, and others like them, to be seen on our screens. Young women who will not be easily pigeon-holed and whose lived experience gives them both profound insight into an often unforgiving world, as well as the strength of character to retain their generous humanity in the midst of all of its madness. Together, they have crafted a courageous tale of love and acceptance that will have you laughing through your tears. One that reminds us all that, while external “success” of all kinds can be elusive and fleeting, the quality of the relationships you build along the way are the bedrock of your life in the long run; so build them with care. I am honoured to have the privilege of doing everything I can to help bring this story to the screen with all of the delicious, heartbreaking and hilarious complexity with which Morgan and Lara have it on the page. I hope that you can help us, in whatever small or major way, to bring it to a screen near you.
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LARA DEGLAN - Writer, Lead Actor ("Sidney Ryan"), Producer
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Lara is an actor and writer who has a passion for telling unique stories that are representative of real people. Tired of being told that her personality and mannerisms don’t match those of a “typical overweight person,” she is passionate about telling stories that break stereotypes surrounding fat people, like herself. Thus, her favourite role to date was playing Julie Lefray - the brassy, confident, no-nonsense wedding planner - in the award winning comedy series, The Country Club, which Lara co-created, co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in. Awards include: Best Television Pilot (Canada International Film Festival, 2019; Amsterdam Film Festival, 2019; Yosemite International Film Festival, 2018), Platinum Reel Award for TV Pilot (Nevada International Film Festival, 2018), and Best Web Series (Top Shorts Film Festival, 2018). She is overjoyed to bring SLUMP to life, blending her love of situational comedy and real life drama into one unforgettable film.
MORGAN CHURLA - Writer, Lead Actor ("Mackenzie Ryan"), Producer
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Morgan is originally from the USA, but now calls Vancouver, BC home. She is an actor, writer, and has her own wedding and event planning company. Morgan is a graduate of the BFA Acting program at UBC and has been active in the theater and film community. She has always loved telling stories and is thrilled (mostly terrified) she finally gets to tell her own. The need to tell this story is overwhelming and urgent. Morgan hopes SLUMP will resonate with you in more ways than one.
Her recent film credits include Chasing Saudade (Honorable Mention- Best Woman Short), The Country Club (Comedy Series, various awards), and Lucy Dies (short) written by Andrea Bang. Favorite theater credits include Chutney in Legally Blonde (Align), Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games: The Musical trilogy (District13 Presents), Carry On The Musical (Winner of Pick of the Fringe) and April in Company (United Players).
NICHOLAS LEA - Supporting Actor ("Bruce Ryan")
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A veteran of television and film in both the U.S. and Canada, Nick is known internationally for his fan favourite portrayal of FBI turncoat and resident bad guy, Alex Krycek on the hit FOX TV series The X Files. From NYPD Blue, CSI and Arrow, to V, The Killing, Men In Trees and NCIS New Orleans, Nick’s wide ranging career has seen him in a long list of memorable and exciting lead and recurring roles. He’s filmed at over 13,000ft in Vertical Limit, hung by one arm from 17 floors in The X Files and even made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live!!
With over 80 film and tv credits and Emmy, Golden Globe, Gemini and Leo award nominations to his name, Nick’s work as an actor has spanned 30 years. Nick’s newest work includes the upcoming CBS reboot of the Twilight Zone and NBC’s The InBetween, both airing in early 2019. Nick is excited by a chance to work with Tom again and to be a part of this young, talented group of newcomers.
LYNDA BOYD - Supporting Actor ("Cherry Ryan")
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Lynda Boyd is an award winning actor/singer with an extensive background in theatre, music, film and television. Her recurring role as “Darlene” on ABC Family Channel’s FALCON BEACH garnered Lynda her second Gemini nomination (Canada’s “Emmy”). Most recent credits include starring opposite Diane Keaton in the Lifetime television movie ON THIN ICE, with Leslie Neilsen in SLAP SHOT 3: THE JUNIOR LEAGUE and Lucas Black in FAST & FURIOUS 3: TOKYO DRIFT (both for Universal); with Owen Wilson in I SPY (Columbia Tristar), Amanda Bynes in SHE’S THE MAN (Dreamworks), Jennifer Lopez in AN UNFINISHED LIFE (Miramax) and as Blake Lively’s bestie in THE AGE OF ADELINE. Guest star roles include E.R. (Warner Bros.) with Jim Belushi and THE TWILIGHT ZONE (UPN) with Jason Alexander and most recently THE “L” WORD, COLD CASE, SANCTUARY, SHARK and PSYCH. Lynda starred in the CBC hit REPUBLIC OF DOYLE, for six seasons playing “Rose Doyle” and garnering her third Gemini/Screenie. TIN STAR is her current project, starring alongside Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks.
