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Wildflowers - Post-Production Funding Campaign

Women adventurers revisit Mary Schäffer Warren's legacy and 1908 historic journey to Maligne Lake.

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Wildflowers - Post-Production Funding Campaign

Wildflowers - Post-Production Funding Campaign

Wildflowers - Post-Production Funding Campaign

Wildflowers - Post-Production Funding Campaign

Wildflowers - Post-Production Funding Campaign

Women adventurers revisit Mary Schäffer Warren's legacy and 1908 historic journey to Maligne Lake.

Women adventurers revisit Mary Schäffer Warren's legacy and 1908 historic journey to Maligne Lake.

Women adventurers revisit Mary Schäffer Warren's legacy and 1908 historic journey to Maligne Lake.

Women adventurers revisit Mary Schäffer Warren's legacy and 1908 historic journey to Maligne Lake.

Meghan Ward
Meghan Ward
Meghan Ward
Meghan Ward
1 Campaign |
Banff, Canada
$27,390 CAD by 186 backers
$27,170 CAD by 183 backers on Jan 18, 2024

Thank you to everyone who contributed during our crowdfund campaign! We are now open for InDemand funding, which means if you'd like to contribute you still can by clicking the pink button "See Options." 

Status Update:

$15,000 = editor, colourist and permits covered ✔️
$25,000 = a finished film (essential costs covered) ✔️
$35,000 = our dream film (see Financial Needs below for more info!)

The Campaign: In a Nutshell

A woman-powered documentary film about one of Canada's most overlooked trailblazers. Wildflowers blends backcountry adventure with a historical deep-dive to explore the themes that bond two writers living a century apart. 

Featuring Mary Schäffer Warren (1861-1939) and Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) Fellow, Meghan J. Ward (b. 1984).

Wildflowers aims to shine a light on the impacts of Schäffer’s legacy, give a voice to an underrepresented segment of the outdoor community, and inspire people of all ages to explore their own wild spirits.

Why this story?
In Schäffer Warren, we’ve found a true trailblazer and inspiration for modern-day women, creatives and people from many walks of life. We initially set out to make a film about a bold character who bucked conventional norms and embraced a wild spirit. But the more we delved into Mary’s story, the more the focus of the film turned to how she inspires us to navigate life transitions, embrace our imperfections, and seek healing in nature. We want as many people as possible to meet Mary, whose story also challenges us to look at the colonial history of the Canadian Rockies with a fresh and nuanced perspective.

Why we need you now:
It’s been a labour of love stretching 3 years. We’re proud that we completed filming and have reached the home stretch through self-funding, corporate sponsorship, individual donors, in-kind support, and a small grant. We’ve also faced unexpected costs, roadblocks and challenges along the way. But we are so close. 

We want to make the best film possible and find ourselves at the halfway mark with our financing. We were honoured to be finalists for many grants but ultimately came away with only a small amount of funding from this particular stream.

We're now turning to our community to help push this film through post-production to the finish line. Our sponsorship tiers (right side of page) are a reflection of our August journey from the Icefields Parkway to Maligne Lake, each contribution bringing us closer to our goal. 

Every extra dollar will go towards sourcing the best people for post-production. It will also allow us to get more creative with our visual storytelling and broaden our distribution. 

Run Time: 20-30 minutes

Thank you to your campaign gift sponsors: Rocky Mountain Books, Goldilocks Goods and Jolene's Teahouse.

The Story

Mary Schäffer Warren (1861-1939) was 43 years old and recently widowed when she bucked Victorian-era conventions and reinvented herself as a mountain explorer, writer, and photographer. Over a century later, Meghan J. Ward, an outdoor writer, historian and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, is entering her forties with new questions about her identity and her relationship with adventure and the natural world. Captivated by the mystery of this woman she can’t meet in person, Ward dives into Schäffer’s story to find both inspiration and answers. 

