Tessa - Hattie`s Heist

Hattie’s Heist - Press Kit
Table of Contents
SYNOPSIS
2
PRODUCTION NOTES
INTRODUCTION
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY
BACKGROUND
2
2
3
5
ABOUT THE CAST
7
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
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SYNOPSIS
Hattie, a geriatric Robin Hood, pulls off a bank job with a gang of like-minded, cashstrapped octogenarians inspired by a handsome anchorman, a media maven and the
Queen of England. The heist is an act of desperation and protest against selfishness
and greed in the banking industry. As Hattie plans her heist, her personal life becomes
more complicated when an old beau unexpectedly shows up. It gets even messier when
she discovers the man has just retired from the RCMP.
PRODUCTION NOTES
INTRODUCTION
Encouraged to follow her dreams to resolve senior poverty, mild-mannered Hattie forms
a gang with her peers, hatching a plot to rob the local bank.
“Carpe Diem!”
The short film Hattie’s Heist stars Maxine Miller, Christopher Gaze and Matt Frewer,
directed by John Kent Harrison on location in Victoria, BC over four monsoon-soaked
days from September 18th through to October 1st, 2013.
Several of Harrison’s 27 films have been nominated for Emmy Awards, Golden Globes
and Genies. In 2008 he was nominated by the DGA as Best Television movie/miniseries director of the year for The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler with Anna
Paquin. Other films include, William Faulkner’s Old Man, A Bear Named Winnie and
most recently Christmas in Conway with Mary-Louise Parker and Andy Garcia.
Currently he is set to write and direct the pilot for a series for Jon Voight.
The comedy caper marks veteran actress Maxine Miller’s (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Love
Happens, The Battle of the Bulbs) 80th production. Renowned stage actor Christopher
Gaze, Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach, stars as Hattie’s retired
RCMP officer suitor, and Matt Frewer (Max Headroom, Spielberg’s Falling Skies,
50/50, Orphan Black) is a singing policeman. Canada’s much beloved and desperately
handsome anchorman Lloyd Robertson (CTV), and media maven and music aficionado,
Moses Znaimer (Zoomer) play cameos of themselves with Carolyn Sadowska portraying
the Queen.
Miller, Canada’s answer to Betty White, turned 86 two weeks before principal
photography. Seven local Victoria actresses (three of whom were in their 80’s), play
Hattie’s Gang who zip about on mobile scooters and walkers with great zest throughout
the picture- homage to spunky seniors-- not forgetting the “singing policewoman” from
Victoria’s Pacific Opera. Tessie, a Yorkshire Terrier, plays Hattie’s winsome dog whose
antics prove pivotal to the story.
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The production “discovered” Tessie through a dog audition in
Oak Bay with a list of local celebrity judges including the
Mayor of Oak Bay, Nils Jensen, Chief Constable Mark Fisher,
and conservationist Vicky Husband. Out of the 64 dogs in the
competition, Tessie not only won the jury’s approval but also
the Facebook contest where voters
determined who was the best dog
out of five finalists. She came equipped with her own bank
robbery disguise of goggles and black leather jacket. Riding
in the basket of the Travelscoot scooters was easy for her
compared to travelling on long road trips with her owner—
Kristine Ash —on a Harley Davidson (last summer the duo
traveled 6,100 km in seven weeks). Tessie also works as a registered therapy dog at
the retirement home where Ash works.
“This not a story about Hattie. It’s a story about the cutest puppy I’ve ever worked with,”
enthuses Miller.
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Following two years of fundraising, actors’ and dog
auditions, rewrites and pre-production trials and
tribulations, Hattie’s Heist began principal photography
on September 28th, 2013 for four wild, wet and woolly
days in the Victoria locations of Oak Bay and Fernwood
where the art gallery was transformed into the bank.
It was so wet, the script supervisor had to put her
script in a dryer and rewrite three days of notes as
they were shredded by the wind and rain during
the day. It wasn’t the usual West Coast drizzle—
more of a monsoon. When the sun peeked out
briefly one day, there was a general protest as it
radically changed the lighting.