MATT KENNEDY - Story Contributor, Lead Actor ("Chase Owens"), Producer
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Matt Kennedy is a graduate of the BFA Acting program at UBC and is the co-founder of Young Moviemakers, an award-winning acting and video production program for children and youth ages 5-18. He works as a resident filmmaker and educator with Mulgrave School in West Vancouver and is the coordinator for the Zoom Film Festival, one of BC's largest student film festivals.
He is excited to be working with such a talented group of artists and can’t wait to finally get SLUMP off the page and onto the screen.
LINCOLN MCGOWAN - Supporting Actor ("Devon Jones")
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Lincoln was raised in Yellowknife, NT where he was primarily a competitive athlete. It wasn’t until high school when he found a real passion for the arts and has worked tirelessly in pursuit of that passion ever since. First, chasing a career in writing and then ultimately finding a deep love for acting that brought him to Vancouver, BC. In the years since, he’s worked in film and television in and around Vancouver.
Some of his recent credits include Van Helsing (2018), Supernatural (2019) and Supergirl (2019).
NICOLE YUKIKO - Story Contributor
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Nicole Yukiko is a performer, creator, and collaborator living on the ancestral and unceeded territories of the Coast Salish people.
As a storyteller, her focus is on sharing the experiences of underrepresented communities; both as a member of the 3.7% Initiative (through Boca del Lupo) and a collaborator with Universal Limited on “JAPANESE PROBLEM” (2018 Jessie Award win).
Being part of Slump has been a meaningful process as a sexual assault survivor and lover of sisterhood. I hope audiences are reminded of their own resilience through the stories of these women.
TOM SCHOLTE - Story Contributor, Director
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A Professor of Acting and Directing for Theatre and Film at the University of British Columbia, Tom is a nationally recognized actor and director for both stage and screen. . His numerous film and TV credits include a Gemini (Canada Screen Award – Television) winning performance on Da Vinci’s Inquest and a Genie (Canada Screen Award – Film) nominated performance in Bruce Sweeney’s Last Wedding. As well as Lead Actor, he was story co-author on Sweeney’s Dirty that premiered at the Sundance Festival and opened the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival in 1997. He made his feature film-directing debut with 2007’s CRIME which premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival before a run on SuperChannell. He was also an actor/co-creator on all three of Carl Bessai’s “Family Trilogy” earning a Leo Award (Excellence in British Columbia Film) for his performance in Sisters&Brothers. Over the past twenty years he has appeared with such theatre companies as the Arts Club, Vancouver Playhouse, Ruby Slippers. Pi Theatre and Toronto’s Modern Times Stage Company, and was a founding member of Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre. In addition to his teaching and continuing artistic practice, Tom’s research focuses on intersections between systems theory and theatre.
JOHN ZIROS - Producer
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John Ziros is a Canadian writer and filmmaker living in Vancouver, BC, on the ancestral, unceded territories of the Coast Salish people. John often helps great Canadian stories push forward to become unique Canadian films. John has produced and assistant directed six Canadian features, two of them with our director, Tom Scholte. John helped to produce SHE WHO MUST BURN (2015 - award wins: Montreal Fantasia-Best Feature, Toronto BITS - Best Feature, Vancouver Leo - Best Sound + 9 nominations), CRIME (2009) and CROSSED (2008). John assistant directed on the Canadian features THE HAMSTER CAGE (2005 -award wins Austin-Best Feature, Rotterdam-Audience Best Feature and Vancouver VIFF Best Actor), EIGHTEEN (2004) and FIVER (2004). John also directed and co-wrote the short films THE SHOVEL (2001), IRRETURNABLE (2003) and acted in the short film SPANISH FLY (2000). Additionally, John assistant directed 33 live episodes of the television comedy-variety show PAUL ANTHONY'S TALENT TIME (2010-2014 Amazon Prime/Shaw/Novus). John writes comedy and creates abstract short films.