Ward's journey to “meet Mary” takes an interesting turn in the new terrain that awaits her in the Maligne River Valley. She invites fellow travel writer Jane Marshall and photographer/RCGS Fellow Nat Gillis on a week-long hiking and paddling adventure to revisit the last leg of Schäffer’s 1908 expedition to Chaba Imne (Maligne Lake) where unmaintained trails make for challenging conditions.

Read more about the story here.

Why This Story Is Important

By exploring the common threads between two kindred souls living a century apart, Wildflowers aims to shine a light on the impacts of Schäffer’s legacy, give a voice to an underrepresented segment of the outdoor community, and inspire people of all ages to explore their own wild spirits. It reminds us to honour our overlooked trailblazers while also acknowledging the areas in which we need to blaze a new trail.

Wildflowers revisits Schäffer’s story from the perspective of a woman and fellow mountain writer approaching midlife. One doesn't often see middle-aged women represented in the outdoor space. We see them on the trails, just not often on the screen. Wildflowers isn't only about the midlife experience but uses it as a portal into an exploration of how we might navigate our life transitions, and redefine our relationship with the outdoors. 

Schäffer was a complex and contradictory person whose story also offers an entry point into nuanced discussions around gender expectations, cultural norms, colonial impacts and the influence that Schäffer's life had on Indigenous peoples of the Canadian Rockies. Her story gives us an opportunity to gain a different view of Canadian history as it’s been told.

The Background

The idea was first born in March 2020 when emerging filmmaker Trixie Pacis pitched the story to the Banff Centre Adventure Filmmakers Workshop. She wondered: Why had no one ever done a documentary about Mary Schäffer Warren — such a powerful female figure in Western Canadian history? The idea started coming to life on a hike when she mentioned it to friend and Rockies-based writer and historian, Meghan J. Ward. Meghan, it turned out, had been tracking and exploring Schäffer’s story for nearly 20 years. 

Meghan considered how Schäffer is well-known in the Rockies, however, Trixie’s observations about her story being under-told were true. Growing up on opposite sides of the country, neither Trixie nor Meghan had heard of Schäffer until they spent time in Banff, Alberta, where Schäffer made her historic mark and spent her last decades. That Schâffer isn't more well-known in a broader context was baffling to the two. Trixie and Meghan set off to change that. Seeing that the scope of the project was growing by the minute, the two teamed up as co-producers. 

What's more, the filmmakers set off to work with as many women as possible through the process. Women creators are underrepresented in the outdoor filmmaking space. Many women, as well as members of the BIPOC community, need to see each other working in this industry in order to feel encouraged to participate. We are proud to say our team — between cast and creative — is made up of 95% women from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Wildflowers Maligne expedition team (L-R): Meghan J. Ward (Co-Producer/Cast), Nat Gillis (Cast/Photographer), Anandi Brownstein (Cinematographer), Trixie Pacis (Co-Producer/Director), Jane Marshall (Cast).

Financial Need

As these projects tend to go, the size and scope of the story have evolved and taken the filmmakers down a wild path. Wildflowers has now been in research, development and filming since November 2021, with sequences captured in the challenging conditions of the backcountry, amongst delicate materials in museum archives, we well as in Schäffer's beloved town of Banff and historic home. Funding such a project to date has involved comprehensive grant applications, our personal funds, corporate sponsorship, individual donations, and in-kind support. We were honoured to be finalists for many grants but ultimately came away with only a small amount of funding from this stream. We are crowdfunding to make up the difference so that we can bring this story to the world.

With production largely wrapped, including a week-long expedition in the Maligne River Valley in August 2023, we find ourselves at the midway point financially. Often the difference between a good and a great film comes during the post-production phase. Our goal has always been to make the best film possible, and to do so during production has required us to hire the best team of professionals, from researcher and writer to cinematographer and more.