To say it was a
challenging shoot was an understatement “We
worked together for four days and made something
quite remarkable under terrible conditions -- rain,
craziness and being late in the year; we didn’t have
this, we didn’t have that; some people had never
been on a film set before. We had two handheld
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cameras doing everything from crane shots to dolly shots,” says Harrison who directed
the film with humour and aplomb, endearing himself to cast and crew alike.
Miller says, “I really enjoyed working with John. I
thought that we all had a marvelous time during the
unbelievable weather that we had to put up with.”
But Christopher Gaze kept things cheery. “Archie
(Gaze) and I met in high school, and fell in love, but
eventually we went our separate ways. So when
Hattie meets him 50 years later, it’s a wonderful
surprise.”
“I think Hattie loves life and her puppy dog. They go through
some hard times together. She always looks on the bright side,
but things go really awry when she doesn’t have enough food
for her doggie. Hattie turns around to solve it.” Gaze agrees,
“Hattie is spunky, she’s got pizzazz. Her rebellious naughty
nature is attractive. She’s a survivor who’s found a way.”
On a more somber side, Gaze stresses, “I think we have to
pay attention more to the older ones, the fragility of age
and lack of money as we age. It’s uncomfortable for
people, in a sad way, to get old and be poor. So we, as a
society need to pay attention. I think that is what the script
is really saying.”
About the aging process, Harrison said, “Everyone is
headed there, except for me and all the wonderful people I know and love.” As for what
the film is about, Harrison’s answer was succinct: “Generosity,” he said.
Harrison sums up, “With this budget level and schedule,
horrifying weather conditions and safety concerns when
shooting Zoomers, I believe it takes a close family to make a
movie. That’s what we
became and that’s what we
accomplished, with a lot of
fun along the way.”
A member of Hattie’s gang adds, “Never give up your
spirit, keep on going and join the modern world.”
Directed by John Kent Harrison, Hattie’s Heist is
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produced by Patti Poskitt with Prudence Emery and Pat Ferns serving as Executive
Producers for Emery Productions Inc. Filmed on location in Victoria, BC, the short film
stars Maxine Miller, Christopher Gaze and Matt Frewer.
BACKGROUND
In 2011, Scriptwriter/Executive Producer Prudence
Emery conceived the idea for Hattie’s Heist, when she
spied an older woman looking covetously at a bicycle in
Oak Bay, a seaside municipality in Victoria, BC. “I
thought to myself, is she going to steal that bike?” muses
Emery. Then she noticed several oldsters using walkers
slowly moving along the crosswalks, holding up traffic.
Bingo! A similar scene appears in the film during the
bank robbery, the story of which “just popped into my
head one morning,” says Emery.
Hattie’s Heist marks Emery’s first screenplay. She has worked in the entertainment
industry for 30 years on 120 productions as a Unit Publicist.
“On one level, Hattie’s Heist addresses senior poverty. However, it is not a film to
encourage your grandparents to rob banks, but an inspirational tale to encourage them
to fulfill their dreams before it is too late,” she says.
With Boomers turning into Zoomers, this is timely advice.
Executive Producer and distinguished filmmaker Pat Ferns (Billy Bishop Goes to War,
Darwin’s Brave New World, Glory Enough for All) has been involved with Hattie’s Heist
since its inception. “As a senior citizen and a critic of the exorbitant bonuses ‘earned’ by
bankers while old people starve, I welcomed the chance to tell a morality tale that saw
seniors take matters into their own hands to redress this imbalance. It’s a contemporary
fable…and lots of fun.”
In the summer of 2012, during a casual conversation with old friend Director/Writer John
Kent Harrison, to Emery’s unequivocal delight, he volunteered to direct the film (pro
bono). “It was a chance to do outrageous comedy,” says Harrison. “Hattie’s Heist is a
romp with a walker and a pratfall or two on the slippery slope to carpe diem,” says the
film director, who has also written 17 of his projects. Harrison added his writer-ly touch
to the screenplay, expanding it from, along with Emery, the original six minutes to
twenty, setting the tone for the picture.
