Films

INSANITY: The Mental Health Crisis

Wendy Hill-Tout (Writer/Director/Co-Producer)
Bonnie Thompson (Co-Producer)

Insanity: The Mental Health Crisis is both a personal POV documentary about director Wendy Hill- Tout's, and her family's experience, with her brother Bruce who had schizophrenia and disappeared over 25 years ago. It's also a look at the country's mental health crisis, with shocking numbers of people suffering from mental health issues in jails, the justice system, and in the streets - and being shot by police. 

Bruce had a normal childhood, but in his 20’s developed the illness.  At one point he ended up in Florida, eating out of garbage cans, when he was picked up by police and brought to a hospital.  It was the first time the family found out Bruce had an illness - schizophrenia.

Years later, Bruce disappeared again, only this time, the family never saw him again.  Insanity is a plea to do better as a society – to treat those with a mental illness as human beings and provide appropriate services.

 

MARLENE

Wendy Hill-Tout (Co-Writer/Director/Producer)
Cathy Ostlere (Co-Writer)

Marlene Truscott is an ordinary housewife who fought for justice and for her husband, Steven Truscott to be exonerated from a crime he did not commit. The Truscott story is one of Canada’s most famous stories, and became an international story when it created an uproar as a 14 year old schoolboy was sentenced to hang for killing and raping a 12 year old classmate.  Marlene became involved in the fight for justice at a young age, and when Steven was released on parole after 10 years, she met him and eventually fell in love with him. But the couple had to live a life of hiding as their children grew up, because Steven was a convicted murderer and rapist.  For Marlene he would never be free until his name was cleared.

Determined that the truth would one day come out, Marlene started to go through the boxes of witness reports, medical records, police reports and other documents, to help find the evidence that would exonerate Steven.  As she did, she began to cover the horror of what the young boy had gone through.

Steven’s case was largely responsible for the abolition of capital punishment in Canada and Marlene finally takes a place in history with this untold story.

  

CRAFT BEER WITH ANDREW IRONMONGER

Wendy Hill-Tout (Writer/Director/Producer)

Craft Beer with Andrew Ironmonger takes us on a journey through brewery lane, exploring craft breweries in Alberta from Slave Lake to Fort Macleod.  Hosted by visionary, Andrew Ironmonger, this 8 episode series, dives into the culture of breweries, the passionate owners behind them and great beer!

 

HEARTLAND COUNTRY

Wendy Hill-Tout (Co-Writer/Director/Producer)
Carolyn McMaster (Writer/Director/Producer)

Heartland Country celebrates western life, and the cowboy spirit. From sculptors to saddle makers, to braiders, trick riders, barrel riders, cowboy poets, horse whisperers, dog trainers, vets, western cooks, boot and hat makers, blacksmiths and western artists, these 24 episodes of Heartland Country look behind the scenes at the great individuals who live and breathe a life on the land.