Ever dream of becoming a successful movie producer? Mary Young Leckie did and she made it happen. One of Canada’s most successful filmmakers and playwrights, Mary is responsible for numerous award-winning movies, TV shows and plays. She co-founded Solo Productions and her IMBd is littered with hits including The Arrow, Shattered, Everest, Prom Queen, MVP and Maudie. Oh, and Mary also made a movie about some kid who tried to save an endangered bear. Her work has been shown worldwide on CBC, CTV, Showcase, Hallmark, PBS and BBC and has been distributed by the likes of Alliance Atlantis and Marvista.
Given that Mary is a globally respected and celebrated visual storyteller, we asked her to open up her Toronto home and share with us the secret to telling a great story, what goes into making an award-winning movie and how someone might be able to follow in her footsteps.
What do you think?
- Has Mary helped you rethink how we can tell better stories – for nature, for entertainment, for society?
- Do you think movies are a force for good?
- Is the storytelling formula of good versus evil – what’s often commercially viable – too black and white for the nuance of the complex issues we face?
- How can we add context without being boring? How can we create compelling narratives without being needlessly controversial?