Passionflower
On Screen Manitoba and Manitoba Film & Music congratulate writer/director Shelagh Carter, actress Kristen Harris and the cast and crew of the Manitoba-filmed Passionflower for their great showing at the recent Vancouver International Film Festival.
Harris was recognized for her outstanding performance in a drama at the VIFF closing night gala and awards presentation on Friday, Oct. 14.
Polly Washburn
“It was an amazing week,” said producer Polly Washburn. “We were incredibly touched by the intensity and emotion of the audience response to the film. We are very pleased that the jury recognized Kristen’s remarkable performance. We’re proud that the film showcases so much phenomenal Manitoba talent.”
Passionflower is the story of Sarah Matthews, who is on the brink of puberty in 1962 suburban Winnipeg, and who is increasingly challenged and confused by her mother’s instability and sexual power. While her father refuses to acknowledge that the family is fracturing under the stress of his wife’s mental illness, Sarah uses her creativity, inner strength, and a new friend to discover her own identity. With courage, Sarah bears witness and demands truth from the adults around her, demonstrating love’s capacity to endure.
Passionflower is the feature-film debut from Shelagh Carter and was produced by Polly Washburn, who was the Line Producer on Danishka Esterhazy’s debut film Black Field, which premiered at VIFF two years ago. This feature showcases the talents of some of the top cast and crew from Manitoba.
Passionflower was produced with financial support from Manitoba Film & Music, Telefilm and the Winnipeg Arts Council.
About Shelagh Carter
Shelagh Carter is a filmmaker who lives and works in Winnipeg, New York, and Los Angeles. She is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio as an Actress and Director, a Professor of Theatre and Film at the University of Winnipeg and a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Directors Lab in Toronto. Her 35 mm short, One Night, screened June, 2009 in Toronto, as part of the Canadian Film Centre’s Short Dramatic Film (SDF) series and has screened at several international film festivals, most recently winning Best Manitoba Short at the Gimli Film Festival in July, 2011. Shelagh is in development on her second feature project, a prairie film noir called The Shooting Party. She is a recent recipient of the award, Women In the Director’s Chair Career Advancement Module 2010, in collaboration with Women in Film Festival Vancouver.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Ginny Collins
Communications and Marketing Director
MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC
[email protected]
Office: 204.947.2040
www.mbfilmmusic.ca
Trevor Suffield
Communications Coordinator
ON SCREEN MANITOBA
[email protected]
Office: 204.927.5896
www.onscreenmanitoba.com
About On Screen Manitoba:
On Screen Manitoba is an innovative non-profit, membership-driven association that leads, builds and represents Manitoba’s screen-based media industry. Our association has grown and evolved over its 22 years into a vital force in the industry. We lead our community in setting common goals and in building a stronger industry. Our membership represents the full spectrum of individuals and organizations (production companies, labour groups, distributors, broadcasters, suppliers and supporting organizations) that make up the screen-based media industry in Manitoba. On Screen Manitoba membership totals nearly 300 but reaches more than 1,500 individuals.
To find out more about On Screen Manitoba visit its website here.
