Anne Wheeler

Birth : 1946-09-23, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

History

Anne Wheeler, OC (born September 23, 1946 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian film and television writer, producer and director. Graduating in Mathematics from the University of Alberta she was a computer programmer before traveling abroad. Her years of travels inspired her to become a storyteller and when she returned she joined a group of old friends to form a film collective. For most of the seventies, she made documentaries, including A War Story for the National Film Board which was about her father, Ben Wheeler and his time as a doctor in a P.O.W. camp. In the eighties she turned to dramatic films, beginning with Teach Me to Dance, about an unlikely friendship between two girls from different cultures. In addition to her films, she has directed episodes of Cold Squad, Da Vinci's Inquest, Mysterious Ways, This Is Wonderland and The Guard. She has been awarded six honorary doctorates and in 1995, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. Description above from the Wikipedia article Anne Wheeler, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Movies

Friends & Family Christmas
Director
Bridget and Amelia, set up by their parents, pretend that they are dating to make their families happy for the holidays.
Wedding of a Lifetime
Director
An engaged couple who have been together since their days as high school sweethearts in a close-knit mountain town, but have found themselves in a rut and out of love.
Monkey Beach
Executive Producer
Five hundred miles north of Vancouver is Kitamaat, an Indian reservation in the homeland of the Haisla people. Growing up a tough, wild tomboy, swimming, fighting, and fishing in a remote village where the land slips into the green ocean on the edge of the world, Lisamarie has always been different. Visited by ghosts and shapeshifters, tormented by premonitions, she can't escape the sense that something terrible is waiting for her. She recounts her enchanted yet scarred life as she journeys in her speedboat up the frigid waters of the Douglas Channel. She is searching for her brother, dead by drowning, and in her own way running as fast as she can toward danger. Circling her brother's tragic death are the remarkable characters that make up her family: Lisamarie's parents, struggling to join their Haisla heritage with Western ways; Uncle Mick, a Native rights activist and devoted Elvis fan; and the headstrong Ma-ma-oo (Haisla for "grandmother"), a guardian of tradition.
Stop the Wedding
Director
A meddling man and woman determined to stop a wedding for the good of the bride and groom instead wind up falling in love with each other.
A Country Wedding
Director
A famous country singer set to marry a glamorous Hollywood actress returns to his small town roots. When he crosses paths with his childhood sweetheart and finally feels inspired to write songs again he reevaluates his life, his values and his opinion of true love. As his wedding day approaches, he must decide if he has chosen the right woman to be his wife.
The Color of Rain
Director
After cancer claims Matt Kell's life on Christmas Day 2005, his widow, Gina and two young boys are left to cope with the pain of his loss while their close church community gathers around them for support.
Making Movie History: Anne Wheeler
Self
Director and editor Anne Wheeler reflects on her early documentaries with the NFB, the birth of the North West and Prairie Studios and working with Donald Sutherland.
Chi
Director Anne Wheeler joins actress Babz Chula on a trip to India to rid herself of cancer.
Chi
Self
Director Anne Wheeler joins actress Babz Chula on a trip to India to rid herself of cancer.
Chi
Director
Director Anne Wheeler joins actress Babz Chula on a trip to India to rid herself of cancer.
The Bouquet
Director
Two estranged sisters torn apart by their differences suddenly find themselves working together towards a common goal in this heartwarming drama...For years, overachiever Terri (Kristy Swanson) and her idealistic sister, Mandy (Alberta Mayne), have kept their distance from each other, as well as from their parents' struggling florist business. But when a tragic turn of events brings both women home, they discover just how much they need one another in order to continue their family legacy. Filled with romance, humor and hope, it's an endearing story about making time for the ones you love.
The Horses of Mcbride
Writer
When Nicki finds two horses stranded deep in the Rocky Mountain snow, she makes it her mission to find a way to get them to safety. With no other options, she picks up a shovel and starts to dig out the mile-long path, inspiring her father, Matt, and the rest of the community to join together and save the horses in the spirit of Christmas.
