Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story is a 2024 Canadian documentary film, directed by Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee.[1] The film is a portrait of Jackie Shane, the pioneering transgender singer who was a prominent figure in the Toronto music scene in the 1960s before virtually disappearing from public life after 1971.[2]

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story
Film poster
Directed byMichael Mabbott
Lucah Rosenberg-Lee
Written byMichael Mabbott
Lucah Rosenberg-Lee
Alison Duke
Produced byAmanda Burt
Sam Dunn
Michael Mabbott
Scot McFadyen
Justine Pimlott
StarringJackie Shane
CinematographyAdam Crosby
Edited byMike Munn
Music byMurray Lightburn
Production
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Distributed byNational Film Board of Canada
Release date
  • March 9, 2024 (2024-03-09) (SXSW)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Production

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The film was based in large part on telephone interviews that Mabbott conducted with Shane over the year before her death in 2019.[1] As her death precluded the ability to videotape any new interviews in person, and very little video footage of Shane from the 1960s survives, the producers depict her in the film through the use of animation, generated by superimposing photos of Shane over rotoscoped footage of contemporary drag performer Makayla Couture.[3]

Production on the film was announced in 2022.[4]

Distribution

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The film premiered at the 2024 SXSW festival.[5]

It had its Canadian premiere at the 2024 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival,[6] and was screened as the closing film of the 2024 DOXA Documentary Film Festival.[7]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10.[8]

In a positive review, Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote, "Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee's documentary Any Other Way combines archival materials, interviews and animated reenactments into a compelling investigation of an elusive life, as well as a talent so striking you'll be amazed it remained forgotten for so long."[9]

Awards

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At Hot Docs, the film was awarded the DGC Ontario Special Jury Prize from the Best Canadian Feature Documentary award jury.[10] At Frameline, the film won the Out In The Silence Award, which is given to an outstanding film project that highlights brave acts of LGBTQ+ visibility in places where such acts are not common.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Vlessing, Etan (March 8, 2024). "SXSW: Jackie Shane Disappearance Mystery Solved in 'Any Other Way' Documentary". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  2. ^ Calum Slingerland, "Jackie Shane Documentary to Make World Premiere at SXSW". Exclaim!, February 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Michael Talbot-Haynes, "Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story". Film Threat, March 10, 2024.
  4. ^ Andrew Jeffrey, "Telefilm names 22 features for $3.8M theatrical doc fund". Playback, August 22, 2022.
  5. ^ Taimur Sikander Mirza, "Four Canadian world premieres added to SXSW lineup". Playback, July 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Jennie Punter, "Hot Docs Lineup: ‘Luther: Never Too Much’ to Open Toronto Nonfiction Fest Amid Mass Programmer Exit". Variety, March 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Dana Gee, "Adrianne & the Castle official opener for this year's DOXA Documentary Film Festival". Vancouver Sun, April 3, 2024.
  8. ^ "Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  9. ^ "'Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story' Review: Solving The Mystery of a 1960s R&B Talent". Variety. April 29, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Jennie Punter, "‘Farming the Revolution’ Harvests Top International Competition Award at Hot Docs". Variety, May 3, 2024.
  11. ^ "Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story". Frameline. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
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