October 2022
Dawn has continued its travels around the world - winning best Feature in Perth Australia, the YES Fest in Columbus Indiana, Audience Choice a GFest in San Antonio Texas, and has been selected as a finalist (winner to be announced November 10th, 2022) in the Nova Scotia Masterworks Competition.  Proud to be in the company of some fabulous artists.  Read more here

August 20, 2021
Dawn had  a great first outing at INSIDEOUT Film Festival in Toronto in May - Selling out and taking the second audience at the festival.  We're really looking forward to our next outing, hence

WATCH THIS SPACE!

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April 2nd, 2021
Holy Radio Silence. Two years since I posted news.

Well, a lot has been happening - everywhere, to everyone.

But even in the midst of this pandemic, which is still raging, though in Nova Scotia we are still - touching wood - getting off very lightly.  Today we have only 24 cases in our province.

But during the pandemic I was fortunate to finally be able to shoot DAWN HER DAD & THE TRACTOR, with a fantastic cast including Maya V. Henry, Robb Wells, Reid Price and  - just nominated for a Canadian Screen award (for her role in another DAWN actor's film triple threat writer/director/actor Taylor Olson) - Amy Groening!
 
Now we're in the final throes of post, expecting the film to be in festivals - whatever form that takes - this summer.

Lots of news in lots of places but please follow the posts on



Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DawnHerDadAndTheTractorFilm
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/dawndadtractormovie
Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/DawnAndHerDad

Also some articles to catch up on:

https://www.thetelegram.com/lifestyles/regional-lifestyles/thats-a-wrap-director-talks-filming-transgender-family-drama-in-a-pandemic-504441/

https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/lifestyles/entertainment/filmmaker-feels-the-love-in-antigonish-492892/

https://porthawkesburyreporter.com/movie-set-and-shot-in-antigonish-tells-a-very-human-story/


June 2019
At last the sun has arrived in Nova Scotia. Thank the goddess. 
There've been a lot of sad and angry Canadians (yes they do exist, especially in the late spring months), so I was happy to be off to sunnier climes: I had a great time in Cannes, at the Breaking Through the Lens event, pitching DAWN HER DAD & THE TRACTOR  to a room full of film financiers, producers, sales folks etc.  We're following up now and expect good news to be forthcoming!

In May, I was delighted to be given an ACTRA award: Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Female Role for the part of Nancy in SPLINTERS by Thom Fitzgerald.

Also, thrilled that DUCK DUCK GOOSE was selected as one of 9 Canadian Shorts to take part in the annual CBC's Short Film Faceoff - competing for $40K Can to make another short.  We'll rely on the audience responses to the film and our scintillating justification of our filmmaking, to help get the decision made.

And June 24th, looking forward to time in NYC to see our lovely pal Anita Carey at Theatre 59E59 in Handbagged
and take part in the exciting WIFT NYC initiative for the Writer's Lab, supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman...
On June 24th, at the National Arts Club, by Invitation Only, the writers who took part in last September's Writer's Lab in upstate New York, will be reading segments from their feature films with some great actors - watch this space!

And finally :   The Child Remains has been released in the US.
I'm happy to say pretty consistently positive for dear Monica! A couple below - 

In The LA Times on June 6th:
"A pair of superb performances — from Suzanne Clément as a traumatized pregnant journalist and from Shelley Thompson as a suspiciously solicitous B&B proprietor"

and The But Why Tho Review:
"Despite her stock “spooky owner” character, Thompson really makes the most of her screen time, straddling the line between knowing camp and genuinely scary with great dexterity." 
 
April, 2019
... it's finally nearly spring, And, GOING TO CANNES!

I'm one of ten women invited to the Breaking Through the Lens initiative, connecting women to international investors and financiers for feature Films that are nearly ready to go - funding wise - as DAWN, HER DAD & THE TRACTOR is.
 BTTL will take place in Cannes during the film festival ( I'll be there May 17 - 21) with our pitch event taking place on the 19th.  More details and the other projects here:
https://breakingthroughthelens.co.uk/films-final

Dawn, Her Dad & The Tractor is moving forward, with the help of
the WIDC, the NYWriters Lab, and Breaking Through the Lens. 
We expect to be ready to shoot in September and have started casting.

Duck Duck Goose has continued to gain accolades and
attention around the world playing in Louisiana,
France (Clermont-Ferrand) Miami, Pasadena, San Luis Obispo,
Toronto,Winnipeg, Kingston,and will soon be seen in Halifax
(at MAYWORKS Festival) in Sarasota,Kosice, Slovakia,
Bonavista NFDL, Sunrise Festival, Pictou, Milledgeville + Eatonton Film Festival USA, deadCenter Film Festival, Oklahoma City and
more  


 
Screen Nova Scotia has nominated it for:
Best Short, and
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Female Role for Francine Deschepper.

