Anne Wheeler
Encyclopedia
Anne Wheeler, OC
(born September 23, 1946; 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. From 1975 to 1985 she worked for the NFB
where she made her first feature film, A War Story (1981), which was about her father, Ben Wheeler
and his time as a doctor in a P.O.W. camp during WW2. The war is a common theme in her work and she revisited it later in her films Bye Bye Blues
(1989) and The War Between Us (1995). Her first non-NFB film was Loyalties in 1986.
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 nominated 4 times for the Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction
for her films Loyalties (1986), Cowboys Don't Cry (1988), Bye Bye Blues
(1989), and Suddenly Naked
(2001).
She has also been awarded six honorary doctorates and in 1995, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born September 23, 1946; 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. From 1975 to 1985 she worked for the NFB
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
where she made her first feature film, A War Story (1981), which was about her father, Ben Wheeler
Ben Wheeler (Canadian doctor)
Ben Wheeler was a Canadian doctor in the British Army stationed in Singapore in 1942 when British forces unconditionally surrendered to the Japanese. He had a central role in keeping up the spirits and the health of British and Commonwealth soldiers subjected to harsh treatment while prisoners of...
and his time as a doctor in a P.O.W. camp during WW2. The war is a common theme in her work and she revisited it later in her films Bye Bye Blues
Bye Bye Blues (film)
Bye Bye Blues is a Canadian film, released in 1989. It was written and directed by Anne Wheeler and produced by Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation with assistance of Allarcom Limited.-Plot:...
(1989) and The War Between Us (1995). Her first non-NFB film was Loyalties in 1986.
In addition to her films, she has directed episodes of Cold Squad
Cold Squad
Cold Squad is a Canadian police procedural television series first broadcast in 1998 that followed the investigations of a part of the Vancouver Police Department Homicide Division tasked with solving cold cases, the titular Cold Squad, as led by Sergeant Ali McCormick .The cast of Cold Squad was...
, Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest
Da Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. Seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes....
, Mysterious Ways, This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland
This Is Wonderland was a Canadian television series which aired on CBC Television. The series is a legal drama with comedic elements, or a comedy-drama. It was created by playwright George F...
and The Guard.
She has been nominated 4 times for the Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction
Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction
The Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian film director.-1st Genie Awards:*Bob Clark, Murder by Decree*Peter Carter, Klondike Fever...
for her films Loyalties (1986), Cowboys Don't Cry (1988), Bye Bye Blues
Bye Bye Blues (film)
Bye Bye Blues is a Canadian film, released in 1989. It was written and directed by Anne Wheeler and produced by Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation with assistance of Allarcom Limited.-Plot:...
(1989), and Suddenly Naked
Suddenly Naked
Suddenly Naked is a 2001 drama film directed by Anne Wheeler and written by Elyse Friedman.-Plot:Jackie York is a famous novelist with a secret: she is suffering from writer's block and is unable to write her much-anticipated novel. After being used and then dumped by a wannabe movie director,...
(2001).
She has also been awarded six honorary doctorates and in 1995, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Filmography
| Director | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Genre | Other notes | |
| 1975 | Great Grand Mother | Docu Drama | ||
| 1976 | Augusta (film) | Documentary | ||
| 1977 | Happily Unmarried | Short Drama | ||
| 1978 | Teach Me to Dance | Short Drama | ||
| 1981 | A War Story A War Story A War Story is a docudrama produced, written, and directed by Anne Wheeler telling the story of her father Major Ben Wheeler when he was captured by the Japanese during the Second World War.... |
Feature length Docu Drama | ||
| 1984 | One's a Heifer | Short Drama | ||
| 1984 | Change of Heart (film) | TV movie | For the Record series | |
