Summer Qamp brings a whole lot of queer joy to the screen at #TIFF23

Directed by Toronto-born filmmaker Jen Markowitz, this documentary aims to preserve a historical record of the camp experience for queer kids

By Mariana Schuetze

Camp fYrefly is a national leadership retreat for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, two-spirited, intersexed, queer, questioning, and allied youth (Courtesy of TIFF)

"Have you ever been in a space that is all queer people?," a voice from behind the camera asks a few young campers. They're all still sitting in their own rooms, getting ready to go to camp. This time, a camp for queer, trans and non-binary teens.

Premiering at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Summer Qamp is a documentary about the experiences of a group of kids attending Alberta's Camp fYrefly for LGBTQ2S+ youth. Beautifully brought to screen by Toronto filmmaker Jen Markowitz and their amazing team, the movie follows the lives of these kids as they make life-long memories in this safe space– surrounded by people who accept them for who they are.

Right from the start, this film will tug on your emotional heartstrings. Markowitz perfectly captures such small and specific moments in these campers’ lives; their feelings, wishes, sorrows, laughter, cries… It's all present throughout Summer Qamp, making it incredibly touching and relatable to many queer people.

CanCulture's editor-in-chief, Mariana Schuetze, had the amazing opportunity to talk to Summer Qamp director Jen Markowitz about their work on the film.

Lots of life-long memories happened during this week’s stay at Camp fYrefly (Courtesy of TIFF)

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I just want to say again, what a beautiful film. It was really amazing to watch. I cried a lot. It was very beautiful. You have probably been asked this many times, including a bit yesterday, but I still wanted to ask you, how did Summer Qamp come about? Why did you feel like you needed to tell the story?

Well, I've always prioritized queer stories in my work. And in the past few years, I've been lucky enough to have the chance to pretty much work exclusively in queer storytelling. So, even though this film had the wheels rolling before I became a part of it, I signed on to direct it. This is very much exactly the type of story that I would want to tell. I've always really cared about seeing images of queerness that normalize it, it does not make the queerness part of the story. Having said that, I know that their queerness is a very key part of this story, but you know, I really tried to bring in a lot of just like kid images of kids doing regular kid stuff in that way too. So, this is a dream project. Even though I was not there at the genesis of it, it really feels like something I've been working towards my entire life.

You're from Toronto, right? What does it feel like to have the film premiere here?

I don't think I could have imagined how it would feel prior to the festival. Since I got the news that we were premiering here, it really didn't click in until probably after our premiere, prior to our second screening. When I could see on people's faces how they felt about the film. The faces of the audience walking out, and hearing the moments where they were responding to the film while it was playing, it's been very impactful and affirming for me as somebody from Toronto, as a creative, as a filmmaker. I was at a dinner last night, and before we ate, everybody stood up and told a little anecdote about themselves, and mine was that I used to work at a video store called Review Video, and a number of the people in the room had rented videos from me when I was a teen and I was always so blown away when they would walk in and so nervous and in awe of them and I never in a million years thought that I would be seated across the dinner table from them. So, it's huge in so many ways. It's very affirming, very humbling. It feels like a real moment in my life that I don't wanna forget.

That sounds very incredible. I think you're just talking about it now, and you talked about it at the Q&A, about how there weren't really a lot of queer stories when you were growing up to look up to. And today, being someone making it, what kind of message do you want people to take away from this film? And how does it feel to be the one making something that already is so life-changing and will live forever for queer kids to see?

Although a number of different intersections of people will undoubtedly see this film, the ones that I made it for are the ones that are portrayed in it. My only interest in crafting this film was to give queer young people a positive, joyful image of themselves and of who they could become as they age. My only intention with my work is to see queer and especially trans people grow real. And I don't have much to say about myself in the process. That is the only thing I care about, and I will continue to push that forward. What's been really nice about doing press for this film is that I think out in the world, I am quite modest about exciting things happening in my life and this is an exciting thing happening in my life, and I'm able to sit in that joy because I'm able to talk about the intention for the positive impact that it is having on people already. I'm able to talk about the need for more material like this. I could talk about this film forever because I want as many people to see it as there are in this world.

That's what I wanted to say. Yeah. I think someone said this at the screening, that this film is something that everyone will learn and get something out of seeing it. So, that was one of my questions. What life do you want this film to have in an ideal world?

I think I'd like to see it continue to have a life for the people who need to see it for years and years and years. I'd like to see it become a part of a historical record of what queerness looks like for teens in 2023. And I'd like for people, for young queers in the future to be able to look back and know their ancestry in that way. I wish I had things that I could look at from my youth that could have shown me where I came from, where I was headed, etc. I think, yeah, I would really like for it to… exist as a historical record of today's queerness.

