Storylines

Season 1, Episode 9

Alexandra Lazarowich: Documentary Trailblazer

Alexandra started her career as a child actor, but then made the switch to producing and directing documentary films when she discovered that the real change for what’s shown on the screen is made from behind the camera.

Alexandra produced the documentary short Cree Code Talkers. It tells the story of the elite unit during the second World War that was tasked with developing a coded system using the Cree language to disguise military intelligence for allied forces.

Alexandra also 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.

She’s also a founding member of the COUSIN collective, a group that supports Indigenous artists through film.

In this episode:

We hear about how Alexandra got started in film as a child actor, how she made the switch to documentaries, and the challenges she faced as a director. Then, we hear about Cree Code Talker and Fast Horse, the reasons behind the production of these documentary shorts,  and why indigenous representation is important in film. Next, Alexandra tells us about the opportunities for women and indigenous people in film, the COUSIN collective, and some of Alexandra’s upcoming projects. Finally, we hear Alexandra’s three tips for starting out in the industry.

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Season 1, Bonus Episode 2 

COVID-19: Impact on Actors with Angela Palmer

As we make our way through week 7 of the coronavirus quarantine here in Alberta, the way we live our lives has certainly changed. For actors like Angela Palmer, we wonder what life is like right now. 

Angela grew up always watching TV, but she never imagined that she would actually be on TV.

But after being inspired by her mother, she immersed herself in the world of acting seven years ago and hasn’t looked back. After taking acting classes and getting roles in several short films in her hometown of Edmonton, she relocated to Vancouver.

And the move paid off. Since relocated she’s scored roles on the ABC medical drama The Good Doctor. She then switched gears for the role of Alex in the supernatural web series Spiral, and she recently played the role of Sally Bishop on the NBC Sci-Fi series The InBetween.

In this episode:

We hear from Angela about how her life as an actor has changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, her expectations for the future, and her three tips for starting out in the industry… even during a pandemic!

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Season 1, Episode 8

Susie Moloney: Literary Scream Queen

Susie has been a writer for decades. She’s penned books like A Dry Spell, The Dwelling, and The 13. Her work focuses on the supernatural, and she’s been dubbed as the Canadian Stephen King.

And now, she takes her pen to the page to create screenplays. She wrote and co-produced the short film the Suburbanight, a film that shows what can happen to a nosey neighbour interrupts a single mom trying to feed her kid.

She’s also the writer behind the award-winning short Romi which tells the story of a recently widowed young woman who’s terrorized by her digital assistant.

And this year, she’ll be releasing Bright Hill Road, a story she wrote about an alcoholic on the run who must face her demons at an eerie little inn.

In this episode:

We hear about how Susie got her start as a writer, her advice for aspiring writers, and what her writing process looks like. Then, we hear about the learning process of producing The Suburbanight, what it’s like to watch your character come to life on the screen, and her upcoming production, Bright Hill Road. Next, we hear about some of Susie’s writing themes and interests, and the transition of a character from mind to paper. Finally, we hear Susie’s three tips for starting out in the industry.

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Season 1, Episode 7

Nisreen Baker: Bridging the Cultural Gap

Originally from Egypt, she honed her craft in her native country where she got her start in the film and television industry. Nisreen moved to Canada in 2001 and her debut Canadian-produced film was A Day in my Shoes; a film that explores the lives of three Palestinian women living in Canada, and how they managed to raise Canadian children while still holding on to their culture and heritage. 

More than a decade and several films later, she dove deeper into Arab culture in Canada with Things Arab Men Say. That documentary brought viewers into the lives of Arab men while gathered in a barber shop on a Saturday afternoon.

Now, she’s working on another documentary that looks into the world of Arab women with a film called Arab women say What?! Nisreen aims to bridge the gap between Arab and Canadian culture through her documentary films.

In this episode:

We hear about Nisreen’s start as a filmmaker in Egypt, Lebanon, and Dubai, the transition into Canada and Canadian film, and the challenge of convincing Canadian executives of her skills and experience. Next, we learn about the production and story behind some of Nisreen’s films, including ‘A Day In My Shoes’, ‘Things Arab Men Say’, and ‘Arab women say What?!’. Nisreen discusses the challenges of living as an Arab woman in a post-9/11 world, fighting against the stigma and lack of knowledge about the Arab community, and the diversity and variety behind the word ‘Arab’. Finally, we hear Nisreen’s three tips for starting out in the industry.

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Season 1, Episode 6

Georgina Lightning: Advocate & Academy Alumni

Georgina Lightning has had a vast and long career. In 1990, with her three Children in tow, she packed up and moved to Los Angeles to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. And there her career then took off.

She has played supporting roles in productions like Walker Texas Ranger, The West Wing, and Trickster. 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 a big advocate for First Nations people on screen. In 2007, she founded Tribal Alliance Productions, which is dedicated to representing Indigenous people in front of and behind the camera.

In this episode:

We hear about what originally drew Georgina to film, balancing motherhood and education, and the empowerment that comes from overcoming past traumas. Next, we hear about Georgina’s journey into film, her experience as an acting coach, the impact of the #MeToo movement on the film industry, and creating opportunities for Indigenous people. Finally, we hear Georgina’s three tips for starting out in the industry.

