Joan Carr-Wiggin is a Canadian independent filmmaker who has worked as a writer, director, and producer. She began working as a filmmaker in her 40s in the early 1990s after a career as an economist and a novelist. She is married to producer David Gordian, her frequent collaborator. Previously based in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, the two now reside in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. The two got their start with 1994's ''

Sleeping with Strangers ''Sleeping with Strangers'' is a 1994 romantic comedy directed by William T. Bolson and written by Joan Carr-Wiggin. The film stars Adrienne Shelly, Alastair Duncan (credited as Neil Duncan), Kim Huffman, Shawn Thompson, and Scott McNeil. Plo ...

'', an independent film starring

Adrienne Shelly Adrienne Levine (June 24, 1966 – November 1, 2006), better known by the stage name Adrienne Shelly (sometimes credited as Adrienne Shelley), was an American actress, film director and screenwriter. She became known for roles in independen ...

. In a guest post for

IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...

, she spoke of the barriers women face in the industry:

So many young men on set—sometimes I fear it's 100% of them—are convinced they can be the next Orson Welles. Yet when I ask smart, capable young women working on set, "Hey, why don't you think about directing?" most of them immediately reply, "Oh I could never do that." Why do they think that? They think that because too many people are saying women can't do the job. Or can only do it when the circumstances are perfect, or if it's a certain kind of movie, or if they don't have children…

Filmography

* ''

'' (1994) (writer) * ''Honeymoon'' (1997) * '' My First Wedding'' (2006) (writer) * '' A Previous Engagement'' (2008) (writer) * '' If I Were You'' (2012) * ''Happily Ever After'' (2016) * '' Love of My Life'' (2017) * ''The Bet'' (2018) * ''Getting to Know You'' (2019) * '' A Grand Romantic Gesture'' (2022) * ''Better Days'' (2023)

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Film directors from British Columbia Canadian women film producers Canadian women film directors Canadian women screenwriters 20th-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian screenwriters 20th-century Canadian women writers 21st-century Canadian women writers {{Canada-film-director-stub