Ann Marie Fleming is an award-winning Canadian independent filmmaker, writer and artist, born in Okinawa, of Chinese and Australian parentage. Her film work incorporates various techniques: animation, documentary, experimental, dramatic, and primarily deals with themes of family, history and memory, in a continuing media critique. Ann Marie is co-founder and former head of independant production of Global Mechanic, a production company that creates both multi-media commercials and independent films.
In 2008, she has just completed a 5 minute animated film, starring her avatar, "stickgirl" called Running (heart body mind spirit). It was commissioned by the Victoria Film Festival as part of the Victoria Symphony's "Reel Music", a competition for composers across Canada to score to new work. It was played, live, to the symphony orchestra in January.
Her graphic novel, The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, was published in September of 2007 (adapted from her same-named documentary film), and is on the American Library Association's list of "10 Best Graphic Novels for Teens", as well as winning rave reviews from a variety of critical sources. In 2007, she also made M.O.O.D. (My Obscure Object of Desire), as part of Bravo!'s series of cel-phone films. It premiered at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, and the series was awarded an Internatonal Emmy for best multi-platform programming.
In 2005, she finished two projects, Room 710, an animated short revolving around a murder witness, and The French Guy, a feature length dark comedy, under her own company AMF Productions/Sleepy Dog Films, which is being released on dvd in Canada this Mother's Day.
Ann Marie also had a solo multi-media show featuring rugs by Ontario hookers at the Richmond Art Gallery, exploring the many-layered themes of Lip Service. These works, along with her digital film, Aguas de Março, will be part of the 85 Years of Emily Carr Alumni show. She was won the Vancouver Arts Award for Media Arts for her contribution to the community.
In 2003, she finished The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, a multi-award-winning animated documentary, a search for the life and times of her great grandfather, a travelling Chinese vaudevillian acrobat and magician. In 2002, she created the inspirational Blue Skies, a reaction to the events of 9/11, and a riff on events in Long Tack Sam's life, as well. It won best Canadian Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival and has played on screens from India to Iran and has appeared on tv in Canada, the US and China.
In 2001 Ann Marie completed a 45 minute animated film about a female lipless detective.
Ann Marie is currently working on an adaptation of a illustrated memoir with the Toronto and Montreal offices of the NFB, is working on a dramatic script of the life and loves of her great grandfather, a father-son story that involves poetry and immigrants (what else?), and is trying to sell her apartment and get a little garden going.