Hattie’s Heist generated goodwill with many key filmmakers, who generously donated
their time when Harrison invited his award-winning editor, Toronto based Ron Wisman,
C.C.E, whose roster of nearly 90 pictures includes his most recent, An Officer and a
Murderer, which won him editing awards from the C.C.E. and the DGC. Harrison also
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brought in his composer Lawrence Shragge (When Love is Not Enough: the Lois
Wilson story), reuniting the foursome—Wisman, Shragge, Emery and Harrison -- who
had all worked on Harrison’s first film, Beautiful Dreamers in 1990 starring Rip Torn and
Colmn Feore. Another Harrison contact, Brendan Taylor, joined the team to direct
second unit in Toronto featuring Canada’s favourite anchorman Lloyd Robertson and
television magnate and publisher Moses Znaimer who invited the filmmakers to shoot in
his Zoomer Media studio. In addition, Taylor created the special visual effects for the
film.
When Znaimer read the script, he pronounced it “sweet.” Wisman echoed him, "Amongst the fun and sweetness there is relevance." Shragge pointed out that he
approached the picture as if it were a Quentin Tarantino movie.
Also reunited in Hattie’s Heist were Matt Frewer, Maxine Miller and Prudence Emery.
“Pru, Maxine and I worked together on Hallmark Channel’s Battle of the Bulbs. We
vowed never to work together again, but since we’ve got old, we forgot,” jokes Frewer,
whose hilarious presence on set guaranteed ongoing laughter among the cast and crew
and on the screen.
“I’ve played several cops, but not one that warbles the way this cop does. I certainly
hope it’s the last time,” grins Frewer who, in his policeman costume, was approached by
several pedestrians during the shoot enquiring about parking. The only available picture
cop car in the vicinity was a vintage Dodge. “We were knocked out by that 1964 Dukes
of Hazzard county car. No matter how hard I floored it, it was like trying to get the
momentum up on the Queen Mary,” says Frewer who paid homage to the Dukes of
Hazzard ‘79-85 rubber-burning TV series by sliding over the hood of the police car.
Previously Emery worked with Production Designer Linda del Rosario on the series Iron
Road directed by David Wu in China and Never Talk to Strangers directed by Sir Peter
Hall in Toronto. She offered her services to Hattie and mentioned the project to her
friend Producer Patti Posskit (Michael Bublé’s Christmas Specials). “I’ll do it,” said
Poskitt. And do it she did, pulling together in record time locations, a Victoria crew,
casting Christopher Gaze, opening the production office at the Belfry Theatre while
supervising a cast and crew of 50.
“All Pru’s friends got involved, then all my friends got involved and it was friends of
friends and suddenly we were a family,” says Harrison. “Half the crew are volunteers,
and I’m very touched by that,” says Emery.
Gaze remarks, “A lot of people came together to make this possible and that’s a
wonderful thing. The longer I’m in the arts, television and theatre, the more I see it as a
collaborative form. And it’s at its best I think, certainly I’m at my best, when I feel a
sense of all for one and one for all.”
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In it’s post-production phase, Hattie’s Heist went from Victoria to Toronto for editing
and visual effects, to Los Angeles for music and finally to Vancouver for the sound work
and the mix.
ABOUT THE CAST
MAXINE MILLER (Hattie) has innumerable credits in a remarkably
varied career spanning motion pictures, television and stage. Among
them are This Can’t Be Love (CBS) with Katherine Hepburn, Party
of Five (Fox series), Small Sacrifices (ABC) with Farrah Fawcett,
Broken Trust (TNT) with Tom Selleck, Man 2 Man (Disney),
Harper’s Island (CBS), Smallville (Warner Bros.), Dead Like Me
(Showtime series), Outer Limits, First Wave, The Net (the latter
three USA Network series), and Fargo (CBS). She played Nurse
Miller in Mister Rogers Neighborhood (PBS series), Princess
Haida in Howdy Doody (CBC series), Beatrice Dubois in the
Robson Arms (CTV series), and guest starred on Corner Gas (CTV). By popular
demand, the soprano songstress adapted her acclaimed one woman TV series to the
stage, with songs embracing art and life.
More recently she performed in the feature films Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Love
Happens. Her recent television credits include And Baby will Fall, Insecurity and
Hallmark Channel’s Battle of the Bulbs. Hattie’s Heist marks her 80th production.