The post-production phase is no different. Our aim is to hire professionals whose skills and values align with our needs for the film as we capture our master interviews, get the footage into the editing room, and carry the film across the finish line. Our campaign goal is a reflection of the reality of how much this will cost in an ideal scenario.

Here's where your investments will support us:

  • national park and municipal permits
  • post-production (including editor, colourist, sound editor)
  • film trailer
  • music licensing (or original composition, if we hit our stretch goal)
  • other professional fees
  • cast + consultant honorariums
  • festival entry fees
  • expense reimbursement, such as crew travel and meals
  • marketing
  • animations and original artwork (if we hit our stretch goal)

    What You Get

    Your investment in this project does not go unrewarded.

    Our sponsorship tiers are a reflection of our August journey from the Icefields Parkway to Maligne Lake. All donors receive a thank you on our website and a special invitation to a Director's Cut Viewing Party.

    Other perks include:

    • Associate Producer Credit
    • Special Thanks in Film Credits
    • Digital Copy of the Film
    • Mary Schäffer-related books from Rocky Mountain Books
    • Jolene's Teahouse hand-blended organic tea
    • Goldilocks Goods Reusable Beeswax Floral Wraps (Medium) + Swedish Dish Cloth
    • Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel

    For more details, click on the right side of this page to discover each perk.

    Distribution

    Our vision is to premiere the film at the 2024 Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival, which feels like an apt setting considering the world’s largest outdoor film festival happens to be in Schäffer’s (quite literal) backyard. From there, we hope to continue on the circuit in both documentary and outdoor film festivals (with our eyes set on Telluride, 5 Point, VIMFF, Kendal Mountain Festival, and more).

    Finding a national television streaming opportunity would help us bring Schäffer’s story to that broader audience that we feel has been missing it. The film will eventually be available for rental and purchase on Vimeo when it has run its course on other platforms.

    The film also has wonderful applications as an educational tool in schools, clubs, various outdoor associations, as well as women's organizations. We intend to make the film widely available for these educational purposes.

    The Team You're Backing

    Our team is made up of working professionals, all established in their respective fields. Documentary filmmaking is a new process for our co-producers, but we have assembled a talented team to bring our vision to life. This means you're backing a project that has some serious legs (clearly, we walked through the wilderness for four days for one segment). But more seriously, we are committed to telling the best story, in as polished and compelling a way possible.

    Learn more about our Team here (L to R).

    Director/Co-Producer: Trixie Pacis
    Writer/Cast/Co-Producer: Meghan J. Ward
    Editor/Cinematographer: Anandi Brownstein
    Cinematographer: Jamie Wensley
    Cast: Jane Marshall
    Cast/Photographer: Nat Gillis
    Cast: Janice Sanford Beck

    Composer: TBA
    Colourist: TBA
    Sound Editor: TBA

      Corporate Sponsorship

      An enormous thanks to all of our donors and supporters so far, including those companies who have partnered with us.

      Birch Investment Group (major partner)
      Rocky Mountain Books
      Jolene's Teahouse
      Banff Caribou Lodge
      The Dorothy Motel

      Thanks as well for the support from:

      Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Pure Outdoors, Goldilocks Goods, Banff Hospitality Collective, Banff Airporter, GemTrek Maps, FATMAP, Paul Zizka Photography, and Dry Peaks

      If you represent a company or organization and you are interested in collaborating with us, we have a three-tiered sponsorship package that includes logo placements and other forms of cross-marketing.

      Please review the Sponsorship page and contact us if you have any questions!

      Risks & Challenges

      If we don't reach our goal, we will adjust our priorities as needed and still produce the best film possible. What this largely looks like is forfeiting the professional fees of the co-producers, who have poured hundreds of hours into this project but would more happily see the film made than not. Other potential solutions include choosing less-expensive music choices, foregoing custom animations, cutting a shorter film, and not repaying some of the personal funds we've put into the project as co-producers.

