Kathleen Shannon (11 November 1935 – 9 January 1998) was a Canadian film director and producer. She is best known as the founder and first executive producer of Studio D of the National Film Board of Canada, the first government-funded film studio in the world dedicated to women filmmakers.
Career Early career Shannon began her career in the Canadian film industry cataloging music for Crawley Films in Ottawa after dropping out of high school at the age of 16. She later joined the National Film Board (NFB) as an editor in 1956 when she was 21. In her early years at the NFB Shannon worked as a sound, music, and picture editor. After Shannon had some 200 films to her credit as an editor she directed her first film, Goldwood in 1970. Goldwood was based on her childhood memories of one of the mining towns in Northern British Columbia where her father, a mining engineer, had worked.
From 1974 to 1975, Shannon produced and directed eleven short films that made up the Working Mothers film series. The films delve into the experiences of working mother's throughout Canada, with some of the films focused on an individual women, including Our Dear Sisters, whose subject was Indigenous filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin. The series was created as part of the NFB's Challenge for Change Program (1967–1980), which was a government funded initiative to bring the art and practice of film making to communities across Canada in an effort to incite social change. Initially meant to be one film, Shannon and distributive consultant Doris Mae Oulton proposed a format change of several short films and held small test screenings across different communities to try convince the NFB and the projects federal government sponsor of the new format's potential for success. With the new format approved, the Working Mother's series became arguably one of the most important achievements of Challenge for Change, and its success paved the way for Shannon's proposal for a women's studio within the NFB.
Studio D Shannon was the driving force behind the creation of Studio D. She lobbied the unenthusiastic NFB to create a women's film production unit that would produce feminist documentaries created by and for women. When the studio was launched in 1974, it was housed in the basement of the NFB headquarters in Montreal with a budget of $100,000 and three women on staff; Shannon, Margaret Pettigrew, and Yuki Yoshida. Shannon became the first executive producer and remained in the role for 12 years before stepping down in June 1986.
In an interview with The Christian Science Monitor, Shannon outlined in what her opinion was the five objectives of Studio D: "providing employment opportunities for women, providing training opportunities for women, meeting the information needs of women, creating an environment that would facilitate 'exploring our creativity in our own way', [and] bringing the perspective of women to bear 'on all social issues.'"
While executive producer, Shannon oversaw the creation and production of over 80 films, including Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography (1981), and the Academy Award-winning documentaries I'll Find a Way (1977) and If You Love This Planet (1982).
Legacy In 1996, Studio D was closed due to decreased government funding and NFB layoffs. One of the last films produced by Studio D before it was shut down was a biographical documentary about Shannon entitled Kathleen Shannon: On Film, Feminism, and Other Dreams, directed by Gerry Rogers. The film includes personal interviews with Shannon as well as archival footage and photography. In the film Shannon reflects on various topics: from childhood, aging, and alcoholism, to the work-life balance, and her experiences during her time at the NFB and Studio D.
The NFB also established a documentary prize in Shannon's name, the "Kathleen Shannon Award" which is awarded annually at the Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival.
Filmography YearFilmRole 1969 You Are on Indian Land Editor 1971 I Don't Think It's Meant for Us Challenge for Change series Director; editor1974 Goldwood Director; writer; editor; music It's Not Enough, Challenge for Change series Director; editor; producer Like the Trees, Challenge for Change series Director; editor; producer Luckily I Need Little Sleep, Challenge for Change series Director; editor; producer Mothers Are People, Challenge for Change series Director; editor; producer Our Dear Sisters, Challenge for Change series Director; producer The Spring and Fall of Nina Polanski Producer; music They Appreciate You More, Challenge for Change series Director; editor; producer Tiger on a Tight Leash, Challenge for Change series Director; editor; producer Would I Ever Like to Work, Challenge for Change series Director; editor; producer1975 ...And They Lived Happily Ever After Co-director with Irene Angelico, Anne Henderson; co-editor with Irene Angelico, Anne Henderson; producer Co-op Housing: The Best Move We Ever Made Executive producer Co-op Housing: Getting It Together Executive producer Great Grand Mother Executive producer My Friends Call Me Tony Executive producer My Name Is Susan Lee Executive producer1976 Just-A-Minute Executive producer Maud Lewis: A World Without Shadows Executive producer A Working Chance Executive