Miller was born in Minnedosa, Manitoba and raised in Winnipeg where she began her
stage, radio and singing career, winning the Rose Bowl, the top vocal award in both
Manitoba and Toronto. She studied singing at the Royal Conservatory of Music in
Toronto where she received the highest performer ratings in Canada. She subsequently
successfully combined both a singing and acting career.
Miller lives in Vancouver, B.C.
CHRISTOPHER GAZE OBC MSM DFA DLITT – (Archie, a retired
RCMP officer and Hattie’s suitor) is best known as the Founding
Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach Shakespeare
Festival, Christopher Gaze has performed in England, the USA and
across Canada.
Born in England, Gaze trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
before coming to Canada in 1975 where he spent three seasons at
the Shaw Festival. He moved to Vancouver in 1983 and in 1990
founded Bard on the Beach, which he has since nurtured to become
one of the most successful not-for-profit arts organizations in North America, with
attendance exceeding 91,000.
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In addition to performing and directing for Bard, Gaze’s voice is heard regularly in
cartoon series, commercials and on the radio. He starred in and directed Vancouver
Opera’s The Pirates of Penzance in 2012. He also hosts Vancouver Symphony’s
popular Tea & Trumpets series and their annual Christmas concerts.
Gaze’s many honours include induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame,
Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal (2004), Honorary Doctorates from UBC &
SFU, the BC Community Achievement Award (2007), the Gold Medallion from the
Children’s Theatre Foundation of America (2007), the Mayor’s Arts Award for Theatre
(2011) and the Order of British Columbia (2012). A gifted public speaker, Christopher
frequently shares his insights on Shakespeare and theatre with students, service
organizations and businesses.
MATT FREWER (Singing Policeman) has a long list of comic and
dramatic roles to his credit, but he will always be remembered for his
creation of pop-culture icon Max Headroom. Most recently he
completed Night at the Museum 3, six episodes of Steven
Spielberg’s sci-fi TV series, Falling Skies and Orphan Black for
BBC America in addition to The Knick, directed by Stephen
Soderburgh starring Clive Owen.
Other credits include the Stephen King mini-series Bag of Bones, a
stint on Bates Motel, and the mini-series Delete. In 2010 he starred
in Hallmark Channel’s Battle of the Bulbs, and was nominated for a Gemini Award for
his performance in Nick Willing’s Alice, co-starring Oscar winner Kathy Bates. In 2009
he shot four feature films including Frankie and Alice with Halle Barry, and Zack
Snyder’s major Warner Brothers release, The Watchmen. He previously worked with
Snyder in the 2004 film Dawn of the Dead, one of the top-grossing zombie films of all
time.
In South Africa he shot Darfur and in China he was the lead in the action/adventure film
Wushu Warrior. Among other memorable roles, he played Rick Moranis’ neighbour in
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and a nefarious computer genius in Lawnmower Man 2:
Beyond Cyberspace. Additional features include Short Time with Dabney
Coleman, National Lampoon’s Senior Trip, Orphan Black for BBC America, Falling
Skies for TNT.
Frewer was series regular on Eureka (Sci-Fi), Intelligence (CBC), Doctor, Doctorand
Shaky Ground. He starred in three Sherlock Holmes films (CTV and the Odyssey
Channel) and guested on such series as St. Elsewhere, Miami Vice and Star TrekThe Next Generation. He had notable turns as historian Edwin O Reischauer in the
American Playhouse presentation Long Shadow (PBS), was an arsonist in the ABC
miniseries The Stand, based on the Stephen King novel, and portrayed Alexander Haig
in Kissinger and Nixon (TNT) to name but a few.
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The son of a Royal Canadian Navy officer, Frewer was raised in Victoria, BC and
Ottawa, Ontario. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating from its
three-year acting course in 1980.
LLOYD ROBERTSON the longest-running national television news
anchor in North America plays himself in a cameo appearance
in Hattie’s Heist, broadcasting the business news.
As Host and Chief Correspondent for CTV’s investigative news series,
W5, Lloyd Robertson is still one of the most trusted faces in television
news. He spent 35 years as the Chief Anchor and Senior Editor of the
country’s most-watched national newscast, CTV National News with
Lloyd Robertson.