      Other Ways You Can Help

      If a financial contribution (these start at $10) isn't in the cards for you, please help us make some noise for the project. Share our campaign link on social media and invite individual friends who might be interested in the film project. Every little bit will go a long way. 

      For more information on the project, please visit our website at wildflowersfilm.ca.

      Archival image credits (top to bottom): [Mary Schaffer with horse] V527 / PS 1 - 151 WMCR; Mrs. Chas. Schäffer 3/4 fig, standing Jan. 22nd, 1902 V653 / NG - 959 WMCR; [Mary Schaffer and Billy Warren] V439 / PS - 6.

      Looking for more information? Check the project FAQ
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      Choose your Perk

      PARKWAY

      PARKWAY

      $10 CAD
      Every little bit counts! We'll add your name to the roster of thank yous on the website and invite you to an exclusive virtual viewing party of the Director's Cut.
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      9 claimed
      POBOKTAN

      POBOKTAN

      $20 CAD
      An extra shoutout for your extra support. We'll give our thanks through an Instagram story, as well as on the film's website and invite you to our exclusive Director's Cut viewing party.
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      • Instagram Story Mention
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      36 claimed
      AVALANCHE

      AVALANCHE

      $50 CAD
      Same perks as our POBOKTAN tier with a big bonus: access to a behind-the-scenes footage reel, which is sure to entertain you and provide insights into the filmmaking process.
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      • Instagram Story Mention
      • Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      41 claimed
      THE PASS

      THE PASS

      $100 CAD
      Receive a thank you in the film's credits, a digital copy of the final film, as well as our behind-the-scenes footage reel.
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      • Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel
      • Thank You in Film Credits
      • Digital Copy of the Film
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      58 claimed
      VAUX

      VAUX

      $250 CAD
      Receive a thank you in the film credits, a digital copy of the final film and our behind-the-scenes footage reel, More perks are listed below!
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      • Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel
      • Thank You in Film Credits
      • Digital Copy of the Film
      • Jolene's Hand-Blended Tea
      • Goldilocks Beeswax Wrap/Cloth
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      Only 2 left
      Ships worldwide.
      SCHÄFFER

      SCHÄFFER

      $500 CAD
      Receive a copy of Mary Schäffer's biography called "No Ordinary Woman," in addition to a thank you in film credits. More perks are listed below!
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      • Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel
      • Thank You in Film Credits
      • Digital Copy of the Film
      • Jolene's Hand-Blended Tea
      • Book: No Ordinary Woman
      • Goldilocks Beeswax Wrap/Cloth
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      4 out of 10 of claimed
      Ships worldwide.
      TRAPPER

      TRAPPER

      $1,000 CAD
      Receive a copy of Mary Schäffer's biography, No Ordinary Woman, and An Adventurous Woman Abroad, which features her lantern slides, and a Special Thanks in the film credits. More perks are listed below!
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      • Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel
      • Digital Copy of the Film
      • Jolene's Hand-Blended Tea
      • Book: No Ordinary Woman
      • Special Thanks in Film Credits
      • Book: An Adventurous Woman...
      • Goldilocks Beeswax Wrap/Cloth
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      1 out of 4 of claimed
      Ships worldwide.
      MALIGNE

      MALIGNE

      $3,000 CAD
      As a top donor, you'll receive an Associate Producer Credit and a hefty book pack, including No Ordinary Woman, An Adventurous Woman Abroad and A Delicate Art: Artists, Wildflowers and Native Plants of the West. More perks are listed below!
      Included Items
      • Director's Cut Viewing Party
      • Thank You on Website
      • Behind-the-Scenes Footage Reel
      • Digital Copy of the Film
      • Jolene's Hand-Blended Tea
      • Book: No Ordinary Woman
      • Book: An Adventurous Woman...
      • Associate Producer Credit
      • Book: A Delicate Art
      • Goldilocks Beeswax Wrap/Cloth
      Estimated Shipping
      December 2024
      0 out of 3 of claimed
      Ships worldwide.

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