Update: Women in Film + Television Artistic Merit Award went to Director Ana Valine above.
Adapted from the Billie Livingston novella, Sitting on the Edge of Marlene is about teenager Sammie Bell (Paloma Kwiatkowski) drawn into the family con business by her messed-up pill-popping, alcoholic mother Marlene (Suzanne Clément). At the World Premiere screening in the RIO theatre on October 1st, director Ana Valine talked about the casting — how she googled red-haired Canadian actresses and up popped a photo of Suzanne Clément. Which is serendipity because I can’t imagine anyone else as Marlene. Keith Rennie co-stars as a fellow con artist.
Below: the incredible young actress Paloma Kwiatkowski who plays Sammie. You may recognize her as Cody from the second season of Bates Motel.
Other cast and crew at the World Premiere.
Director/writer Ana Valine went on to win BC Emerging Filmmaker at VIFF’s BC Spotlight Gala.
VIFF added a third screening of this female-centric film this Sunday, October 12th, at 1:30 p.m. at SFU Woodwards.