One of the most accomplished journalists in North America, Robertson has been
broadcasting for more than 50 years. He joined CTV in 1976, and has held the title of
CTV’s Chief Anchor and Senior Editor since 1983. Throughout his illustrious career,
Robertson has guided Canadians through some of the most significant events in recent
history. In 1998, Robertson became a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 2007,
was the first journalist inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Widely known for his baritone delivery and for his iconic signoff line, “And that’s the kind
of day it’s been,” Robertson vacated his anchor chair on Sept. 1, 2011 after 35 years at
CTV News, where he continues in a variety of roles.
MOSES ZNAIMER plays himself in a cameo appearance in
Hattie’s Heist, inspiring Hattie along with fellow Canadian
broadcaster Lloyd Robertson and the Queen, to make a drastic
career change.
Znaimer is an internationally renowned Canadian broadcaster and
media pioneer, founder of some two dozen popular Canadian
television channels and stations, including CityTV and MuchMusic. In
2008, Marketing Magazine named Moses one of the Top 10
Canadian Media Moguls of the Past 100 Years. Currently, he is the
Founder and CEO of ZoomerMedia Limited, a diversified multi-media company devoted
to serving the interests and needs of Canada’s 45plus. He is also the President of
CARP, A New Vision of Aging for Canada.
His groundbreaking concepts such as Speaker’s Corner, Videography (first-person,
hand-held TV reporting), Televised Diversity (gender, ethnic and racial diversity among
on-air personalities), and the Streetfront/Studioless Television Operating System, were
at the core of the more than 20 popular and independent stations and channels he cofounded and executive produced, including: CityTV, CityPulse24, Bravo! – Canada’s
News Style Arts Channel, SPACE: The Imagination Station,
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FashionTelevision, Star! – The Entertainment Information Station, Book Television,
SexTelevision, ACCESS: The Education Station, and Canadian Learning Television, not
to mention MuchMusic and MusiquePlus.
Among his many achievements, he also founded the prestigious IdeaCity Conference,
and ZoomerLife Conference. ZoomerMedia Limited acquired VisionTV in 2010 as well
as JoyTV10 (Vancouver) and JoyTV11 (Winnipeg). Znaimer started the MZTV Museum
of Television & Archive in 1992.
CAROLYN SADOWSKA (the Queen) is a special events artist who
performs improv and stand-up comedy as “the Queen of
England,” whom she portrays in Hattie’s Heist. She performs
mainly at private corporate events where she tailors her comedy
material to the occasion. Her work has taken her across Canada to
most of the larger cities from Halifax to Victoria; and she has
performed internationally in Dubai, Tokyo, Barcelona, Las Vegas,
Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Washington DC and Hawaii to
name but a few.
Sadowska has had lead roles in the made for TV movie, Women of Windsor and the
film, The Duke in addition to the television show Les Sosies D’Ebarquent. She
appeared in the TV movie, The Linda McCartney Story, in the feature film, Space
Buddies and has guested on CBC’s ZED, On the Road Again and Culture
Shock. Among her other television credits are Shiyo-Sakkuri Tasisho (Japan), the
Bob Mills Travel Show (Alberta), Cooking with Burt Wolfe (USA/Canada) and a
video performance on The Joan Rivers Show (USA/Canada). She has lent her talents
to a variety of commercials and honed her improv skills as a street entertainer in
Whistler, BC.
Sadowska was born in Wallasey, England, across the legendary Mersey River from
Liverpool, but grew up in Quebec City. She was 40 when she first stepped on a
stage. Two years later, she performed live in front of 40,000 people for the closing night
of Expo 86 at BC Place. She has developed several quirky stage personas over the
years but has had most success wearing a tiara and gloves performing comedy as
the Queen of England.
TESSIE plays TESSA, making her screen debut in Hattie’s
Heist. She is a six-year-old, 8.2 lb Yorkshire Terrier, born in
Cumberland, BC on Vancouver Island on July 15th, 2007.
When her owner, Kristine Ash, brought her home, she was 11
weeks old and weighed 2.2 lb.
