Storylines

Season 1, Bonus Episode 6Bonus Episode: Documentary Dynamo Dawn PorterIn this bonus episode of Storylines, we hear from award-winning documentary producer Dawn Porter, known for films like Spies of Mississippi and Gideon’s Army. One of Dawn’s most recent projects is the critically-acclaimed four-hour Netflix original series Bobby Kennedy for President, which was released in 2018 and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. And Dawn is currently directing and executive producing an Apple TV multi-part documentary series with Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry that focuses on mental illness and wellbeing. Her most recent film, John Lewis: Good Trouble, documents 60 years of civil rights activist John Lewis’ life.Here's part of her interview from the NYWIFT podcast Women Crush Wednesdays, hosted by Leah Curney and Janine McGoldrick. In this episode:We hear one of Dawn’s tips for starting out in the industry, the power of film, and the importance of finding your own style.Links: Women Crush Wednesdays NYWIFT Dawn Porter Director of John Lewis: Good Trouble & WCW Spotlight Member Meissa Hampton John Lewis: Good Trouble

This week we hear from a make-up artist with a 65-year career--it's a profession she had never planned on. This is part of an interview on the Women Crush Wendesdays podcast, produced by NYWIFT. To hear the full episode, see the show notes for the link.

Bonnie Thompson is a prolific producer. She has more than 80 film credits under her belt. After working at Canada's National Film Board (the NFB) for over 30 years, she's still producing and helping emerging filmmakers get their stories told. In this episode, we hear some sound advice from Bonnie on the ABC's of film production.

We hear from award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard. She speaks with Storylines host Sheena Rossiter about how she got into documentary film, the importance of telling Indigenous stories, and the success of her most recent film "nîpawistamâsowin: We will Stand Up".

What's it like to be a woman and be a director of photography? We meet Lisa Frylund who speaks about her journey as a documentary and lifestyle DP. And she gives tips for anyone wanting to start out in the film and television industry as a director of photography.

Documentary filmmaker Alexandra Lazarowich tells unique and impactful stories through her films. She's produced the documentary short "Cree Code Talkers" and directed the documentary short "Fast Horse", that follows the Siksika Nation Indian Relay team as they make their debut at the Calgary Stampede. "Fast Horse" was screened at Sundance, won numerous awards, and it is nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. Alexandra speaks with Storylines host Sheena Rossiter about how she's using her films as a vehicle to tell Indigenous stories for a new generation.

Susie Moloney has been writing as long as she can remember. The novelist, who's been dubbed as the Canadian Stephen King, now pens out screenplays. Susie wrote and co-produced the short film "The Suburbanight". She's also the writer for the horror feature "Bright Hill Road". The literary scream queen speaks with Storylines host Sheena Rossiter about her journey as a wrier of books and now screenplays.

Georgina Lightning is a trailblazer. Her career took off after she moved to Los Angeles in 1990. Georgina is known for her role in "Blackstone" playing the character of Tracy Bull. She most recently guest stars in the APTN series, "Tribal". She's been creating opportunities for Indigenous people in front of and behind the camera with her production company Tribal Alliance Productions. Georgina speaks with Storylines host Sheena Rossiter about her journey in the film industry and the obstacles she has faced along the way.

Karen Ryan caught the acting bug later in life than most, but in front of the camera is where she feels at home. It hasn't always been a smooth ride in her career though. A terminal illness forced Karen to step back from acting for two years. Her love to the craft has paid off. She is being honoured as the ACTRA Alberta 2020 Woman of the Year. Sheena Rossiter speaks with Karen to hear about her acting journey, and tips she has for people starting out in the industry.

Most people get into film and television by way of film school. Not Michelle Wong. She switched to a career in the industry after being a high school teacher. In the early 1990s, Michelle took the bold step of making her first documentary "Return Home" about her grandparents in St. Paul, Alberta. She hasn't looked back since and has been in the industry for over 25 years. Michelle is now the head of business affairs at Seven24 Films in Calgary. Storylines host Sheena Rossiter hears how Michelle Wong finds her creativity on the business side of the film industry.

She's known as the master of observational documentary in Canada. Rosvita Dransfeld has been making feature-length documentaries in her adopted home of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada after immigrating from her native Germany two decades ago. Her films look at the human condition in its many forms, and she was even recently nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on the PBS documentary "Vital Bonds", a documentary which explores the world of organ donation. Storylines host Sheena Rossiter sits down with Rosvita Dransfeld to hear about the process behind making her documentaries, and gets some tips for aspiring documentary filmmakers for starting out in the industry.