The Horses of Mcbride
Director
When Nicki finds two horses stranded deep in the Rocky Mountain snow, she makes it her mission to find a way to get them to safety. With no other options, she picks up a shovel and starts to dig out the mile-long path, inspiring her father, Matt, and the rest of the community to join together and save the horses in the spirit of Christmas.
Knockout
Director
Outsider and new kid Matthew desperately wants to join his high school's boxing team, but resident bully and boxing champion Hector stands in his way. Facing constant torment, Matthew finds an unlikely ally in Dan, the school's janitor and one-time amateur boxer. Together, they train for the biggest boxing match of Matthew's life and discover what it truly means to be a winner.
The Gambler, The Girl and The Gunslinger
Director
Two mortal enemies must band together to defend the ranch they've both staked their claim on.
Living Out Loud
Director
A wife and mother, diagnosed with breast cancer, decides to truly live her life, which has become comfortable and predictable, and the family must adjust.
Dancing Trees
Director
Martha (Katie Boland), 18, sees the world as animated and fun. She has a form of autism that means she is a mathematical genuis whilst incapable of looking after herself. Living in a dull routinewith her cousin Nicole (Brooke Burns), and mother Josephine (Amanda Tapping), she sees the good in everything and everyone. But suddenly, her mother is the casualty of a brutal crime before her eyes and Martha is sent to a foster home. Nicole is distraught and battle for custody of her cousin, but the police constantly block her requests. Finally, Detective Velez relents, on one condition: Martha must help solve the crime and find justice for her fallen mother.
Mail Order Bride
Director
Diana McQueen notorious con-woman has had enough. She leaves town and her boss, Tom Rourke, behind. She takes the place of her dying friend, who was to become some man's mail-order bride. Can she pull off this last con?
Mom, Dad and Her
Director
Sydney is a troubled teen heading for trouble. After being caught shoplifting and a case of alcohol poisoning, Sydney's desperate single mother sends her off to the country to live with her father, Ben, and his new pregnant wife, Emma. Sydney misses her boyfriend, her city life and doesn't get on with her dad or stepmom. Slowly she starts to settle in as she makes friends with Jess, a local girl whose mother died of cancer. Sydney makes a couple of mistakes but after her grandfather's death the extended family start to heal.
Christmas on Chestnut Street
Director
A store decides to start a contest to sell off 60,000 Christmas lights, ordered by accident. The competition soon causes unrest among the locals, but the store's owner, Diane, wants to keep what has become a very profitable competition going, at all costs.
Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche
Self
This compelling documentary explores Canadian film culture and tries to discover what defines Canadian film through interviews with notable filmmakers.
Betrayed
Writer
The story of a fictional town suffering from an outbreak of severe water contamination.
Betrayed
Director
The story of a fictional town suffering from an outbreak of severe water contamination.
Edge of Madness
Writer
1851, Manitoba's Red River Valley. As winter sets in, a young woman on the edge of madness arrives exhausted at the fort, a wilderness station, claiming she murdered her husband. She's placed in a cell; for the next several months, she sews while the local prefect, Henry Mullen, investigates.
The Investigation
Director
Tells the true story of a bungled and obstructed police manhunt for a serial killer who could and should have been imprisoned after his first crime. Two young RCMP officers, each separately investigating a rape and murder, captured the culprit, but because of legal red tape, jurisdictional chaos and incompetence, the suspect was allowed to continue his rampage until he was finally arrested and imprisoned - several murders later.
Edge of Madness
Director
1851, Manitoba's Red River Valley. As winter sets in, a young woman on the edge of madness arrives exhausted at the fort, a wilderness station, claiming she murdered her husband. She's placed in a cell; for the next several months, she sews while the local prefect, Henry Mullen, investigates.
Suddenly Naked
Executive Producer
A famous 'Jackie Collins' type novelist falls for a quirky twenty year old kid.
Suddenly Naked
Director
A famous 'Jackie Collins' type novelist falls for a quirky twenty year old kid.