ALISON CHISHOLM- Associate Producer
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Alison Chisholm is thrilled to be a part of the production team of Slump. She is currently the Executive Director of Pacific Theatre in Vancouver BC and has helped in the producing of over 100 stage productions in her thirteen year tenure as a theatre producer and manager. She has helped create several new works, including writing for her own theatre company, Whirlwind Theatre Productions. While she is primarily an administrator, Alison is also an experienced theatre performer, improviser, and director. She is excited to be crossing disciplines once again and assisting in the producing for film after just completing her first Associate Producer role with Neon Cinema Films, on their production of The Color Rose where she assisted with props and set decoration. She could not be more thrilled to be surrounded by another incredible female led team for Slump!
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$25,000 is not a lot of money (unfortunately) and not our dream budget. It is our budget to get this story on camera, which is what is most important to us. We can sit around and hope and pray we get funding, but we aren’t those kind of folk. This is a funding campaign for Phase 1. Phase 2 will be post production and distribution, which will cost just as much - if not more. We will be applying for funding and grants for completion and will continue to crowdfund for the remainder.
Our film is scheduled to shoot end of July and August. We have been planning for over a year and are ready to go.
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Total Budget: $25,000
- $8,800 - Equipment Rentals & Insurance.
There's no way around this cost. It's usually the biggest of the production, and for good reason. The truth is, there's a limit to the quality you can achieve if you skimp on equipment. Luckily, with a few connections, we’ll get a good bang for our buck.
- $3,000 - Script Copyright & Legal.
We need to get our script cleared for production as well as pay our super incredible entertainment lawyer, Sarah Bell. We aren’t taking any shortcuts in making sure this film is made properly.
- $2,550 - Locations/Transport
We have really been fortunate in that a lot of our locations are letting us shoot for free. We have 10 locations secured. Massive thank you’s to you all - you know who you are. But, we do have to shoot a significant amount at a baseball field that will need to be rented and paid for.
We are incredibly lucky to have an amazing cast and crew that believe in this project so much that they are willing to lend their talents under UBCP's Ultra Low Budget Program. Because of their generosity, we are able keep our cast and crew costs low. Special thanks to Canadian Film and TV legends Nick Lea and Lynda Boyd!
We have three baseball teams that need full uniforms and gear. Authenticity is key for our production, so we will need to have professionally printed team logos and last names on the backs of jerseys.
We need to eat, and want our cast and crew to be happy. An army marches on its stomach, after all.
- $2,500 - Art Department & Misc.
From props, set decoration, and makeup artist kit fees, to printing and office expenses, we want our set to look and run like a dream.
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Women in Film
Get on the support train of the next wave of female filmmakers! With a cast of strong female leads, we want to ensure that our film has a strong female base in all creative roles in order to combat the lack of representation in the past. We plan on having a predominantly female crew to not only ensure that we are giving equal opportunity to women, but also so that we can truly tell this story through a female lens; it is after all a story about women and, therefore, should be handled by women. In doing so, we hope to not only inspire women to share their stories, but also to help pave the way for more women to get involved in film - in front of and behind the camera. It’s our turn to speak up and validate female voices and experiences, as well as be a platform for women to lend their voices to narratives that have historically been told by men.
Why Now?
The “Me Too” and “Times Up” movements have brought a much greater societal awareness of the deplorable correlation between being female and the likelihood of being sexually assaulted. One in four North American women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime and only 6% of sexual assault incidents are reported to the police (Sexual Assault Statistics in Canada). This is what we are up against. Though women’s voices are more rapidly being heard in the entertainment business, only recently are they being heard, and taken seriously, in sports. Sexual assault allegations and convictions in the sporting world have been increasingly growing in the last few years and we know that there are many more to come.
But, sexual assault is not the only problem that we are up against; there is also a lot going on behind the scenes in locker rooms that are unknown to most, especially women. Whether it be team hazing, or pranks, there are many “games” that have been prevalent in team culture for generations that, supposedly, help build team unity. There are a slew of code words surrounding these rituals that many people outside of sport have never even heard of, especially women. But, it is not just in sport where these “games” are played. The fact that more and more stories about “Pulling a Pig” or “Pigging”, where men are dared to hook up with the most unattractive girl are trending is, frankly, nauseating. Whether it’s universities, or organizations, protecting their star athletes in sexual assault cases, men getting away with taking advantage of unsuspecting women for a laugh, or women not knowing that they are involved in something far bigger that goes beyond their own traumatic experiences, one thing continues to ring true: we have a big undertaking. But, with your help, we have a better chance of putting up a good fight.
