Polley's road leads to director's chair

Canadian actress Sarah Polley is directing her first feature-length film, based on a short story by Canadian writer Alice Munro.

The film, Away from Her, will star Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson and Michael Murphy.

Sarah Polley- Northern Stars wrote the script based on Munro's short story The Bear Came Over the Mountain.

Christie plays a woman married to a philanderer, played by Pinsent. She develops Alzheimer's and is placed in a nursing home, where she begins to forget him and falls for another man, played by Murphy.

Filming will start in Ontario on April 7. Atom Egoyan, who directed Polley in The Sweet Hereafter, is executive producer.

Polley has written and directed two short films, The Best Day of My Life and Don't Think Twice.

Polley first came to attention as a child actress in Road to Avonlea but successfully made the transition to more mature roles, starring recently in The Secret Life of Words.

On Friday the actors' union will recognize her work and her contribution to Canadian cultural life by awarding her the 2006 ACTRA Award of Excellence.

Later,
Kenaz