Preludes
Director
Commissioned by the Toronto International Film Festival to mark the event's 25th anniversary in September 2000, the "Preludes" program consisted of ten short films by Canadian directors which were inspired in some way by the festival. Each film screened as a prelude to a feature film in the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival program. The full "Preludes" anthology was screened on the web in November 2000, and was given theatrical retrospectives at the TIFF Lightbox in the subsequent years.
Marine Life
Director
Marine Life revolves around the choatic family life of June, a middle-aged lounge singer and mother. Aging and twice divorced, lounge singer June Nordstrom tries to cope with her fading beauty, her troubled offspring, her waning career and her young lover, who begins seeing a woman his age behind June's back.
Legs Apart
Writer
Anne Wheeler’s short links filmmaking to the pain and turmoil of giving birth.
Legs Apart
Director
Anne Wheeler’s short links filmmaking to the pain and turmoil of giving birth.
Better Than Chocolate
Director
Not long after moving into her own place, Maggie finds herself with two unsolicited roommates: her recently divorced mother, Lila, and her young brother. The timing is especially bad, considering Maggie has fallen hard for an attractive woman, Kim, only hours before they move in. What could be a nonissue becomes increasingly complicated -- since Maggie's family is unaware of her sexual orientation, and Maggie is not open to sharing that information.
The Sleep Room
Director
At the height of the cold war, the C.I.A. secretly funded Dr. Ewen Cameron, director of the Allan Memorial Institute, and his experimental research into brainwashing techniques. Twenty-five years later, the last nine survivors of those gruesome experiments fight to expose the truth...of The Sleep Room.
Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story
Producer
Real-life account of a Canadian hero, a determined female truck driver who took on the mob-controlled leadership of the International Teamsters Union.
Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story
Executive Producer
Real-life account of a Canadian hero, a determined female truck driver who took on the mob-controlled leadership of the International Teamsters Union.
Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story
Teleplay
Real-life account of a Canadian hero, a determined female truck driver who took on the mob-controlled leadership of the International Teamsters Union.
The War Between Us
Director
The Story of a Japanese-Canadian woman who finds friendship after her family is interned to a small town during World War II.
Other Women's Children
Director
A doctor's relationship with a terminally ill child adds pressure to her already rocky marriage as she spends more time with her patient and gradually neglects her home life.
Angel Square
Director
A Canadian boy comes of age and investigates a mystery in 1945.
Bye Bye Blues
Producer
Story about a WWII wife & mother who joins a local dance band to provide for family while husband at war. Romantic involvement with one of the band members make her decisions difficult when husband returns from war. Story watches the progression of the band as it grows into a popular, successful recording and touring group. Excellent music and soundtrack.
Bye Bye Blues
Writer
Story about a WWII wife & mother who joins a local dance band to provide for family while husband at war. Romantic involvement with one of the band members make her decisions difficult when husband returns from war. Story watches the progression of the band as it grows into a popular, successful recording and touring group. Excellent music and soundtrack.
Bye Bye Blues
Director
Story about a WWII wife & mother who joins a local dance band to provide for family while husband at war. Romantic involvement with one of the band members make her decisions difficult when husband returns from war. Story watches the progression of the band as it grows into a popular, successful recording and touring group. Excellent music and soundtrack.
Calling the Shots
Self
Documentary about women in the film industry. Numerous notable actresses and female directors share their thoughts.
Cowboys Don't Cry
Director
A father and son struggle to make ends meet on the rodeo circuit.
Loyalties
Story
Lily and her three youngest children join her husband David Sutton, a doctor in an isolated northern Alberta town. Their eleven-year-old son arrives later from boarding school. David conceals a dark secret which caused the family to leave England without telling anybody. They befriend a neighbor Rosanne, who throws out her boyfriend after he beats her up in a bar. Lily, who is very English and out of place in the town, hires the half-Native Rosanne as a housekeeper, and eventually the two women become good friends, until the secret emerges again.
