Winner of numerous awards and filmed on a shoestring budget, Murmur’s use of non-professional actors and real locations result in an emotional and situational authenticity hard to match outside of a documentary. Donna (Shan MacDonald) has been convicted of Driving While Impaired, a judgment that, coupled with her history of alcoholism, has severed her relationship with her family and friends. Sentenced to perform community service in an animal shelter, Donna discovers that her care, particularly of the elderly and “unadoptable” pets, starts to fill her deep wells of loneliness. The metaphor of rescue is clear, but soon Donna finds herself in over her head, and steps must be taken. Writer/director Heather Young’s intimate and totally compelling Murmur is a film that doesn’t turn away from uncomfortable truths about how difficult life can be for those who have fallen by the wayside.

Winner: FIPRESCI Prize — Discovery, Toronto

In competition for the New Voices New Visions Award

Writer/director/editor Heather Young is expected to be in attendance on January 4 and 5.