And WIFT AT has nominated it for
WIFT-AT Award for Best Director
Also:
Two other Nominations for the May 3rd Gala Ceremony:
Outstanding Performance in a Leading Female Role for NANCY in
Thom Fitgerald's SPLINTERS
AND
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Female Role for BARBARA in Jay Dahl's HALLOWEEN PARTY

alongside my lovely son, T. Thomason, nominated for his leading role in Halloween Party after recently winning CTV's THE LAUNCH.  Watch his winning performance here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5gQ2Q6GRuU

Enough news?  Not done yet.

COMING UP IN MAY 2019:

Proud to be one of the cast in a groundbreaking new web-series TOKENS - BY WINNIE JONG  WILL LAUNCHING  MAY 6TH in Toronto.  Watch for the lovely BETTY, who runs ON-CALL CASTING, and is changing the meaning of DIVERSITY CASTING.

 
November/December 2018

Momentum for Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor
 
https://www.screendaily.com/news/trailer-park-boys-star-wins-award-to-support-canadian-trans-themed-directorial-debut-exclusive/5134920.article
I had a fabulous time at Whistler Film Festival, courtesy of the WIDC, to celebrate the Feature Film Prize, given for the script of Dawn towards productions, summer 2019.  With 2019 the YEAR OF THE PIG, I'm looking forward (greedily) to seeing my projects continue to move forward with solid support from folks like the WIDC - Thanks so much!
 
ALSO: Duck Duck Goose, my latest short, exploring the impact of lockdowns on the culture of fear, is one of 10 shorts selected by  Telefilm Canada for the NOT SHORT ON TALENT PROGRAM at Clermont- Ferrand International Short Film Festival in February.  Such an honour.
 
AND: Had a wonderful time working with WIDC colleague
Winnie Jong Peters, on her new Web Series, TOKENS
(playing fun BETTY!).
 
So excited for everything that 2019 will bring.

A red-letter month - August 2018!
 
August is my new favourite month, full of challenges and rewards.
The biggest of which is an invitation to join 11 other female screenwriters at the NYWriters Lab - supported by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman -  which you can read more about here: http://thewriterslab.nyc/
I'm thrilled to be included in a talented bunch of writers and am looking forward to the inspiration and connections they and our mentors will provide. 
 
TIFF and FIN news - August 2018
Delighted to be taking part in TIFF, (Toronto International Film Festival) for the first time as a leading performer in a film.  Thom Fitzgerald's SPLINTERS will have its world premiere there, on September 11th, 7.15 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. 
 
At FIN, my new short DUCK DUCK GOOSE, will play in the CBC Reel Shorts Gala - 6.30, September 16th.
Trailer here: https://vimeo.com/286389942
 
As a performer you'll see me in:
 
SPLINTERS  Premiering at TIFF, SPINTERS will also open the Atlantic Film Festival aka FIN, (Thursday September 13th,  7 PM) It is an honour to be included in this terrific cast with outstanding direction from Thom Fitzgerald.
 
Also: In Jay Dahls HALLOWEEN PARTY (FIN, Saturday the 15th, at 9.20) I play a featured role but celebrate my son's first leading screen role (more about musician T.Thomason  https://www.facebook.com/the.t.thomason/) as best friend to the talented Amy Groening.
 
And: A fun cameo in HOPELESS ROMANTIC, also at FIN this year, written and directed by a whole bunch of terrific East Coast female writer/directors, including the fabulous Deanne Foley, in whose segment I appear.  
 
Finally: Taylor Olson's short GRACE , starring Koumbie, also playing at the Reel East Coast Shorts CBC Gala, on the 16th of September at 6.30 PM.
 
then, SEPTEMBER BRINGS MORE GOOD STUFF...
 
PEARLS - with nearly 30 festival showings around the world - will be playing Milwaukee Short Film Fest in September - send your friends! This festival was named one of the "Best Local Film Festivals" by MovieMaker Magazine, and boy, does their communication and care explain why.  They're fantastic communicators and all their attention is focused on the filmmaker and how they can help them forward in their career.  So honoured that Pearls will be there in the opening night slot, 6.45 on September 7th.  http://www.milwaukeeindependentfilmsociety.org/
 
Also in September PEARLS will be at Sudbury Cinéfest - another festival that constantly makes the BEST OF lists with filmmaking magazines and filmmakers.  find out more here: http://www.cinefest.com/en/
 
That's it for Auspicious August...though it's only August 30th...
 
 
June 21st, 2018 
 
Thrilled the PEARLS  will be opening the closing night of the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto.  One of the 50 Festivals worth the entrance fee, The Female Eye is a fabulous festival and so proud that PEARLS  will be my second screening there.  DAWG screened there in 2015.
 
June 11, 2018. Just started work in Toronto on a Hallmark film - my first! - called A SWEET TASTE OF LOVE. Nice long gig in hot city - 3o degrees nearly today!
 
Two lovely interviews about PEARLS, which is travelling around the world, getting to more than 20 festival to date.  In May Pearls will be in Yorkton, Toronto, and Mumbai, and in June in LA at Daces With Films!
 
Watch the interviews here:
Global: https://globalnews.ca/video/4206076/short-film-pearls-resonates-with-international-audiences
CTV: https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1395941&binId=1.1145729&playlistPageNum=1