Mary Fowles

About

Mary Fowles has 20 years of experience as a reporter, researcher, and documentary filmmaker, and she is also a professional photographer and videographer. Her skill set makes her an ideal reporter to be able to share news across digital platforms 

Fowles is a graduate of Concordia University’s journalism program.  During her studies she gained familiarity with civic reporting and later interned and freelanced with the Montreal Gazette and the CBC Radio. 

In her last semester, Fowles was one of four journalists across Canada awarded with a fellowship from the International Development Research Centre.  This award took Fowles to Casablanca, Morocco for one year where she interned at a cutting edge political newsweekly magazine, reporting on a variety of social issues on the front lines. 

 After working in Morocco, Fowles went on to make documentary films, and continued to freelance write.  Her first film was about a woman in Morocco who had to fight her way into a man’s job as a taxi driver, and her second film reported on the Syrian refugee settlement that took place in Vancouver in 2016.  Most recently, Fowles took a job with Cuso International and moved to Kingston, Jamaica for two years. Here,  she developed an extensive portfolio in documentary photography in a city plagued by crime and violence. 

 Her commitment as a journalist is to amplify the voices of those who are underserved within their communities.  Her past employers and editors have relied on her for her work ethic, thorough research,  journalistic integrity and insight.  She has a proven track record of excellent in-depth reporting but can also work on smaller stories and will produce content quickly.  


Education

Concordia University/ Journalism Graduate Diploma June  2004 - June  2005, Montreal; Awarded with a Canadian  fellowship in International Development Journalism from IDRC ($20,000)

McGill University / BA: Major English/Cultural Studies, September  2000 - June  2003,  Montreal; Graduated with Great Distinction

SFU Writers Studio  - Certificate in Creative Non-Fiction Writing

2012, Vancouver


Journalism Awards

2022 - Recipient of the Webster Award in the Category Excellence in Legal Journalism (Sponsored by the Law Society of British Columbia)

2004 - International Development Research Centre. Awarded a $20,000  fellowship for promising young Canadian journalists to work in a developing country that I used to work at Le Journal Hebdomadaire in Morocco (see above).


Work Experience

Journalist

Freelance Reporter: 2004 - Ongoing

The Tyee, Tricycle Magazine, Vancouver MagazineMaclean’s, Morocco Times The Montreal Gazette,  Qantara.de (Germany), Voices Across Boundaries, Vox Feminarum, Entrepột, McGill Reporter,  McGill Daily, Concordia’s Thursday Report, The Concordian (Concordia University), The Link (Concordia University), The Catholic Times, The West Island Chronicle, The Gulf Islands Driftwood


Le Journal Hebdomadaire / Writer/Editorial Intern: July 2004 - January  2005,  Casablanca, Morocco; Interned as a writer for this Moroccan newsweekly magazine that received the International Press Freedom award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. 


The McGill Daily  / Writer: September  2001 - June 2003,  Montreal


Journalism Internships

- CBC Radio  / Intern JANUARY  2004,  MONTREAL
- The Montreal Gazette  / Writer/Intern MARCH - JULY  2004,  MONTREAL
- Enroute Magazine  / Writer/Intern JANUARY - JUNE  2006,  MONTREAL


Photography

Mary Fowles Photography  / Photographer / Founder: NOVEMBER  2020 - PRESENT,  VANCOUVER  Documentary-style family, lifestyle and events photography in Vancouver, BC, www.maryfowles.com

Member of: 

Vancouver Street Photography Collective 

Portfolio of documentary photography

Portfolio of commercial photography


Equipment: 

- Nikon D750, 85mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8

- Fuji Hx1, 23mm 1.4

- Rode Mic

- Rode wireless mics


Documentary Film

Global Oneness Project / Director/Producer: SEPTEMBER 2016 - DECEMBER  2017,  SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Welcome to Canada: Produced, directed and wrote a short documentary on the resettlement of Syrian refugees to Vancouver, Canada in 2016. The film was shown  on The Atlantic, premiered at the Seattle Film Festival and is being distributed throughout North America, including the NFB. Recipient  of the Sapporo Peace Award.


Safran Films Inc / Producer / Director/ Writer/ Founder: MARCH 2007 - DECEMBER  2009,  MONTREAL Taxi Casablanca: Produced, directed and wrote a feature documentary for broadcast on TV5 which follows in the daily life of Morocco’s first female taxi driver. 

Grants awarded include:

- Canada Council for the Arts

- Quebec Council for the Arts - Media Arts Grant

- Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund

- Canadian International Development Agency (Development Information Program)

- National Film Board of Canada ACIC program 

- Fondation du Maire de Montreal 

- SODEC


Professional highlights include: 

Fundraised a production budget of $220,000 through government grants in the arts and international development agencies. 
Liaised with financiers and negotiated contracts; 
Oversaw all grant reporting and deliverables
Hired, scheduled & directed crew;
Secured copyright and license clearances, including broadcast agreements, location agreements, and errors and omissions insurance; 
Managed bookkeeping and accounting (using Quickbooks and Excel);
Met all requirements for the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credits program 
Delivered on time and under budget.  


- DLI Productions / Associate Producer/Writer/Production Manager: MARCH 2005 - DECEMBER  2007,  MONTREAL Was an associate producer and production manager on multiple documentary films for TV broadcast (CBC Newsworld, TV5, TeleQuebec, Global) including a 3 part series titled Inside the Great Magazines and the one-off Canadaville, USA


Research

- Research Assistant / Timothy Taylor 2014,  VANCOUVER  For a feature article for the Walrus titled “Happy Returns” https://thewalrus.ca/happy-returns/

- Research Assistant  / Charles Montgommery/Writer, 2014,  VANCOUVER

- Found Images Research / Research Assistant, Archival researcher for museum exhibits and films  SEPTEMBER 2016 - DECEMBER  2017,  VANCOUVER 

- Reader's Digest / Fact Checker, 2010 - 2014,  MONTREAL 


Computer

 - Advanced computer competency in Microsoft Office, Adobe, Mac and PC systems, Excel, Quickbooks, Outlook,  and competency in spreadsheets and database systems

- Photo editing: Lightroom (advanced), Photoshop (basic) 

- Video editing: Adobe Premiere Elements (intermediate) 


Languages

- English - First Language

- French - Second Language (working ability, conversational, reading)

Using Format