I think that's one thing I noticed when watching the film, and I think you nailed it, the Gen Z queer experience. As Gen Z, a lot of things that we watch today are very not like our generation. So it was so relatable and interesting. And I was wondering, how was it to work with these kids?

They are a very different generation from me. But I don't know, I bring a lot of my own like youthfulness and brattiness andmischief when I direct. If there's a game to be played, if there's an arrow to be shot, if there's an art and craft to be done, I will always be the first one to pick it up and try it. I think that they sense that in me. I became just another kid at camp when I was there. And I also, I really approached them like, because I wanted to hear where they were coming from. I let them decide what they wanted to talk about, what they wanted to say, what they wanted to avoid. I think that when you're a teen, it's easy to allow yourself to be interrupted. And when you're an adult, it's easy to interpret teen hesitancy as something that needs to be interrupted. So, I really just gave them the floor. I trusted them. I did not care what aspects of their lives they wanted to talk about. I just wanted to get to know them. And I don't think they get that space too often in the world. So, in having approached it that way and they, having maybe not been given that opportunity too often, created a lot of very relaxed trust with a lot of space around it, with a lot of safety around it. I really wanted to get to know who they are. People don't really wanna know that about most age groups. But, I think because I look back on my teen years and wish that I had experienced so much more than I had because I was afraid. I've always been really interested in revisiting that side of myself and getting to know these kids was sort of part and parcel of that.

During their stay at Camp fYrefly, the kids enjoyed many different activities, including dancing, archery and theatre (Courtesy of TIFF).

And they certainly had something to say. I was watching it and I just kept thinking, they're so wise and life has made them grow up so much. They're still so young, but so wise. I was wondering, what was the editing process like? How did you know what to put in and what to not put in? I imagine there's a lot more stuff, right?

We didn't have to cut too many scenes. Instead of that, we just made the most of the scenes that we really wanted to prioritize. A lot happened every time the camera was on, but it was not so much a matter of picking specific scenes, it was a matter of crafting those scenes down to a condensed story. Editing was a long process. It was the first time I'd taken on a project of this scope. So, your guess was as good as mine in terms of how to get the ball rolling. And I was really fortunate to be working with a team of executives that had a lot of patience when it came to discovering, or when it came to crafting these scenes and finding the tone that fit. We tried a lot of different things in post-production before we landed on what you saw in the film. It was such a rigorous nonstop process. I questioned myself so many times that once we got to the finish line. You know when they say that when people give birth, they're like, ‘I'll never do this again,’ and then they forget about the labour process. I think it was a bit of that. It was such labour. I swore I would never wanna do it again. And now here I am writing.

I can only imagine. But this was also another one of my questions, what is next for you? What other stories do you want to tell, do you have anything lined up?

I'm really living in this moment with this premiere and want to think hard before I commit to the next project. The one thing I can assure you is that it will be queer. Those are the only stories that I want to talk about. So every project you ever hear me taking from now until the end of time will be about queer people, trans people, non-binary people.

Where can people watch the film?

We have distribution in Canada with Super Channel and TVA. One of the things that we are hoping falls into place while we're on the festival circuit is in America and beyond, where it'll land on a streaming service or something of the like at some point. I have no doubt in my mind that this film will become available to those who want to see it.

And to just wrap it up, what would you want to tell people before going into this film?

I want to tell people to remember their kid selves, watch it as your kid self, watch it as your teen self. Yeah, I think that's what I want to tell people.

Is Creativity Dying In Hollywood? Canadians Share Their Takes

A look into originality in the film industry and the growing presence of remakes and adaptations

By Azalea Young

WGA members have come to a three-year deal with movie studios after striking for 5 months. The Hollywood sign rests on a hill in Los Angeles, California. (Paul Deetman/Pexels)

In a world becoming increasingly dominated by AI technology that can produce virtually anything from movie scripts to artwork, originality is growing rarer. In one of the latest TikTok trends, people are asking AI to create artwork for them, but ‘make it more,’ and in other experiments, the technology is generating entire movie outlines. The concept of originality is directly connected to the creative industries, and we rely on them for a lot of the content we consume. In particular, the film industry has been fighting a battle for creativity as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached a deal for better working conditions, higher pay and protection from the usage of AI on scripts. The protection from AI is essential, as screenwriters do their best to develop original ideas and material—but how original are some of these ideas?