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Season 1, Episode 5

Jessica L’Heureux: Franco Filmmaking

Jessica straddles the world between fact and fiction. She started her career 20 years ago as a broadcast journalist at Radio-Canada in Quebec. It was long-form current affairs broadcast journalism that taught her the love of storytelling. Five years ago she opened her own production company, Far West Productions in Edmonton, with two business partners.

Far West started with a lifestyle show about food truck culture, Sel et Diesel.

Afterwards, she quickly jumped into scripted productions with Abigaëlle, a web series that follows the trials and tribulations of being a modern-day woman in her early 30s. The second season of Abigaëlle has just been released.

In this episode:

We hear about Jessica’s start as a broadcast journalist at Radio-Canada, the story behind Sel et Diesel, and the webseries Abigaëlle. Jessica talks about the Francophone community in Alberta, some of her favourite stories from working on Sel et Diesel, and the production of the French-language web series Abigaëlle in Edmonton. Jessica explains the learning curve behind the move from broadcast journalism to directing and producing, tips for prospective documentary producers, and advice for beginners starting production on a web series. Finally, we hear Jessica’s three tips for starting out in the industry.

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Season 1, Episode 4 

Karen Ryan: Acting Aficionado 

Karen Ryan started her career as a Calgary-based actor later than most. But once she caught the acting bug, she realized being in front of the cameras in film and television productions is the right place for her. But it wasn’t always a smooth ride. She faced health problems that forced her to take two years off when her career was getting started. It’s been a slow build, but the hard work has paid off for Karen. She now has over 15 acting credits to her name, and she has appeared in television series like CBC’s Heartland and the Amazon Prime production Tin Star. Karen has been honoured by ACTRA Alberta this year as the 2020 Woman of the Year.

In this episode:

We hear about why Karen decided to go into acting, how she got started in the film industry, and maintaining a work-life balance. Then, we learn about what it’s like to be an actor in Alberta, the  acting community, and what it was like to work on the Amazon Prime production Tin Star. Finally, we finish with Karen’s three tips for starting out in the industry.

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Season 1, Bonus Episode 1 

The Future of Filmmaking with COVID-19

Our world changed last week as the coronavirus spread globally. In the film and television industry, the pandemic brought productions to a screeching halt. The entertainment industry giant Netflix had to shut down its scripted productions. But Netflix has promised $100 million US in relief to help industry workers who are out of a job because of the virus. 

Locally, here in Alberta, the Banff World Media Festival decided to cancel the festival in June this year due to the spread of the virus. And, of course, smaller productions have also come to a stop as well. So with all these changes, and in the era of social distancing: what does filmmaking look like?

For more on this, Storylines' host Sheena Rossiter speaks with Nauzanin Knight. She is the Executive Producer at 1844 Studios. Her production company is dedicated to telling stories about the diversity of the human experience. 

In this episode:

We hear from Nauzanin Knight of 1844 Studios about the impacts of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic on the film and television industry, Nauzanin's production company 1844 Studios, and the #UpliftQuarantine Film Prize.

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Season 1, Episode 3

Michelle Wong: Production Pro

Michelle’s career in film and television hasn’t been linear. She started out as a high school teacher but made the jump to film after going to a National Film Board meet up in Edmonton in the early ‘90s. This led her to make her first documentary, Return Home, in 1992. Michelle honed her skills through the learning-by-doing method. After joining a local production company, she made the jump to scripted production in the '90s when she and her business partner at the time helped to expand production services for television movies in Alberta. It was then that she learned her real strength was on the business affairs side of the film industry. Over the years, she’s helped build two production companies into successful ventures, and she’s now the head of business affairs at Seven24 Films in Calgary, the production company behind the hit series Wynonna Earp.

In this episode:

We hear about Michelle’s switch from education to filmmaking, her early career, and her first documentary, Return Home. Then, Michelle talks about the representation of women of colour in the film industry, building a reputation, and making connections. Later on, we learn about Michelle’s current job and projects, including the hit series Wynonna Earp. We finish off with Michelle’s three tips for starting out in the film industry.

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Season 1, Episode 2

Brenda Terning: Editing Powerhouse

Brenda makes magic from the edit suite. She’s been a documentary film editor for over two decades, and her resume is stacked. She’s edited documentaries for CBC’s the Nature of Things for a decade, and is currently editing feature documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada. Her work includes The Tipping Point, a documentary that looks at the impacts of the tar sands in northern Alberta. In the past, she’s been tasked with combing through 600 hours of footage to create the blue chip

documentary series The Great Human Odyssey, which won a Canadian Screen award and was then nominated for an Emmy. Brenda was also one of the editors for the documentary series Equus: Story of the Horse, which was nominated for seven Canadian Screen Awards.

In this episode:

We hear about how Brenda got her start as an editor, some of her most challenging projects, and the importance of good editing. Brenda gives her advice on how to make connections in the film industry, the role that story plays in editing, and working with a director’s vision. We finish off with Brenda’s three tips for aspiring filmmakers.

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