At eight months old, Tessie took a one hour obedience class
after which Kristine took over her training. Tessie learned how
to sit, stay, shake both paws, high five, lay down, rollover, play dead and bark on
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command. Her wardrobe includes boots, shirts, sweaters, kilts, hats and of particular
interest to Hattie’s Heist, goggles, leather jacket and her own motorcycle helmet.
Tessie wears her motorcycle “gear” when she rides with Kristine in her own seat on the
gas tank of Kristine’s Harley-Davidson.
In the film, Tessie is Hattie’s sidekick, riding around in the basket of Hattie’s scooter.
Along with the three bank robbers, Tessie wears a disguise, and plays a pivotal role
when she accidentally connects Hattie to an old suitor that proves problematic to the
heist.
Tessie is registered with The Pacific Animal Therapy Society as a therapy pet and
works/volunteers, with Kristine, at a senior’s care facility in Oak Bay. At work she rides
on housekeeping carts, on flatbed dollies, valet carts, wheelchairs (on someone’s lap),
walkers and in the basket of a scooter. However, her primary job is cuddling with the
seniors and staff and putting smiles on the faces of just about everyone she meets.
Tessie and Kristine live in Victoria.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
DIRECTOR – JOHN KENT HARRISON (‘JKH’) is a film and
television director and writer who is best known for his work in ‘high
end’ TV movies and international mini-series.
When director/writer Harrison joined the production team in 2012,
he expanded the script of Hattie’s Heist. He maintained the same
story line but fleshed out the characters, twisted the plot and added
additional comedy.
Most recently JKH re-wrote and directed Christmas in Conway,
starring Mary-Louise Parker and Andy Garcia. He is currently writing and directing the
pilot for Jon Voight, a novel Fur Trading in America and a four-hour mini-series, War
Paint, a story based on the acclaimed book by Lindy Woodhead about the rivalry
between Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein and the rise of the beauty culture in
New York, London and Paris, 1915-1940.
Previously, JKH wrote and directed The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler as his
sixth Hallmark Hall of Fame film. It won an Emmy Award and was nominated for three,
as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Anna Paquin. In 2010 the film was honored
by the DGA with a nomination for John Kent Harrison as Best Television Movie/Mini
series Director of the year.
Other notable projects include The Lois Wilson Story which received a SAG
nomination for Winona Ryder, William Faulkner’s Old Man, one of the most critically
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acclaimed Hallmark presentations, which won two Emmy Awards, the Humanities Prize,
the Christopher Medal and a Golden Reel. Other Hallmarks include The Water Is Wide,
which received two Emmy nominations; What the Deaf Man Heard, which was
nominated for an Emmy as Best Television Movie of the year and has been the highestrated stand-alone 2-hour TV movie since 1991 and one of the most watched Hallmark
Hall of Fame movies in history. According to Hallmark statistics, Harrison’s 7 Hall of
Fame movies have captured a total audience of 120 million viewers.
In 2003 he co-wrote and directed A Bear Named Winnie, which became one of the
highest rated Canadian 2-hour TV movies and was nominated for four Genie awards,
winning two. Two years later he wrote and directed the Emmy-nominated mini-series,
Pope John Paul II, starring Jon Voight.
Also in the four-hour mini-series format, John directed Helen of Troy, which won an
Emmy, A Wrinkle in Time, which won the Best Feature Film Award at the International
Children’s Film Festival in Toronto in 2003 and The Sound of Silence, which won the
Cable ACE Award for Best Foreign Television Movie of the Year.
In the last fifteen years, Mr. Harrison has directed and written numerous other awardwinning films. Among these, one of the most memorable is You Know My
Name, a two-hour he wrote and directed for Sam Elliott and TNT. It won the coveted
Wrangler Award for Best Western Television Movie of the year at The Cowboy Hall of
Fame.
Before his directing debut, ‘JKH’ was Assistant Professor of film studies at Concordia
University in Montreal, taught screenwriting at UCLA (Extension) and more recently,
advanced film production at the Graduate School of Cinema at the University of
Southern California.