| 1985 | To Set Our House in Order | Short Drama | ||
| The Ray Bradbury Theater The Ray Bradbury Theater The Ray Bradbury Theater is an anthology series that ran for two seasons on HBO, three episodes per season from 1985 to 1986, and four additional seasons on USA Network from 1988 to 1992. It was later shown in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel... |
TV series | one episode | ||
| 1986 | Loyalties | Feature | ||
| 1988 | Cowboys Don't Cry | Feature | ||
| 1989 | Bye Bye Blues Bye Bye Blues (film) Bye Bye Blues is a Canadian film, released in 1989. It was written and directed by Anne Wheeler and produced by Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation with assistance of Allarcom Limited.-Plot:... |
Feature | ||
| 1990 | Mom P.I. | TV series | two episodes | |
| Angel Square Angel Square Angel Square is a 1990 Canadian film set in 1945 and based on the novel of the same title by Brian Doyle. Many of his books are set in Ottawa, Canada.-Summary:... |
Feature | |||
| 1992 | North of 60 North of 60 North of 60 is a mid-1990s Canadian television series depicting life in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest . It first aired on CBC Television in 1992 and was syndicated around the world. It is set in the fictional community of Lynx River, a primarily Native-run town depicted as being in the... |
TV series | two episodes | |
| 1993 | The Diviners The Diviners (film) The Diviners is a TV movie filmed in Manitoba, Canada. It is a novel written by Margaret Laurence based on the 1974 Governor General's Award-winning novel, The Diviners brings Margaret Laurence's Manawaka to life and is the epic culmination of the series.-Plot:The film follows Morag Gunn from her... |
TV movie | 3 hour special | |
| Other Women's Children | TV movie | |||
| 1995 | Jake and the Kid Jake and the Kid Jake and the Kid is a collection of short stories by W. O. Mitchell, originally published in 1961. Many stories in the series appeared in Maclean's prior to the book's publication... |
TV series | two episodes 1 & 2 | |
| The War Between Us | TV Feature | |||
| 1996 | The Adventures of Shirley Holmes The Adventures of Shirley Holmes The Adventures of Shirley Holmes is a Canadian mystery TV series that originally aired from 1996 to 1999. The show was created by Ellis Iddon and Phil Meagher who had produced a successful series of books with Harper Collins, teaming up with Credo and Forefront to develop the TV series... |
TV series | pilot | |
| 1998 | Cold Squad Cold Squad Cold Squad is a Canadian police procedural television series first broadcast in 1998 that followed the investigations of a part of the Vancouver Police Department Homicide Division tasked with solving cold cases, the titular Cold Squad, as led by Sergeant Ali McCormick .The cast of Cold Squad was... |
TV series | three episodes | |
| The Sleep Room | Mini Series | |||
| Da Vinci's Inquest Da Vinci's Inquest Da Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. Seven seasons of thirteen episodes each were filmed for a total of ninety-one episodes.... |
TV Series (1998–2003) | seven episodes | ||
| 1999 | Better Than Chocolate Better Than Chocolate Better Than Chocolate is a 1999 Canadian romantic comedy movie shot in Vancouver directed by Anne Wheeler.-Plot:Maggie has recently moved out on her own, and has started a relationship with another woman, Kim... |
Feature | ||
| 2000 | Marine Life | Feature | ||
| The Orkney Lad: The Story of Isabel Gunn | Docu Drama | |||
| Mysterious Ways | TV Series | one episode | ||
| Beggars And Choosers Beggars and Choosers (TV series) Beggars and Choosers is a comedy-drama series broadcast by Showtime. Developed by Peter Lefcourt and Brandon Tartikoff, the series was a comedic, behind-the-scenes look at network television... |
TV Series | one episode | ||
| Legs Apart | Short Drama | |||
| 2001 | Suddenly Naked Suddenly Naked Suddenly Naked is a 2001 drama film directed by Anne Wheeler and written by Elyse Friedman.-Plot:Jackie York is a famous novelist with a secret: she is suffering from writer's block and is unable to write her much-anticipated novel. After being used and then dumped by a wannabe movie director,... |
Feature | ||
| 2002 | The Investigation | TV movie | ||
| Edge of Madness | Feature | |||
| 2003 | Betrayed | TV movie | ||
| 2004 | A Beachcombers Christmas The Beachcombers The Beachcombers is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that ran from October 1, 1972 to December 12, 1990 and is the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English-language Canadian television... |
