The Mary Contest
Film Session(s)
Venue(s)
22 minutes, Canada, 2014
Young Mary Kelly dreams of becoming a nun, like her beloved teacher, Sister Adelia, but despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to tame her bad temper. It doesn’t help that the popular girl, Tammy, teases her relentlessly. Things come to a head when they both take part in a contest to come up with the most names for Mary: Our Lady of Fatima, the Immaculate Conception, etc. Tammy pushes Mary to the brink and in the aftermath some startling secrets about Tammy are revealed.
The Mary Contest is a beautifully shot film, featuring strong performances. Adanna Avon, (Mary) has won the Young Artist Award (LA) and the Best Youth in a Short Film award (Bare Bones) for her outstanding performance in the lead role. The Mary Contest received an Award of Excellence at the Canada International Film Festival and was named Best Short Family Film at Bare Bones. It was a Finalist at the Black Hills Film Festival.
The Mary Contest includes a cast of over thirty and was filmed in five locations. Vancouver composer, Cameron Wilson composed the gorgeous score which includes arrangements for piano, cello, oboe and violin.
The story was inspired by Writer/Director Teresa McGee's childhood experiences at catholic school. This is Teresa's first film. Producer Gord Peters has previously produced the award winning short film, Jake and Jasper and is currently managing a television station. Cinematographer Jon Thomas is known for his exceptional work on the short film, Plating and the Madchild music video, “It Get’s Better.”
Director(s): Teresa McGee
Producer(s): Teresa McGee, Gord Peters