Loyalties
Director
Lily and her three youngest children join her husband David Sutton, a doctor in an isolated northern Alberta town. Their eleven-year-old son arrives later from boarding school. David conceals a dark secret which caused the family to leave England without telling anybody. They befriend a neighbor Rosanne, who throws out her boyfriend after he beats her up in a bar. Lily, who is very English and out of place in the town, hires the half-Native Rosanne as a housekeeper, and eventually the two women become good friends, until the secret emerges again.
To Set Our House in Order
Writer
This movie discusses the growth and discovery of a young girl named Vanessa, as she learns more about her father's side of the family.
To Set Our House in Order
Director
This movie discusses the growth and discovery of a young girl named Vanessa, as she learns more about her father's side of the family.
Children of Alcohol
Producer
This short documentary focuses on the children of alcoholics. In the relaxed environment of a mountain campsite, a group of young people discuss their anger and frustration, and talk about their struggle to cope with the problems created by their parents' drinking. By sharing their experiences, they open a door for others like them. Aimed primarily at an audience of elementary school children and older, this film provides an excellent vehicle for generating discussion about alcohol abuse and the family.
A War Story
Writer
A Canadian doctor interned at a Japanese POW Camp during WWII must tend to his fellow British prisoners who are being worked to death in a mine.
A War Story
Director
A Canadian doctor interned at a Japanese POW Camp during WWII must tend to his fellow British prisoners who are being worked to death in a mine.
Priory: The Only Home I've Got
Producer
A woman is forcibly placed in Priory, as the filmmakers follow her struggles to adapt.
The Red Dress
Editor
Kelly is a Métis man without treaty or hunting rights, struggling to sustain his traditional life. His daughter Theresa longs for a red dress from France that she believes will give her power and strength, as the bear claw once did for her great-grandfather Muskwa. When Theresa escapes an assault and Kelly turns his back on his daughter, he realizes that he must reconnect with his culture in order to make things right. Today, the red dress is a powerful symbol recognizing over 1000 missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.
Teach Me to Dance
Director
In this drama, Lesia convinces her English-Canadian friend Sarah to perform a Ukrainian dance with her as part of their school's Christmas pageant. Sarah's father, angry at the growing number of Ukrainian settlers, won't allow his daughter to participate. Despite the prejudices of their parents, the girls' friendship remains strong, and they meet in Sarah's barn to celebrate Christmas Day together. Part of the Adventures in History series.
Augusta
Editor
This short documentary is the portrait of an 88-year-old woman who lives alone in a log cabin without running water or electricity. Augusta is a non-status Shuswap Indian living in the Williams Lake area of British Columbia. She recalls past times, but lives very much in the present. Self-sufficient, dedicated to her people, she spreads warmth wherever she moves, with her songs and her harmonica.
Augusta
Director
This short documentary is the portrait of an 88-year-old woman who lives alone in a log cabin without running water or electricity. Augusta is a non-status Shuswap Indian living in the Williams Lake area of British Columbia. She recalls past times, but lives very much in the present. Self-sufficient, dedicated to her people, she spreads warmth wherever she moves, with her songs and her harmonica.
Great Grand Mother
Director
This short film is an ode to the women who settled the Prairies, from the days of early immigration to 1916 - when Manitobans became the first women in Canada to receive the provincial vote - and beyond. Recollections of women are complemented by a series of quotations drawn from letters, diaries, and newspapers of the day, which are spoken over re-enacted scenes and archival photographs.
The Forests and Vladimir Krajina
Editor
Visually seductive, this film uncovers a few hard truths under the packaging. Dr. Vladimir Krajina, botanist and teacher, is waging a successful battle in British Columbia for the creation of ecological reserves. He explains the importance of such sanctuaries and why people must know and respect nature's laws if the future needs of industry and the desire for a high quality of life are to be reconciled.
The Diviners
Director
Morag Gunn (Sonja Smits), a writer who is having trouble with her teenage daughter, examines her own relationship history, which includes a period of turbulence with Jules (Tom Jackson). While she and Jules have known each other since childhood, he is no rock of stability. In addition, he is white, while she is part Native American, so the teenage Morag (Mairon Bennett) experienced racism he can only imagine. Even after they have a daughter, she struggles against the emptiness within her.