TIFF’s Fipresci prize winner MURMUR heads to Slamdance

A singular view on loneliness and animal adoption

by rising Canadian director Heather Young.

Canadian, award-winning director Heather Young’s debut feature film, Murmur tells the quiet,
contemplative story of Donna (Shan
MacDonald) who, grappling with alcohol dependence and
loneliness, turns to a growing number of pets to ease her pain. Supported by Telefilm Canada’s Talent to Watch program and
starring a cast of non-professional actors, many of whom are playing themselves
in the film, Murmur explores
the enduring themes of aging and the human/animal connection. Murmur will screen in competition
at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival after its US Premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/351006898

“It is important
to me to tell the stories of older women and allow them to be complex, flawed
and fully realized characters, the likes of which are rarely depicted in
cinema,” says writer-director Heather Young. “Donna’s loneliness and addictive nature cause
her to act in ways that are at times counterintuitive and destructive but
ultimately she is looking for company — and that is something that we can all
relate to,” she adds.

“We are honored to be invited to screen Murmur at Slamdance,” says producer Martha Cooley. “It’s a festival that prides itself on independence and scrappiness and Murmur is in many ways a very raw film. We’re excited to see how the Slamdance audience responds to it,”  she concludes.

Called “A quietly shattering first feature” by NOW Magazine, and one of the Top 6 films
at TIFF 2019 by McLean’s Magazine, Murmur was
funded with the support of Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund, the Canada
Council for the Arts, the Nova Scotia Film & Television Production
Incentive Fund and Arts Nova Scotia.

To know more about Murmur,
please visit the following links:

Official Website: www.HousePlantFilms.ca

Director’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/HeatherYoung28

Film’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/MurmurTheFilm/

Director’s Twitter: @HousePlantFilms

Film’s Instagram: @MurmurTheFilm

Hashtags: #MurmurTheFilm #Slamdance2020