Tara Cates

Tara Cates has built a career as a writer, story editor, director, creative producer working in prime-time series, daytime strip serial, documentary, sketch comedy, short and feature length drama, animation and award show variety. She has been involved on over 1000 union, non-union, co-op and student film, video, television, theatre and literary projects. As creative consultant and story editor, Tara owns and operates Zydeco Creative Consulting and HERetic Films & Productions and is on the Harold Greenberg Foundation’s list of recommended story editors. Tara is a former screenwriting mentor for the Toronto International Film Festival, alumna of the Canadian Film Centre (CFTPA Award recipient), CTV Producer Fellow and MFA graduate (York University- screenwriting). She was a media literacy consultant and field producer with the Women's Television Network Foundation and has been a jury member and panelist for the National Student Short Film Festival. Tara has also served as a speaker on Women in the Media for professional women's organizations and was involved in the creation of arts collectives in both Toronto and Winnipeg, among them: The Gas Station Performing & Visual Arts School, Women in Film and Television’s The Studio, WTN Foundation TV Camp for Girls and The Association of Canadian Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. In addition to her media work, Tara is an abstract artist who works in mixed media.