producer1977 Beautiful Lennard Island Executive producer Gurdeep Singh Bains Executive producer How They Saw Us: Needles and Pins Executive producer How They Saw Us: Women at War Executive producer How They Saw Us: Women at Work Executive producer Kevin Alex Executive producer The Lady from Grey County Executive producer Some American Feminists Executive producer Veronica Executive producer1978 Benoît Executive producer Canada Vignettes: Flin Flon Executive producer Canada Vignettes: Holidays Executive producer Canada Vignettes: Stunt Family Executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Thirties Executive producer Eve Lambart Executive producer Patricia's Moving Picture Executive producer Rencontre Executive producer Sun, Wind and Wood Executive producer An Unremarkable Birth Executive producer1979 Canada Vignettes: McIntosh Executive producer Prairie Album Executive producer The Right Candidate for Rosedale Executive producer Sea Dream Executive producer1980 Boys Will Be Men Executive producer Canada Vignettes: Agnes Campbell MacPhail Executive producer Canada Vignettes: Birth Executive producer Canada Vignettes: Homestead Executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Vote Executive producer Just A Lady Executive producer Laila Executive producer Rusting World Executive producer The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse Executive producer1981 Julie O'Brien Executive producer Louise Drouin: Veterinarian Executive producer1982 Four Centuries: The Firearm in Canada Executive producer If You Love This Planet Executive producer It's Just Better Executive producer Portrait of the Artist... as an Old Lady Executive producer The Way It Is Executive producer1983 Attention: Women at Work Executive producer Dream of a Free Country: A Message from Nicaraguan Women Director, producer I Want to Be an Engineer Executive producer Pukaskwa National Park Executive producer1984 Pukaskwa National Park Executive producer Adèle and the Ponies of Ardmore Executive producer Abortion: Stories From North and South Executive producer Behind the Veil: Nuns Executive producer Head Start: Meeting the Computer Challenge Executive producer On Our Own Executive producer This Borrowed Land Executive producer Too Dirty for a Woman Executive producer The Treadmill Executive producer Turnaround: A Story of Recovery Writer; co-editor with Shelly Hamer; producer Waterwalker Executive producer The Best Time of My Life: Portraits of Women in Mid-Life Executive producer Dark Lullabies Executive producer DES: An Uncertain Legacy Executive producer1985 Speaking Our Peace Executive producer Spirit of the Kata Executive producer A Writer in the Nuclear Age: A Conversation with Margaret Laurence Executive producer1986 Beyond Memory Executive producer Children of War Executive producer Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief Executive producer Firewords: Louky Bersianik, Jovette Marchessault, Nicole Brossard Executive producer First Take Double Take Executive producer The Impossible Takes a Little Longer Executive producer Moving On Executive producer No Longer Silent Executive producer Nuclear Addiction: Dr. Rosalie Bertell on the Cost of Deterrence Executive producer A Safe Distance Executive producer Speaking of Nairobi Executive producer Sylvie's Story Executive producer Thin Dreams Executive producer1987 The Legacy of Mary McEwen Executive producer A Love Affair with Politics: A Portrait of Marion Dewar Executive producer The Man Who Stole Dreams Executive producer To a Safer Place Executive producer Worth Every Minute Executive producer1989 15th Anniversary Narrator Adam's World Executive producer Goddess Remembered Executive producer Illuminated Lives: A Brief History of Women's Work in the Middle Ages Executive producer Russian Diary Executive producer1990 The Burning Times Executive producer Gathering Together, Faithful Women seriesDirector; co-editor with Gerry Rogers Harmony and Balance, Faithful Women series I'll Never Forget You, Faithful Women series Priorities and Perspectives, Faithful Women series Texts and Contexts, Faithful Women series Through Ignorance or Design, Faithful Women series Working towards Peace, Faithful Women series Director; editor 1993 Full Circle Executive producer 1997 Kathleen Shannon: On Film, Feminism & Other Dreams Featured; co-composer with Larry Crosley
Personal life Shannon was married twice and had one son. After Shannon retired, she moved to the Kootenays where she opened a guest house for women and worked as a therapist.
In 1986, Shannon was awarded the Order of Canada because, "Under her leadership, the National Film Board's Studio D – which she founded in 1974 – succeeded in producing award-winning socially and culturally committed films which have made Canada and the studio internationally known for the excellence and relevance of its work." Shannon was also bestowed three honorary degrees: a Doctor of Laws from Queen's University in 1984, a Doctor of Letters from York University in 1996, and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University in 1997.
Shannon died on January 9, 1998, at the age of 62. She had been diagnosed with lung cancer two weeks prior, and died during surgery to remove a tumor in Kelowna, British Columbia.
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