# Sarah Abbott

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sarah_Abbott
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sarah_Abbott.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Abbott
> Source revision: 1343084478
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

This article is about the artist, educator, and filmmaker. For the American writer, poet, editor, and publisher who wrote under the name Sarah Abbott, see [Charlotte Zolotow](/source/Charlotte_Zolotow).

**Sarah Abbott** (born in 1969[1]) is a Canadian filmmaker and artist. Abbott graduated from [Queen's University](/source/Queen's_University_at_Kingston) with a major in Film Studies and Drama, she received a Master of Fine Arts degree for Art Video at [Syracuse University](/source/Syracuse_University) and is pursuing a doctorate at [Royal Roads University](/source/Royal_Roads_University) for Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.[2][1] Abbott has been involved in film-making for over 20 years and has received several awards for her work such as the “Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award for Arts and Learning” in 2012.[3] Abbott is known for her work in gender and [First Nations](/source/First_Nations_in_Canada) specific films and for bringing awareness to these issues through her short and [experimental films](/source/Experimental_film). Abbott was a founding individual involved in the creation of Mispon, an indigenous film festival in held in Regina, Saskatchewan.[4] She is currently employed as an associate professor for the film department at the [University of Regina](/source/University_of_Regina).

## Career

Sarah Abbott was born in [Montreal, Quebec](/source/Montreal) in 1969. Abbott completed her studies before moving in the 1990s to Toronto, Ontario where she began her career. At this point in time, Abbott was mostly creating short films.[1]

She works primarily on films involving [human rights](/source/Human_rights), [gender and sexuality studies](/source/Gender_studies), and issues pertaining to Indigenous peoples. Themes of films produced by Abbott surrounding Indigenous issues include the culture of First Nations people and the problems that they face in their communities, as well as addressing other social and ethical issues. Many of Abbott's films are experimental - relying on imagery, sound, and voice overs - and are left open for interpretation which allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions and meaning from the work.[2]

Abbott created a short film based on Canadian writer [Nancy Jo Cullen](/source/Nancy_Jo_Cullen)'s short story of the same name: *Why I Hate Bees.*[1][5] In this experimental film, Abbott used the text from the short story to have as narration. Utilizing the filming techniques of optical printing and animation, the film emphasizes the experience of the viewer's senses through sound and colour motifs. The plot focuses on a girl's memories as she retells her childhood near-death experience. The film was well-received and won “Best Lesbian Film” from [Inside Out](/source/Inside_Out_Film_and_Video_Festival) in 1998, the grand prize at the [Cabbagetown Film Festival](/source/Cabbagetown_Film_Festival) in 1999, and an honourable mention at the [Ann Arbor Film Festival](/source/Ann_Arbor_Film_Festival) in 2000.[5]

For her first documentary film, *Tide Marks* (2004), Abbott traveled to [Cape Town, South Africa](/source/Cape_Town) to record the residential women's stories and experiences of the [apartheid](/source/Apartheid). The film was created to be as objective as possible to ensure an organic and true portrayal of the community and people involved in the project. Although filming was set back by a key testimonial dropping out, Abbott chose to go forward with her work and create the film as it is today.[6]

Abbott is now working at the University of Regina. Abbott started a program at the university that involves hands-on learning for the film students, the students are placed on film sets with qualified film-workers. Abbott incorporated an element of [Indigenous studies](/source/Indigenous_peoples) into this project; the last two student assisted films, *Out In The Cold* and *This Time Last Winter*, feature issues affecting First Nations communities within these films.[7]

Abbott's film *Out In The Cold* was filmed on location in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and is about the “[Starlight Tours](/source/Saskatoon_freezing_deaths)”. A “Starlight Tour” is when a police officer picks up an Indigenous citizen under the guise of an arrest or a ride home and instead drops the person off further out into the middle of nowhere, often during freezing temperatures. These “tours” are an alleged practice committed by some members of the Saskatoon police that are being investigated.[8] The film is a black-and-white fictional piece inspired by the death of [Neil Stonechild](/source/Neil_Stonechild). The main character, Thomas, is driven out of the city limits by police and left to walk home in below freezing weather. The young man meets the specters of two men, one malevolent and the other benevolent, who had previously died from being left in similar conditions. *Out in the Cold* was created to call attention to the potential crimes committed - the Starlight Tours - and create conversations about the mistreatment of First Nations by police and government officials. For this film Abbott received the Mayor's Arts and Business Award for Innovation in the Arts in 2009.[8][9]

