500 DAYS IN THE WILD honoured with numerous awards including the 2023 Audience Award at Whistler Film Festival
Hot Docs to premiere 500 DAYS IN THE WILD at special screening in Toronto on March 14, including Q&A with Filmmaker Dianne Whelan
TORONTO, ON – March 4, 2024 - Paramount+ in Canada announced today that its first Original Documentary, 500 DAYS IN THE WILD will premiere on March 15. The documentary from award-winning filmmaker Dianne Whelan, tracks her incredible adventure as the first person to travel the 24,000 km on the Trans Canada Trail. 500 DAYS IN THE WILD has received numerous awards including the prestigious Audience Award at the 2023 Whistler Film Festival. Following a limited theatrical release, Paramount+ in Canada is partnering with Hot Docs to host an exclusive screening event on March 14, including a special Q&A with Whelan.
After a six-year journey, filmmaker Dianne Whelan became the first person to travel 24,000 km over land and water on the Trans Canada Trail—the longest trail in the world. 500 DAYS IN THE WILD weaves adventure, personal reflections, stunning wildlife and landscapes to document a unique ecological pilgrimage and journey towards reconciliation. Just as Dianne was profoundly changed by her experience, 500 DAYS IN THE WILD gives audiences a window into their own possibilities in life. As Dianne travels from one end of the country to the other, she meets Indigenous elders and communities, as well as locals and friends who walk and paddle with her. Admittedly, Dianne started out alone, disillusioned with the state of the world, to look for different ways of caring for the land and for each other. The journey turned more complicated when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, yet after it all, she ended the expedition a bit wiser, more hopeful, in love and with a passion to share this story.
“I’ve made a film on the highest mountain in the world and I’ve made a film on the most northern coastline in the world, but 500 DAYS IN THE WILD is the mother of them all,” said Dianne Whelan. “Unlike most adventure films, which are about conquering something, 500 DAYS IN THE WILD is about connection – I didn't conquer the trail, I connected with it.”
“500 DAYS IN THE WILD is an absolutely epic documentary adventure from one of our country’s best filmmakers, Dianne Whelan,” said Doug Smith, SVP Streaming & Content Licensing Paramount Global, Canada. “Dianne has captured so many nuances of our country in this beautifully moving film - from the people and the stunning landscape to the threat of climate change and the need for reconciliation, this documentary records a moment in our history that will inform generations to come.”
500 DAYS IN THE WILD is produced by Betsy Carson and executive produced by Christine Haebler and Dianne Whelan and produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada and distributed by Elevation Pictures in Canada.
500 DAYS IN THE WILD premiered at the 2023 Whistler International Film Festival to rave reviews and earned the prestigious Audience Award, chosen by festival goers. The Paramount+ Original documentary also won the festival grand prize at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival and audience favourite award at the Victoria Film Festival.
(Poster/Photo/Video credit: Paramount+ Canada)