Hollywood is no stranger to the occasional remake or adaptation of a particularly beloved film, but lately, they have been on the rise. According to a report from Radio Times, there has been an increase in the number of sequels and remakes created since 1993, with a 700 per cent increase over the past 25 years. This indicates that there has been more of a reliance on content that audiences are familiar with—whether that is material adapted from books, comics, or even older movies that have been rebooted. 

John Tarver, a film professor at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), argues that these stories we are so familiar with are relatively all the same at their roots.

“I think a strong case can be made that there is no such thing as an original story idea,” he said during a phone call. “There’s so many things that influence the stories that we want to see, and that filmmakers tell.”

Aisling Chin-Yee, a Canadian producer, writer and director echoes this statement. “There are always original ideas, and there are no original ideas,” she laughs over the phone. For her, originality is important because of the unique and diverse stories that can be inspired by it. “We need to keep reflecting the society and culture of this time. The world we’re living in now is not the same as the world was 15 years ago.”

Being able to retell a familiar story that has an original concept and storyline is what stories like Robyn Hood do. The Canadian show's premise is based on the old English legend of Robin Hood, an outlaw who steals from the rich to give to the poor. In the TV show, Robyn is a Black woman who, along with her hip-hop band, The Hood, goes up against the property developer trying to tear down the apartment Robyn and her community live in. While certain story elements will be familiar to viewers, and the storyline is the same as the legend at its roots, the TV show presents this story with a new perspective. Arguments can be made that this is what true originality is.

“Worrying about originality is not really helpful,” said Brett Caron, a Canadian screenwriter, during a phone interview. “You just want to focus on telling a good story.”

Stories that come from perspectives other than the highly popularized white, Western idea of filmmaking are slowly but surely climbing their way into what our society views as the standard for films and TV shows. For example, the UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report shows that 64 per cent of films released on streaming services had casts that were made up of 30 per cent minority actors, but only 57 per cent of films released in theatres showed this same diversity. It is a small step for Hollywood in terms of embracing diversity, but a step that solidifies a place for marginalized voices and unique stories.

Robyn Hood shines a light on the experiences of minorities, and how they are forced to live in a world that, at times, doesn’t seem to want them there. In the show, the residents living in Robyn’s apartment building are seen as obstacles for the property developer to remove, instead of actual human beings. This is different from other remakes or adaptations of Robin Hood, as it shows its audience a systemic problem that minorities have been facing for decades. The best thing about stories like Robyn Hood is that they bring awareness to these issues within our society while presenting them in a way that makes it easy for audiences to understand the message producers and directors are trying to convey.

Bea Santos, a Canadian filmmaker and actress, says that the same types of people have been telling the same types of stories for so long, which is why diverse perspectives must get to share their own stories.

“I think if different voices are given opportunities, we’re going to get out of this rhythm of making the same story over and over again,” she said during a phone interview.

When remakes are done in the way Robyn Hood was, it creates a significant story while also providing the audience with a new perspective. This can be said about many remakes or adaptations, especially when these new perspectives highlight minorities. Excellent examples of these are films like the 2023 adaptation of The Little Mermaid, which recasts a Black woman as Ariel. This was the first time a live-action Disney princess had undergone a race swap, and while some people were not happy with the change, the movie did relatively well, giving young Black girls a princess they could identify with. 

The 2018 adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, which was adapted from a novel focusing on Chinese Americans, was part of the first major representation for the Asian community. Never before had a rom-com focused entirely on an Asian and Asian-American cast, and the film later became the highest-grossing rom-com of the 2010s. By producing remakes and adaptations like these, audiences can recognize beloved original stories presented in new and distinctive ways. 

Chin-Yee says that new filmmakers can reinterpret and reclaim stories that have been told from one predominant view and perspective. This allows us to re-contextualize stories. 

The connection between what is a “good” film and what is original isn’t so black and white. Some original stories aren’t the best but some remakes are. What makes one better than the other isn’t whether one is original, but whether it tells a story that resonates with audiences and brings to light a new perspective. 

“There are so many remakes of cult classics that probably did better at the box office than the original did because (the originals) weren’t nearly as satisfying,” said Caron. “2018’s Suspiria is, in my opinion, much better than the original.”

Certain story tropes and themes can be told again and again, but what matters is how the story is told, and the depth that is added to a story the audience is already familiar with. One thing that can be agreed upon is that the content of the story and the message the audience remembers is what has always been the most important, regardless of whether or not the story is a remake or adaptation.  

