Monica's News is a Canadian drama film, directed by Pamela Gallant and released in 2024.[1] The film stars Polly Gallant-Maclean as Casey Richards, a young girl living in smalltown Nova Scotia in the 1970s who starts to establish her own independence by taking a newspaper delivery route despite that not being a common job for girls, only to see her idealism challenged when her older cousin Monica (Elisa Paszt) is murdered.

Monica's News
Directed byPamela Gallant
Screenplay byPamela Gallant
Produced byTerry Greenlaw
StarringPolly Gallant-Maclean
CinematographyPeter Wunstorf
Edited byKimberlee McTaggart
Maria Psaila
Music byNeil Haverty
Production
company
Picture Plant
Release date
  • September 13, 2024 (2024-09-13) (AIFF)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The cast also includes Kevin Kincaid, Allegra Fulton, James Gilbert, Jessica Gallant, Vox Smith, Hank White, Emma Vickers, Allister MacDonald, David Mortimer, Stacy Smith, Morgan Melnyk, Isaac Leblanc, Maria Young, Wiljo Martin, Mark A. Owen, Lesley Smith and Cooper Watson in supporting roles.

Production and distribution

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In advance of the film's production, Gallant won the $200,000 Women in the Director's Chair award at the 2019 Whistler Film Festival for the screenplay treatment.[2]

The film entered production in July 2023, with shooting locations including Halifax and Ellershouse, Nova Scotia.[3]

The film premiered at the 2024 Atlantic International Film Festival.[4]

Awards

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The film was longlisted for the 2024 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award.[5]

References

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