TV movie | ||
| This Is Wonderland This Is Wonderland This Is Wonderland was a Canadian television series which aired on CBC Television. The series is a legal drama with comedic elements, or a comedy-drama. It was created by playwright George F... |
TV Series (2004–2005) | eight episodes | ||
| 2005 | Godiva's | TV Series | two episode | |
| 2006 | Jozi-H Jozi-H Jozi-H is a one-hour hospital drama series set in Johannesburg, South Africa, set in the Johannesburg General Hospital. It is a Canada-South Africa co-production. It first aired in Canada on CBC Television on 13 October 2006, and in South Africa on SABC3 in 2007.Producers are Morula Pictures and... |
TV Series | two episodes | |
| Christmas on Chestnut Street | TV movie | |||
| The Guard | TV Series | two episodes | ||
| 2007 | Me, Mom, Dad and Her Me, Mom, Dad and Her Mom, Dad and Her is a 2008 TV movie directed by Anne Wheeler starring Melora Hardin and Paul McGillion. It was filmed in Fort Langley, Langley Township, British Columbia, Canada.-Plot:... |
TV movie | ||
| 2008 | Mail Order Bride Mail Order Bride (2008 film) Mail Order Bride is a Hallmark Channel television movie set in the time of the Old West. It premiered on November 8, 2008, and stars Daphne Zuniga.-Plot:... |
TV movie | ||
| Living Out Loud | TV movie | |||
| Dancing Trees (Partners in Crime) | TV movie | |||
| 2011 | Knockout Knockout (2011 film) Knockout is a 2011 boxing film directed by Anne Wheeler. It stars Steve Austin, Daniel Magder, and Jaren Brandt Bartlett.Knockout was filmed in Aldergrove, and White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, and Tacoma, Washington.-Plot:... |
Feature | ||
| Producer | ||||
| Year | Title | Genre | Notes | |
| 1977 | Happily Unmarried | Documentary | ||
| 1978 | Priory, The Only Home I've Got | Documentary | ||
| 1979 | Triangle Island | Documentary | ||
| Welfare Mothers | Documentary | |||
| Never a Dull Moment | Documentary | |||
| 1981 | A War Story A War Story A War Story is a docudrama produced, written, and directed by Anne Wheeler telling the story of her father Major Ben Wheeler when he was captured by the Japanese during the Second World War.... |
Feature length Docu Drama | ||
| 1983 | Great Days in the Rockies | Documentary | ||
| From Bears to Bartok | Documentary | |||
| 1984 | Children Of Alcohol | Documentary | ||
| This Is Only a Test | Documentary | |||
| 1988 | Cowboys Don't Cry | Feature | ||
| 1989 | Bye Bye Blues Bye Bye Blues (film) Bye Bye Blues is a Canadian film, released in 1989. It was written and directed by Anne Wheeler and produced by Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation with assistance of Allarcom Limited.-Plot:... |
Feature | ||
| 1996 | Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story | TV movie | ||
| 2001 | Suddenly Naked Suddenly Naked Suddenly Naked is a 2001 drama film directed by Anne Wheeler and written by Elyse Friedman.-Plot:Jackie York is a famous novelist with a secret: she is suffering from writer's block and is unable to write her much-anticipated novel. After being used and then dumped by a wannabe movie director,... |
Feature | executive producer | |
| Writer | ||||
| Year | Title | Genre | Notes | |
| 1975 | Great Gand Mother | Docu Drama | ||
| 1976 | Augusta | Documentary | ||
| 1981 | A War Story A War Story A War Story is a docudrama produced, written, and directed by Anne Wheeler telling the story of her father Major Ben Wheeler when he was captured by the Japanese during the Second World War.... |
Feature length Docu Drama | ||
| 1984 | One's a Heifer | Short Drama | Co-writer | |
| 1985 | To Set Our House in Order | Short Drama | ||
| 1986 | Loyalties | Feature | ||
| 1988 | Cowboys Don't Cry | Feature | ||
| 1989 | Bye Bye Blues Bye Bye Blues (film) Bye Bye Blues is a Canadian film, released in 1989. It was written and directed by Anne Wheeler and produced by Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation with assistance of Allarcom Limited.-Plot:... |
Feature | ||
| 1990 | Angel Square Angel Square Angel Square is a 1990 Canadian film set in 1945 and based on the novel of the same title by Brian Doyle. Many of his books are set in Ottawa, Canada.-Summary:... |
Feature | ||
| 1996 | Mother Trucker: The Diana Kilmury Story | TV movie | ||
| 2000 | Legs Apart | Short Drama | ||
| 2002 | Edge of Madness | Feature | ||
| 2003 | Betrayed | TV movie | ||