“It’s not so much that originality itself is important, it’s that changing the paradigm to get originality (is),” said Santos. “If the goal is to be original you don’t have to start with that, you can start with giving other people chances, and things will become original.”

Redefining the Vietnamese diaspora in Ru #TIFF23

The anticipated film adaptation of Canadian author Kim Thuy’s novel portrays a nuanced take on the Vietnam War

By John Vo

Tinh (Chloé Djandji) in a promotional still for Ru (Courtesy of TIFF)

To a large population of the world, the sound and sight of rushing waters have connotations of tranquillity and zen. The continuous ebbs and flow of water in lakes and rivers is a metaphor for overcoming the turbulent changes faced in our lives. It is when we look at the Vietnamese diaspora that the perception of large bodies of water drastically transforms into something ambiguous. This unique experience is embodied in the film adaptation of Kim Thuy’s debut novel Ru.

Directed by Charles-Oliver Michaud, the film premiered at the 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 13th, a number Thuy said is lucky in the preamble before the screening. (We’ll get back to the theme of luck later.) Thuy is an award-winning and celebrated Vietnamese-Canadian author and graduate of the Université de Montréal. She has written works such as Man (2013), Em (2020) and Ru (2009), the latter having won the Governor General's Award for French-language fiction in 2010.

Looking through Thuy’s bibliography, it becomes clear how deeply ingrained her Vietnamese identity is in her works. When discussing the film with director Michaud, Thuy said she asked him to capture the heart and thematic line of her novel while allowing him to utilize his own vision for the on-screen adaptation. This collaborative effort would create a film that weaves the core parts of Thuy’s narrative and themes with Michaud’s detailed filmmaking.

Opening with the house of our protagonist Tinh (Chloé Djandji) in Vietnam with her family, the quaint and emanating warmth is a representation of a middle-class Vietnamese home in the 1970s. It is in this brief but fleeting moment that Tinh, her family and the audience will feel truly safe.

During the Vietnam War, Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, fell to the communist party of the North. Fearing for their lives under the new communist regime, over 140,000 people fled the country by various treacherous methods. Soon after, Canada announced the country would welcome South Vietnamese refugees and provide them an opportunity to start anew. 

On the way to Quebec, where the story will take place, the characters see the glistening snow for the first time. As they do, the camera work and actors’ expressions convey the bewilderment of the mysterious white flakes falling from the sky. Even though most Canadians in the audience have seen snow first-hand, the intricate filmmaking techniques allow us to see through the curious lens of the family. Throughout the film, Michaud chooses to take a subtler approach, straying away from flashy cuts or special effects. In moments where the camera lingers on the subjects, the characters' nuanced reactions to the world around them become prominent. The subdued use of a background score and filmmaking techniques fit the understated tone the film is going for.

At the heart of Ru is the story that we’ve seen told and retold: a family’s journey of uprooting their entire livelihoods to move to a new country. This version opts to depict the Vietnamese refugee experience during and after The Vietnam War.

A main aspect of this experience is the internal conflict the family faces of choosing to reminisce on the country that was once home versus attempting to keep persevering in life without being stuck in the past. The film's usage of both Vietnamese and French languages exemplifies the thematic relevance as the characters try to assimilate into Quebec. The title of the novel and film itself alludes to this core struggle. “Ru” in French can mean a stream or a flow of money, tears or blood while in Vietnamese, the word means “cradle” or “lullaby.” Thuy’s novel and film try to create an intersection between the language of her native homeland and the language she has adopted in Canada.

Based on her family's and her own experiences immigrating to Canada as refugees, Thuy’s characters are all provided moments where their deep-seated fears and motivations become prevalent. Dinh’s father’s (Jean Bui) determination to find work and her mother’s (Chantal Thuy) stern and harsh critiques of her daughter’s attentiveness to school stem from the burdening weight of losing financial and emotional stability. For the family and the many other Vietnamese expats, life has been riddled with tumultuous obstacles.

The journey of coming to Canada is revealed in a select amount of scenes that show the harrowing reality. Described as “boat people,” Vietnamese refugees were crammed into boats on their way to salvation. With no room to move, lack of proper food and the looming threat of sinking or being murdered by pirates, on many of these boat people feared for their lives. Arriving at an Indonesian refugee camp, conditions were not better. These scenes provide much-needed context for the stakes and sacrifices her parents make for the safety of their children. Dinh’s parents' actions would not be considered traditional “perfect parenting” but many immigrant audiences can resonate with the sacrifices and trauma their parents endured. Dinh being perceptive about the suppressed pain her parents try so desperately to hide from her shows how rapidly she’s had to mature at such a young age.

