Production is underway in North Bay, ON on writer/director Michael McGowan’s All My Puny Sorrows starring Alison Pill (Vice) and Sarah Gadon (Black Bear).

Produced by McGowan through his Mulmur Feed Co. banner alongside Sugar Shack Productions’ Patrice Theroux and Carousel Pictures’ Tyler Levine and Katelyn Cursio, the drama is adapted from Canadian author Miriam Toews’ sixth novel – which picked up the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize in 2014.

Featuring Pill and Gadon, pictured above, as two Mennonite sisters who have left their strict religious upbringing behind, the feature explores their unique relationship.

Alongside the duo, Amybeth McNulty (Anne with an E), Mare Winningham (Georgia), Donal Logue (Vikings) and Aly Mawji (Silicon Valley) round out the project’s cast.

A spokesperson for the film told Playback Daily that All My Puny Sorrows marks the first time Levine and Theroux have worked with McGowan on a project; that the feature’s budget range is $5 million; and that production is expected to wrap on Dec. 16.

All My Puny Sorrows is backstopped by the Short-Term Compensation Fund for Canadian Audiovisual Productions (STCF). Administered by Telefilm Canada, the temporary measure was announced by Canadian Heritage this September for Canadian audiovisual productions that have been unable to resume due to a lack of COVID insurance.

Officially opened on Oct. 30, the fund offers up to $1.5 million per project in the case of a temporary interruption and $3 million in the case of a complete production shutdown. Of note, Telefilm recently told Playback Daily that around 90 projects have applied to the fund, which is set to expire in March.

Set to be distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media, production financing was also provided by Telefilm, Ontario Creates, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC), Sim Post Sound and Picture and CBC Films. All My Puny Sorrows also received development support from Telefilm and the Harold Greenberg Fund, and sees Voltage Pictures handle world sales on the title.

McGowan’s credits include creating Netflix/Citytv series Between and serving as writer/director behind One Week starring Joshua Jackson and past TIFF opener Score: A Hockey Musical. His directing credits also include TV series such as Murdoch Mysteries, Reign and Northern Rescue.