John Kent Harrison is a Canadian and American citizen. He was educated at Columbia
University in New York and presently lives in Portland, OR.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/SCRIPT WRITER – PRUDENCE
EMERY makes her screenwriting debut with Hattie’s Heist. She has
worked in the film Industry for more than 30 years as a Unit Publicist.
Among her more than 100 productions are 10 David Cronenberg
Films, most recently Eastern Promises and History of Violence
with Viggo Mortensen in addition to Spider (Ralph Fiennes),
eXistenZ (Jude Law), Crash (Holly Hunter), M. Butterfly (Jeremy
Irons), Naked Lunch (Peter Weller), Dead Ringers (Jeremy Irons), The Fly
(Jeff Goldblum) and The Dead Zone (Christopher Walken).
Other highlights of her film career include Good Will Hunting (Robin Williams, Matt
Damon, Ben Affleck), An Unfinished Life, (Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez), Don’t Say
A Word (Michael Douglas), John Q. (Denzel Washington), Love Happens (Jennifer
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Aniston), Shoot ‘em Up (Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti), 16 Blocks (Bruce Willis), Just
Friends (Ryan Reynolds), A Far Off Place (Reese Witherspoon), Stella (Bette Midler),
The Simon Wiesenthal Story (Ben Kingsley) and Strange Brew (Rick Moranis, Dave
Thomas, Max von Sydow).
Emery’s varied career includes working as Press and Public Relations Officer for
London’s renowned Savoy Hotel, fashion publicity for Toronto’s tony Hazelton Lanes,
launching Global Television Network, the Metro Toronto Zoo and The Griffin Poetry
Prize. She lives in Victoria, BC.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – W. PATERSON FERNS C.M. is
President of Ferns Productions Inc. specializing in blue-chip
documentary-drama mini-series, working with his son Andrew,
President of Ferns Entertainment Inc. whose principal focus is
drama. Major projects Pat and Andrew have produced together
include the award-winning mini-series Captain Cook:
Obsession and Discovery and Darwin’s Brave New World,
both Australia-Canada co-productions.
Pat Ferns’ drama credits include Billy Bishop Goes to War (BBC-ACTRA TV Show of
the Year), Countdown to Looking Glass (HBO-Ace Award), The First Circle (SRCGemini), Frontier (Global), Glory Enough for All (Thames TV-Gemini), Going Home
(BBC), Heaven on Earth (first Canadian production screened on PBS’ Masterpiece
Theatre), Labour of Love (CBC), Lifeline to Victory (BBC), Love on the Run (pilot for
NBC), The Newcomers/Les Arrivants (CBC/SRC-Emmy nominated, CFTA Best of the
Year), Northwood (CBC-4 seasons, ACT Award of Excellence), Passion and
Paradise (ABC- first Canadian mini-series on US network television-Gemini), The Sea
Wolf (Turner), Stage on Screen (Canadian syndication -Gemini), Waiting for the
Parade (CBC) and Young Catherine (CTV-Gemini). Pat’s theatrical feature career
includes movies such as The Wars (Genie), April One and The Burning Season.
Dubbed in his native land as “the father of independent production”, Ferns was awarded
The Order of Canada in 2005 for his services to the industry. He lives in Victoria.
PRODUCER – PATTI POSKITT marks her first foray into drama
with Hattie’s Heist, however the comedy caper is not her first film.
The award-winning producer has more than 30 years of television
experience overseeing development and production through to
delivery of the final projects in all versions.
Most recently, Poskitt supervised production on her second Michael
Bublé Christmas Special for NBC and was executive producer on
the aboriginal documentary series Warrior Games for APTN.
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Her forte is executive producing one-off documentaries: Aftermeth and Crystal Clear,
Crystal Fear, two intimate portraits of one family's ups and downs caused by drug
addiction and co-dependency; Once Were Enemies – Japanese and American WWII
enemies meet on an island 60 years later, and Blood Relative about Indian activist
Vinay Shetty who fights to save two children dying from rare disease. These
documentaries received multiple awards at various festivals including Critics Choice,
and have been broadcast on TV networks in Canada and internationally.
