Mary Lewis has worked as a director, actress, writer, on-camera host, editor, animator, compositor, producer, acting coach, researcher and teacher of film and screenwriting. She is also a painter.
As a director, Mary has shot in Canada, England, the USA, Germany, France, Italy, Scotland, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, India, Brazil, and Argentina. Her experience has spanned all genres including drama (both scripted and unscripted), comedy, animation/live action blends, documentary, reality, lifestyle and factual series.
The most popular creation by Mary Lewis was the luminous When Ponds Freeze Over which she wrote, directed, produced, and animated. It made history in Canada by winning the best film award in all of TIFF, AIFF, and VIFF in the same year, as well as numerous other national and international awards including a Canadian Genie. Mary has written and directed other award winning original films including The Sparky Book, produced by the NFB.
Writing, producing and directing credits also include directing the acclaimed 13-part international series Soccer Shrines about football fanaticism for GolTV and writing a screenplay adaptation of Lisa Moore’s Canada Read’s winning novel, February, now prepping for production in 2020. Drama and comedy tv directing includes stints on Train 48, Zack Files, and Robson Arms.
Mary is also the recipient of a Gemini for Clothesline Patch, a television pilot for CBC which she directed. She was the recipient of the Newfoundland and Labrador Artist of the Year Award in 1999. In addition to a Genie and a Gemini, her films have been awarded Best Short Film awards in Toronto, Vancouver, Atlantic, Cinequest, Dawson City, Chicago, Laguna Beach, Columbus, Yorkton, and Flicks International Film Festivals. She was invited to represent Canada in the International World INPUT best of TV symposium in 2000.
Mary has an acting career which has spanned 30 years, appearing on stage and screen in Canada and abroad. Roles include Lady MacBeth (MacBeth), Lady Anne (Richard 111), Hermione (A Winter’s Tale), Elena (Uncle Vanya), Stella (A Streetcar Named Desire), Margrethe Bohr (Copenhagen), Mrs. Tim Toope (Random Passage: TV mini-series), Sheila (Above and Beyond: TV mini-series), a lead role in the feature film Relative Happiness, and a guest appearance in Murdoch Mysteries, and several audio book recordings including Galore, The Wreckage, The Innocents, First Light Last Snow, Hunting Houses, Open, Bishop's Road, Flannery and February.
Mary studied French at CEGEP in Quebec and is bilingual. She trained at the National Theatre School, the Canadian Film Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and she holds a MFA in Screenwriting from York University.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mary was raised in St. John's Newfoundland from the age of 5. She lives with her daughter, dividing her time between Toronto and St. John's.
contact:
mclewis@pathcom.com
Acting Agent:
Paul Hemrend
Edna Talent Management
paulh@etmltd.com
416-413-7805
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