Fern Levitt
Born1955
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
OccupationFilm director
Known forSled Dogs

Fern Levitt is a Canadian-born documentary producer and director. Her films focus on human rights, the Holocaust, discrimination against African-Americans in the US, and animal welfare. She is best known for her 2016 documentary Sled Dogs, which aired on the CBC Documentary channel. It explores the Iditarod, raising allegations of animal cruelty among breeders, trainers and kennelers of the event's sled dogs.[1][2]

Documentaries

About her work, Levitt said "You don't do it for the money. I love telling these stories because if these people, Gorbachev, Havel and others, can take a stand under such impossible circumstances, then I have a responsibility to do it, too." (2005, The Globe and Mail)[3]

  • Contact (1979) about controversial therapy being used on autistic children (In-Motion Productions[4]
  • Michael, a Gay Son (1980) about a son's difficulty in coming out to his parents (Bruce Lawson Production)[5]
  • Each of Us Has a Name (1999) follows the journey of Canadian Jewish teenagers and Holocaust survivors on the March of the Living as they visit former Nazi German death camps in Poland, as well as other historic sites in the country.[6] (Global Television Network)
  • Captain of Souls (1999) tells the story of Rev. William Andrew White, minister at the Second Baptist Church of New Glasgow, N.S. and radio broadcaster; he was the son of former slaves. He served as pastor to the all-black 2nd Construction Battalion of Nova Scotia during the First World War.[7][8] (History Channel)
  • Come out Fighting: The 761st (2002) Winner of The Chris Statuette at the Columbus Film Festival.[9] (History Channel's Turning Points of History)
  • Sakharov - Conscience of a Country (2003)[10] (History Channel's Turning Points of History)
  • Gorbachev's Revolution (2004) to mark the 20th anniversary of Perestroika, the documentary includes interviews with former President Mikhail Gorbachev, George Bush Sr. and Eduard Shevardnadze. The soundtrack includes The Habonim Youth Choir rendition of the Israeli peace song Lay Down Your Arms (History Channel's Turning Points of History)
  • The Velvet Revolution (2005) (History Channel's Turning Points of History)
  • My Opposition: The Diaries of Friedrich Kellner (2006) describes one man’s opposition to Nazi Germany.[11] The documentary was chosen as the Tikkun Olam screening for the Calgary Jewish Film Festival in 2007, and it was also screened at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival in 2008.[12][13] As a result of the relevance of the story line, which depicts the historical diary as a weapon against intolerance, the documentary was chosen to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht in a screening at the Dag Hammarskjöld Libraryat the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.[14]
  • Living Through Dying (2008) follows three people in their mid-thirties who are facing a terminal illness.  (Discovery Channel)
  • 7 Days of Remembrance and Hope (2009) follows the journey of 60 Canadian university students on the March of Remembrance and Hope, as they visit the former Nazi German death camps in occupied Poland as well as other historic sites in the country.[15] (CBC)
  • The Little Rock Nine (2011) the story of a group of African American high-school students in the 1950's who challenged racial segregation in the public schools of Little Rock, Arkansas. Levitt said she "couldn’t believe the images of the Little Rock Nine she saw on the Public Broadcasting Service of mobs and the abuse the courageous students endured, all to stand up for their right to an education. I couldn’t believe this was America, a country known for democracy; those images really stayed in my mind and defined me."[16] (History Channel's Turning Points of History)
  • Paws for Autism (2012) follows two autistic children and their service dogs (Animal Planet)[17]
  • Sled Dogs (2016) explores the Iditarod and raises allegations of animal cruelty among the event's breeders, trainers and kennelers.[18][19] (Frank Cassano)