She was executive producer on the award-winning animated series Jibber Jabber. In
addition she is part of the small production team that produces the annual Variety –
Children’s’ Charity Telethon, raising millions of dollars every year for children with lifelimiting illnesses.
Poskitt heads up Vancouver-based Second Son Productions Inc., a film company
unique in that it independently raises financing for small independent directors. She
devotes her expertise to collaboratively developing and creatively financing television
productions and digital media production in all genres, from live daytime television to
factual series and feature length documentaries.
EDITOR – RON WISMAN, C.C.E., has been an integral
component of the Canadian editing community for over 40
years. Wisman has an impressive resume of 90 titles with
almost half being Movies of the Week; The Violin, one of the
first films that he cut, was nominated for an Academy Award.
His most recent picture, An Officer and a Murderer, won him
editing awards from the C.C.E. and DGC.
His editing has garnered many accolades, with 21 nominations and 11 wins. He is
continually recognized by the Canadian Film Editors Guild and was nominated for his
outstanding work on Joshua Then and Now. The following year he was awarded both
an American ACE Award and a Gemini for Sword of Gideon. He also cut the cult
classic, The Pym.
Collaborating with John Woo, Michael Anderson, Ted Kotcheff and Canadian legend
Don Shebib to name a few, Wisman has helped shape performances of many
Hollywood legends; Charlton Heston and Vanessa Redgrave to Lloyd Bridges and
Christopher Plummer.
In addition to the above achievements, it is important to remember that a career like this
is full of more than titles and credits; it is a testament to a devoted and sought-after
craftsman.
SCORE – LAWRENCE SHRAGGE is a true musical explorer.
He has written over 150 scores for features films, TV movies,
documentaries and television series. He is a composer who has
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proven his versatility and ease on multiple levels, in a myriad of styles including:
ambient; intimate; roots; world music; and large orchestral scores.
Truly one of the more eclectic careers, award winning composer, Shragge has written
music for everything from feature films to pinball machines and video games; television
series, movies and mini-series to Zen monasteries; theater, dance, documentaries and
commercials to musical furniture for gallery installations.
His selected filmography includes: Intimate Relations directed by Philip Goodhew; The
Wrong Guy directed by David Steinberg; mini-series Son Of The Dragon and Iron
Road, by director David Wu; Patrolman P directed by Ido Mizrahy; the Chinese feature
Cold Steel; and the just completed co-production, Midnight Sun with director Roger
Spottiswoode.
A recipient of multiple Gemini Awards, Shragge garnered Emmy Award nominations for
his scores from Haven, starring Ann Bancroft and Natasha Richardson and When Love
Is Not Enough, starring Winona Ryder.
Born and raised in Montreal, Shragge earned a degree in Music Composition at Berklee
College of Music in Boston and did further studies at Eastman School of Music in
Rochester.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY – DANIEL CARRUTHERS
has worked on over thirty productions. Most recently, Carruthers
worked on the Telefilm feature film Jackhammer (Pamela
Anderson, Jamie Kennedy), and the Much FACT music video for
“Beach Dream” by Jets Overhead (Cameron Bright). He recently
won Best Cinematography for the short film Blood Line at the
Cinevic 2013 Film Slam. Other notable work by Carruthers
includes: the Leo-nominated music video “Close Your Eyes” by
Justin Hewitt, the science fiction short film Somnius screened at the San Diego ComicCon, and the award-winning short film Near Silence, which received support from the
BC Arts Council, and the NFB, and went on to win Best Short Film at the 2011
Vancouver Women in Film Festival. Carruthers is based in Victoria, BC.
CO-PRODUCER – ALIX CAMERON had never worked in film
until she became involved with Hattie’s Heist. When this former
advertising executive read the script for Hattie’s Heist, she was
captivated. As a communications consultant and former
underwear maven and food blogger, Cameron brought Hattie to
life online, creating Hattie’s website and Facebook presence. In
addition, she organized a fundraiser for the short film. Cameron
has over 20 years of marketing experience working on such
prestigious brands as: Cointreau, British Home Stores, Clarks Shoes, Tourism BC,
Boston Pizza, Rogers Cable, BC Hot House, BC Colleges and BC Ferries. She makes
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her home in Vancouver, BC.
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