Our goal in telling our stories is to bring awareness to these team rituals and the damaging effects for those who are unwillingly, and willingly, involved. We want to promote change so that no other woman (or person) has to feel the ramifications of being targeted for sport. Shedding light on these rituals is key, so that no other woman (or person) can be blindsided as we were.
Lara is an actor and writer who has a passion for telling unique stories that are representative of real people. Tired of being told that her personality and mannerisms don’t match those of a “typical overweight person,” she is passionate about telling stories that break stereotypes surrounding fat people, like herself. Thus, her favourite role to date was playing Julie Lefray - the brassy, confident, no-nonsense wedding planner - in the award winning comedy series, The Country Club, which Lara co-created, co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in. Awards include: Best Television Pilot (Canada International Film Festival, 2019; Amsterdam Film Festival, 2019; Yosemite International Film Festival, 2018), Platinum Reel Award for TV Pilot (Nevada International Film Festival, 2018), and Best Web Series (Top Shorts Film Festival, 2018). She is overjoyed to bring SLUMP to life, blending her love of situational comedy and real life drama into one unforgettable film.
Lynda Boyd is an award winning actor/singer with an extensive background in theatre, music, film and television. Her recurring role as “Darlene” on ABC Family Channel’s FALCON BEACH garnered Lynda her second Gemini nomination (Canada’s “Emmy”). Most recent credits include starring opposite Diane Keaton in the Lifetime television movie ON THIN ICE, with Leslie Neilsen in SLAP SHOT 3: THE JUNIOR LEAGUE and Lucas Black in FAST & FURIOUS 3: TOKYO DRIFT (both for Universal); with Owen Wilson in I SPY (Columbia Tristar), Amanda Bynes in SHE’S THE MAN (Dreamworks), Jennifer Lopez in AN UNFINISHED LIFE (Miramax) and as Blake Lively’s bestie in THE AGE OF ADELINE. Guest star roles include E.R. (Warner Bros.) with Jim Belushi and THE TWILIGHT ZONE (UPN) with Jason Alexander and most recently THE “L” WORD, COLD CASE, SANCTUARY, SHARK and PSYCH. Lynda starred in the CBC hit REPUBLIC OF DOYLE, for six seasons playing “Rose Doyle” and garnering her third Gemini/Screenie. TIN STAR is her current project, starring alongside Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks.
Lincoln was raised in Yellowknife, NT where he was primarily a competitive athlete. It wasn’t until high school when he found a real passion for the arts and has worked tirelessly in pursuit of that passion ever since. First, chasing a career in writing and then ultimately finding a deep love for acting that brought him to Vancouver, BC. In the years since, he’s worked in film and television in and around Vancouver.
Nicole Yukiko is a performer, creator, and collaborator living on the ancestral and unceeded territories of the Coast Salish people.
A Professor of Acting and Directing for Theatre and Film at the University of British Columbia, Tom is a nationally recognized actor and director for both stage and screen. . His numerous film and TV credits include a Gemini (Canada Screen Award – Television) winning performance on Da Vinci’s Inquest and a Genie (Canada Screen Award – Film) nominated performance in Bruce Sweeney’s Last Wedding. As well as Lead Actor, he was story co-author on Sweeney’s Dirty that premiered at the Sundance Festival and opened the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival in 1997. He made his feature film-directing debut with 2007’s CRIME which premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival before a run on SuperChannell. He was also an actor/co-creator on all three of Carl Bessai’s “Family Trilogy” earning a Leo Award (Excellence in British Columbia Film) for his performance in Sisters&Brothers. Over the past twenty years he has appeared with such theatre companies as the Arts Club, Vancouver Playhouse, Ruby Slippers. Pi Theatre and Toronto’s Modern Times Stage Company, and was a founding member of Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre. In addition to his teaching and continuing artistic practice, Tom’s research focuses on intersections between systems theory and theatre.
Alison Chisholm is thrilled to be a part of the production team of Slump. She is currently the Executive Director of Pacific Theatre in Vancouver BC and has helped in the producing of over 100 stage productions in her thirteen year tenure as a theatre producer and manager. She has helped create several new works, including writing for her own theatre company, Whirlwind Theatre Productions. While she is primarily an administrator, Alison is also an experienced theatre performer, improviser, and director. She is excited to be crossing disciplines once again and assisting in the producing for film after just completing her first Associate Producer role with Neon Cinema Films, on their production of The Color Rose where she assisted with props and set decoration. She could not be more thrilled to be surrounded by another incredible female led team for Slump! 