## Filmography

Year Name of Film FilmType Role in Production 1991 My Withered Tomato Friend Experimental Director 1997 Why I Hate Bees Experimental / Short Director / Writer / Producer 1997 Froglight Experimental Director / Writer / Producer 1997 The Light In Our Lizard Bellies Experimental Director / Writer / Producer / Cinematographer 2000 Rug Experimental Director 2001 My Heart the Lunchbox Compilation Cinematographer 2001 My Heart the Prophet Compilation Director / Writer 2001 Looking Back to See Experimental Director / Writer 2002 Here Experimental Director / Writer / Producer 2002 Patching Experimental Director 2002 Knee Level Fictional Director / Writer / Producer 2004 Tide Marks Documentary Director / Writer / Producer / Cinematographer 2007 Out in the Cold Fictional Producer 2010 This Time Last Winter Narrative Writer / Producer 2011 In the Minds of All Beings: Tsogyal Latso of Tibet Documentary / Short Director / Writer / Cinematographer

## Awards and nominations

Year Name of the Award Name of Film 1992 Canadian International Amateur Film Festival: One Star Award (winner)[10] My Withered Tomato Friend 1998 Inside Out: Best Canadian Lesbian Short (winner)[5] Why I Hate Bees 1999 Cabbagetown Film Festival (grand prize)[5] Why I Hate Bees 2000 Ann Arbor Film Festival (honourable mention)[5] Why I Hate Bees 2000 Ann Arbor Film Festival (honourable mention)[11] Froglight 2000 Ann Arbor Film Festival (honourable mention)[12] The Light in Our Lizard Bellies 2009 The City of Regina's Mayor's Arts and Business Award for Innovation in the Arts (winner)[9] Out in the Cold 2010 Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival: Best Actress (Recipient: Danna Henderson)[13] This Time Last Winter 2012 Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award (winner)[14] - 2014 Vanier Canadian Graduate Scholarship (winner)[15] -

## References

1. Waugh, Thomas (2006-07-18). [*Romance of Transgression in Canada: Queering Sexualities, Nations, Cinemas*](https://books.google.com/books?id=MBCDUypv1doC&dq=why+i+hate+bees+sarah+abbott&pg=PA357). McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 357. ISBN 9780773585287.

1. Roger, Beebe (2002-04-01). ["Sarah Abbott's THE LIGHT IN OUR LIZARD BELLIES and the Meaning of Meaning"](https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-774828901/sarah-abbott-s-the-light-in-our-lizard-bellies-and). *Journal of Film and Video*. **54** (1). [ISSN 0742-4671](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0742-4671)

1. ["Sarah Abbott"](https://www.mediaqueer.ca/artist/sarah-abbott). *Media Queer*. May 2015. Retrieved 2018-10-13.

1. Benjoe, Kerry (Oct 4, 2014). ["Researcher studying suicide among aboriginals"](https://www.pressreader.com/canada/regina-leader-post/20141004/281608123667285). [Regina Leader-Post](/source/Regina_Leader-Post). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181106094406/https://www.pressreader.com/canada/regina-leader-post/20141004/281608123667285) Nov 6, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 June 2023. – via [PressReader](/source/PressReader)

1. ["Why I Hate Bees"](https://www.mediaqueer.ca/film/why-i-hate-bees), 2015-05-10, retrieved 2018-10-13

1. Miliokas, Nick (Feb 10, 2005). "Filmmaker Let them Tell their Stories". *Leader Post*

1. ["This Time Last Winter – Shortworks Productions"](https://www.shortworksproductions.ca/project/thistimelastwinter/). *www.shortworksproductions.ca*. 2010-03-21. Retrieved 2018-11-05.

1. Alain, Marc; Corrado, Raymond R.; Reid, Susan (2016-04-06). [*Implementing and Working with the Youth Criminal Justice Act across Canada*](https://books.google.com/books?id=9Rf8CwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Sarah+Abbott%22+film&pg=PA348). University of Toronto Press. p. 348. ISBN 9781442630123.

1. ["Out In the Cold"](https://www.mediaqueer.ca/film/out-cold), 2015-05-10, retrieved 2018-10-13

1. ["My Withered Tomato Friend"](https://www.mediaqueer.ca/film/my-withered-tomato-friend), 2015-05-10, retrieved 2018-11-05

1. ["Froglight"](https://www.mediaqueer.ca/film/froglight), 2015-05-10, retrieved 2018-11-05

1. ["The Light In Our Lizard Bellies"](https://www.mediaqueer.ca/film/light-our-lizard-bellies), 2015-05-10, retrieved 2018-11-05

1. ["This Time Last Winter"](https://www.mediaqueer.ca/film/time-last-winter), 2015-05-10, retrieved 2018-11-05

1. ["Weekly Roundup: News of awards, sales and company rebrandings"](http://playbackonline.ca/2012/09/21/weekly-roundup-news-of-awards-sales-and-company-rebrandings/). *Playback*. Retrieved 2018-10-21.

1. Harrington, Stephanie (2014-08-18). ["Independent filmmaker awarded Vanier scholarship"](http://www.royalroads.ca/news/independent-filmmaker-awarded-vanier-scholarship). *Royal Roads*. Retrieved 2018-10-21.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sarah Abbott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Abbott) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Abbott?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.