[2] Marr was born in 1948 in Toronto, Ontario, the son of a Jewish Polish father and a Catholic mother.
[3] Before becoming a notable film director, Marr attended both the University of Toronto and the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
[4] Marr directed several short films, including Flowers In The Sand, the theme music for which was composed and performed by Dan Hill.
He wrote several unproduced screenplays and worked as an assistant to Norman Jewison on the 1982 film Best Friends.
He first read Joan Barfoot's novel Dancing in the Dark in 1983,[6] and worked for three years to get the film made after securing the rights.