* Director: Wiebke von Carolsfeld * Writer: Daniel MacIvor * Producers: Julia Sereny, Brent Barclay, Bill Niven * Cinematographer: Stefan Ivanov

MARION Bridge, based on a play by Cape Breton Island’s Daniel MacIvor, marks Weibke von Carolsfeld’s debut as a feature director. She has previously worked as an editor (The Five Senses) and directed several short films. Halifax’s Idlewild Productions and Sienna Films out of Toronto coproduce the film.

Starring Molly Parker (Men With Brooms), Rebecca Jenkins (Black Harbour) and Stacy Smith (New Waterford Girl), the film tells the story of three sisters who are brought together in Cape Breton, NS, by their mother’s illness.

Although writer MacIvor says the film benefits from having an ‘outsider’ (someone not from Cape Breton) direct, it remains very authentic, with the majority of the casting done locally. Shot primarily in Halifax, with several days in Cape Breton, the production team was careful to retain the Maritime flavor of the film with the benefit of insight from MacIvor, who, having grown up in Cape Breton where the film is set, contributes an intimate understanding of the characters.

Von Carolsfeld and Bill Niven, along with Sienna producers Brent Barclay and Julia Sereny, muse on the making of Marion Bridge:

August 1998: MacIvor completes the screen and stage versions of Marion Bridge and gives the script to von Carolsfeld. MacIvor plans to direct and wants von Carolsfeld to come on as editor.

October 1998: The stage version of Marion Bridge is performed in Halifax, leaving a strong impression on producer Niven, president of Halifax-based Idlewild Productions.

Summer 1999: MacIvor decides he does not want to direct Marion Bridge because the project is too large to take on as his directorial debut. He says the film would benefit from a female director and thinks von Carolsfeld is a good match for the script.

Under a hot Toronto summer sun, in front of the Alliance Atlantis building on Bloor Street, von Carolsfeld approaches Sienna Films producer Sereny to produce Marion Bridge.

December 1999: Von Carolsfeld options the script from MacIvor on Dec. 13.

June 2000: Sereny calls Niven in Halifax to discuss coproducing with Idlewild.

Von Carolsfeld sends a script for Marion Bridge to friend Molly Parker, who responds favorably to appearing in the film.

September 2000: The option is transferred to Sienna and von Carolsfeld signs a director’s agreement with the Toronto prodco.

Von Carolsfeld flies from Toronto to Halifax to meet with Niven and visits Cape Breton to scout locations.

The Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation confirms development funding.

November 2000: Development funds from Telefilm Canada are confirmed.

January 2001: The Harold Greenberg Fund also comes through with development funds.

While MacIvor is working on rewrites, von Carolsfeld begins the search for cast and crew, which continues through May.

June 2001: Von Carolsfeld returns to Halifax for preliminary casting. She is concerned about finding the right person to play Joanie, but as soon as Ellen Page walks into the audition, von Carolsfeld knows she has found the perfect actor for the difficult role. Stacy Smith is cast for the part of Louise and Heather Rankin as Sue.

The team is spread out, with Sereny in L.A., Niven in Montreal and von Carolsfeld at a margarita party, when they find out that Mongrel Media will be the Canadian distributor for the film.

July 2001: The Movie Network comes on board with production funds.

But the project takes a downturn on July 23 when von Carolsfeld, Sienna and Idlewild find out Telefilm has turned them down for production funding. Although a serious blow to the project, the director and producers are determined to go ahead with the film. However, they are concerned about losing Parker, who the team feels is a critical element to the success of the film, because they are not able to confirm production or nail down dates without financing in place.

August 2001: Things start to look up when Movie Central’s Shelley Gillen confirms financing.

October 2001: The team receives production funding from the NSFDC and their optimism returns.

November 2001: Cast and crew are relieved to hear that Marion Bridge has been reconsidered by Telefilm, which grants the film production funding on Nov. 16, allowing them to move forward.

January 2002: The Harold Greenberg Fund announces additional production funding and the team secures Parker for the role of Agnes, the youngest sister. Brent Barclay is chosen as the Sienna producer to work on the production and he heads to Halifax.

March 2002: The cast is nailed down and Jenkins is chosen to play the oldest sister Theresa. CHUM Television comes on board with a broadcast licence.

April 2002: Prep officially starts, but von Carolsfeld has not yet found the right DOP for the project. Barclay and von Carolsfeld interview so many DOPs that they are sure they’ve talked to everyone in Canada, before finally deciding on Stefan Ivanov. The production goes to camera on April 28 in Halifax.

May 2002: The shoot officially wraps May 30, but they shoot two days on location in Cape Breton the following week.

Seven weeks of post begin, with picture editing completed at Toronto house Fearless Films and sound post at Tattersall Casablanca.

July to August 2002: When the team hears they have been accepted into TIFF 2002 they have some difficult decisions to make because the film is not completed. Although they are very excited about the festival, they do not want to sacrifice the quality of the film by rushing everything. After lengthy discussions and many what-ifs, the team decides to go ahead and complete the film for showing at TIFF. ‘I think we’re going to be one of those wet-print entries,’ says von Carolsfeld.

Marion Bridge is accepted into Cinefest in Sudbury, ON, and its makers hope it to be at both the Vancouver and Atlantic festivals as well. Mongrel plans a theatrical release on Mother’s Day next year.

September 2002: Marion Bridge makes its world premiere in TIFF’s Perspective Canada program.