Blog

The Lunenburg Doc Fest awarded The Muse with the Best Canadian Short Documentary Award and the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Documentary. Thanks SO MUCH to the festival for showing the film and for these awards.

I’d also like to say a massive thanks to Ben Proudfoot who donated his Best Atlantic Canadian Filmmaker prize winnings to me. I am blown away by his kindness. I have literally watched his films over and over for inspiration, craft, and as teaching tools. I’m such a huge fan and I’m so moved by his generosity. 

I’m honoured to have received the Best Atlantic Short Documentary from the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF). Thanks so much to the festival, the NFB, and Ting Ting and Robert.

I’m excited for The Muse to be released this fall. It’s been an honour to tell Ting Ting and Robert’s story and to feature Ting Ting’s work. Thanks to the National Film Board of Canada. Stay tuned!

Sing the World Better is a documentary about the wildly talented and unapologetically original neurodiverse choir, Lauda. These young people are hilarious, smart, and can sing! We’ve spent the past two years capturing their journey, and we can’t wait to share it with the world.

I’m proud to be co-directing this film with Lian Morrison. It’s produced by Ruby Line Productions (Annette Clarke). It should be released in the Fall.

Sons, a feature documentary by Justin Simms, made with National Film Board of Canada, takes a deeply personal look at masculinity and raisings Sons. It’s a timely thoughtful piece of work and I am so proud to have been the story consultant on the project. It’s a must see!

Sons

This past winter I have been co-directing a documentary with Lian Morrison, produced by Annette Clarke, about the neurodiverse Shallaway choir, Lauda. We are in development and shot a demo for the project. More news about the full feature will be coming soon. It’s a magical project and I am so grateful to be involved in it.

Congrats to filmmakers Ashley MacDonald and Dominique Jean on their remarkable film September 7, 2012. Screening at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival Wednesday, October 18 at 9:30 PM – The Majestic Theatre as part of WEDNESDAY LATE SHORTS.

Synopsis: 10 years after her sexual assault Ashley embarks on a journey to create new meaning for September 7, 2012, a day that has been synonymous with her traumatic experience. 

I was the story consultant on this film and I am grateful to  Ashley and Dom trusting me to support the telling of this sensitive story.

Congrats to Adrian Wills on the release of his heartbreakingly beautiful documentary, A Quiet Girl. This is a poignant, painful, and deeply moving film, masterfully told by Adrian. It not only tells the story of Adrian’s journey to learn about his adoption but he is also able to give voice to his mother and of many women who were in her situation in the 70s and 80s.

I was the researcher on the project, my job was to find the people to help Adrian in his quest to learn about his mother. The people we met in the process were so beautiful and generous. I cherish all of them.

I’m excited to be working on my next film The Muse – The Photography of Ting Ting Chen. It focuses on Ting Ting’s brilliant work and her relationship with her muse, septuagenarian and raconteur Robert Tilley.

Thank you to Dr. Heidi Tiedemann Darroch for including Mystery of the Secret Room in her curriculum for Canadian Studies course, Introduction to Canadian Contemporary Issues. It was used in her discussion around Canadian Healthcare.

Mystery of the Secret Room tells the story from the point of view of child navigating the landscape of her mother’s mental health and the healthcare system.

I’m teaching a 4 week advanced screenwriting class with the Nickel Film Festival from January 23 – February 13th. Check out the Nickel Film Festival for details.

The National Film Board of Canada presents Luben and Elena at The Rooms, on December 3rd. It was directed by the brilliant Ellie Yonova, produced by Annette Clarke, and I had the good fortune of being the story consultant on the project.

The Rooms is screening films from the National Film Board of Canada this fall, including my short Mystery of the Secret Room. It plays November 12th at 7 PM, along side Conviction, directed by Teresa MacInnes, Nance Ackerman, and Ariella Pahlke

Pretty chuffed to get this in the mail today

The St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival’s Scene and Heard week is coming soon! It’s a week of professional development that includes chats with filmmakers, masterclasses, and screenings.

Myself and Deanne Foley will speak to Andrea Dunne about Finding Your Path. It’s happening on Thursday, March 18 at 1 PM. There’s more information here: https://www.womensfilmfestival.com/events/18/finding-your-path

Looking forward to talking about careers for women in film with Skilled Canada on February 9th from 4-5:00 PM.

Always Going Never Gone is now airing on CBC GEM. You can check it out here.

Congrats to the brilliant Mary-Colin Chisholm for her nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Female Role as Ailish in Always Going Never Gone. It was an absolute pleasure to work with, and learn from, Mary-Colin

My next film will be part of the National Film Board’s Reimagining series. My producer is the most awesome Annette Clarke.

Prajwala Dixit and Susan Rodgers are also making films as a part of this series. I’m so happy to work along side these talented women.

Thanks to the Nickel Independent Film Festival for selecting Crocuses from their vault to show as a part of their 20th anniversary! It plays on July 28th.

I am spending this week (March 9-15) as a Visiting Writer at UBC’s Creative Writing Program.  I love talking about story and I’m so looking forward to a week of focusing on it with Master and Bachelor Fine Art students in Creative Writing.

Always Going Never Gone will be playing at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival in California. This festival was in my top ten and I’m really honoured to screen there. I’m so grateful of their support of my work in the past.

Thanks to Horror Fuel and Joseph Perry for this amazing review! It’s so wonderful to see our cast and crew singled out. Follow the link here.  Here’s what he has to say.

Writer/director Wanda Nolan’s chilling Canadian short Always Going Never Gone has a gripping, ethereal tone. A graduate student in folklore (Allison Moira Kelly as Kari) interviews an older lady (Mary-Colin Chisolm as Ailish) as part of the former’s research on supernatural legends. This short is a difficult one to write about, as even giving some praise where it is due means giving away spoilers, and it should be seen knowing as little as possible going in. Chisolm and Kelly play off of each other beautifully, and Rhiannon Morgan also gives a fine performance. Sarah Harris’ unsettling score and Justin Simms’ sound design perfectly complement Nolan’s fantastically directed otherworldly tale, gorgeously shot by cinematographer Duncan De Young. 

So stoked to be nominated for Best Supernatural Short and Best Score (composer and rock star Sarah Harris) at the Women in Horror Film Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. This is festival is truly stellar.

Always Going Never Gone plays Thursday, February 27th 2020 at 6PM as part of the Not of this World showcase.

We are stoked to be showing at the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival in February. It’s a bad ass feminist fest. Thanks to the programmers for selecting us!

So happy to be an OFFICIAL SELECTION of the 2020 Women in Horror Film Festival in Altanta!

Always Going Never Gone will be at Reels of the Dead in Chicago on November 23rd at noon.

Thanks to Andy Bulman for the chat about horror stories and why Newfoundland is the perfect place for them.  At the end of the piece, there’s a podcast with all the filmmakers. It also features our lead, the multi-talented Allison Kelly, who brought so much to the film. Read and listen here.