Awards and nominations

Fern Levitt's awards and nominations
1999 Each of Us Has a Name Best Documentary, Chicago International Film Festival Won
2002 Come out Fighting: The 761st Chris Statuette, Columbus Film Festival Won
2003 Sakharov - Conscience of a Country Best Historical Documentary, Houston Film Festival Won
2004 Gorbachev's Revolution[20] One World[20] Won
2006 The Velvet Revolution 21st Gemini Awards for Best Biography[21] Nominated
2009 7 Days of Remembrance and Hope Best Documentary, Chicago International Film Festival Won
2016 Sled Dogs[22] Best Editing in a Documentary, Canadian Screen Award Nominated
2016 Sled Dogs Female Director, Documentary category, Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Award Nominated
2016 Sled Dogs World Documentary Award, Whistler Film Festival Documentary Award[23] Won

Other

Levitt is a trained social worker. She moved into making television in 1990, her first job was as a researcher for TVOntario.[3] She is an instructor at the Toronto Film School.[24]

References

  1. ↑ Spectator, Graham Rockingham Contributing Columnist, The Hamilton (2019-09-16). "Hamilton-born filmmaker documents treatment of sled dogs". The Hamilton Spectator. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 2023-12-14.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Iditarod sled dog race engulfed in dog-doping scandal". The Globe and Mail. 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  3. 1 2 Michael Posner (9 March 2005). "The fine art of grovelling". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  4. ↑ Reid, Alison (1979). Film Canadiana. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Film Institute. p. 25. ISBN 09191096220. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  5. ↑ Castro, Glenda (1980). Film Canadiana 1980-1982. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Film Institute. p. 128. ISBN 077220084X.
  6. ↑ Each of Us Has A Name: March of the Living, retrieved 2023-12-14
  7. ↑ "Voices of Acadia - William White - Acadia University". www2.acadiau.ca. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  8. ↑ "Captain of souls : Reverend William White | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  9. ↑ Come Out Fighting: The 761st - The Black WWII Battalion That Liberated Hitler's Camps (Fern Levitt), retrieved 2023-12-14
  10. ↑ Sakharov - Conscience of a Country - 2003 (Dir. Fern Levitt), retrieved 2023-12-14
  11. ↑ Gorbachev's Revolution - 2004 (Dir. Fern Levitt), retrieved 2023-12-14
  12. ↑ "Toronto Jewish Film Festival – The Toronto Jewish Film Foundation produces programming and projects offering the best feature films, documentaries and shorts from Canada and around the world, on themes of Jewish culture and identity". tjff.com. 2004-04-28.
  13. ↑ "Film captures passion of Nazi opponents diary". Calgary Herald. 2008-04-28.
  14. ↑ "My Opposition: The Diaries of Friedrich Kellner", Wikipedia, 2023-04-10, retrieved 2023-12-14
  15. ↑ 7 Days of Remembrance and Hope (2009), retrieved 2023-12-14
  16. ↑ "Filmmaker's visit helps students prepare for conversation with iconic civil rights activist Carlotta Walls LaNier". branksome.on.ca. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  17. ↑ Levitt, Fern (2012-10-16), Paws for Autism (Documentary), retrieved 2023-12-14
  18. ↑ "Review: 'Sled Dogs' Exposes Abuse of Working Animals". The New York Times. July 27, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  19. ↑ Edwards, Kyle (2018-03-06). "'I'm hoping the Iditarod ends:' The Canadian filmmaker trying to stop epic dog-sled races". Macleans.ca. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
  20. 1 2 D’Agostino, Anthony (1998), "From the Wall to Stavropol: Gorbachev's German Policy", Gorbachev’s Revolution, 1985–1991, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, pp. 260–279, doi:10.1007/978-1-349-14405-1_11, ISBN 978-1-349-14407-5, retrieved 2023-12-14
  21. ↑ The Velvet Revolution - 2005 (Dir. Fern Levitt), retrieved 2023-12-14
  22. ↑ Pat Mullen, "Canadian Screen Awards Preview: Picks and Foolish Predictions". Cinemablographer, March 11, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Sled Dogs". Valley Morning Star. Harlington, Texas. 2018-04-08. p. T8.
  24. ↑ "Fern Levitt". mytfs.ca. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
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