The film is anchored by Chloé Djandji’s remarkable performance as Dinh. Rather than having tons of dialogue or a moment of grandiose emotions (imagine Daniel Day-Lewis's performance from There Will Be Blood), her role as the eldest daughter and a girl trying to find her place in—what is to her—a strange world requires a subtlety realistic to how most young kids act. She doesn’t understand the Quebecois French she’s hearing, everything around her is unfamiliar to Vietnam and she’s endured things no child should ever experience. For her first credited on-screen role, Djandji’s performance captures the complex emotions needed to solidify the overarching themes.

Through all of the people they meet in Quebec and their strong familial bond, the story of Dinh and her family is, at its core, a shining coming-of-age story. Throughout this review, the concept of layered characters and their backstories has been brought up frequently. A quick scan of all existing films in the West will make one realize that Vietnamese representation in film, especially ones set during the Vietnam War, has been relegated to solely one thing: “the enemy.”

Films like The Deer Hunter and Full Metal Jacket are framed around the point-of-view of white Americans, which consequently leads to the “opposing enemy” of Vietnamese people being portrayed as blood-thirsty antagonists. It isn’t that these films are not allowed to portray soldiers in this light, but the consistent pattern of reducing the Vietnamese diaspora to nothing but obstacles distracts from the brutality real refugees faced during the war. In the slew of films about the Vietnam War, Ru’s willingness to illustrate the struggles and dreams of a Vietnamese Canadian family learning to adapt is monumental.

Instead of antagonizing a certain side of the war, the film opts to highlight the ever-changing emotional states the family faces. The best way to describe the film’s approach to its characters is compassionate. From the French-Canadian family who looks out for Dinh’s family to the elderly Vietnamese man who provides words of wisdom for our lead character, we’re shown the importance of how building community can heal trauma.

At the premiere of the film, Thuy talked about her connection to the idea of luck. The idea that it was luck that allowed her to write a book about her experiences. The idea that it was lucky to bring a film adaptation of that book to life. Most importantly, Thuy believes that luck brought her family safely to Canada and allowed them to re-establish the stability they feared was long gone. A story about a young girl and her family overcoming hardship has become one of the most heart-warming and timely films of the year.

Ru is slated to release in cinemas later this year. For more information on the novel and Kim Thuy, click the link to her website.

Giving voice to the voiceless: An interview with the writer and director of Red, White and Blue

A mother-daughter road trip has never been so devastating.

By Sarah Grishpul

Nazrin Choudhury’s directorial debut, Red, White and Blue, details the life of Rachel (Brittany Snow), a young, single mother living in Arkansas with her two children, as she is forced to travel across the states to receive proper medical care for an abortion. 

Despite being a predominately American film, the abortion issue has been heavily debated in Canada as well. The overturning of Roe v. Wade last year even fed into the rise of pro-life and anti-abortion groups in our country. It’s also important to point out that despite having decriminalized abortion in 1988, it is not a constitutional right and disparities in access to abortion procedures vary among provinces.

Coming from a female director with two daughters of her own, Choudhury takes such a delicate subject and, in presenting it through a feminist lens, gives voice to those who will ultimately bear the consequences of having politics dictate their reproductive rights.

The short film is shot with such precision and care. Its pale, grey and moody colour grading ties well with the serious, dark undertones of the atmosphere. Choudhury invites you into the lives of this mother and her family, seemingly guiding the audience through a familiar narrative, until the third act completely defies any preconceived expectations on how the story would unfold.

Currently on its festival circuit run, after showcasing the film at the Edmonton International Film Festival and winning the Grand Jury Award for Best Live Action Short, this now qualifies Red, White and Blue to be considered for an Oscar nomination.

CanCulture had the pleasure of speaking with Choudhury about her experience writing and directing the film. What follows is a condensed version of a nearly 40-minute interview, and for the sake of our audience - we’ve retracted all talk of spoilers. 

First off, let's get into what made you want to tell this kind of story in the first place.

I'm a storyteller. I look at the world around me and the characters that inhabit it and that kind of informs my storytelling. And I couldn’t stop listening to the news in the aftermath of [Roe v. Wade] and how it affected so many of us. 

And so I sat down to do the thing that I do, which is to write a story that builds bridges between people from different walks of life, and even different political views, to just understand the real-world consequences on people who might exist in your life, that you are not seeing. 

Through the medium of film, we can let a few peek behind the curtains at what this means for someone who's going through it in their lives and the untold burden that we placed upon them as a result.

That was beautifully said. I was also wondering what it was like working with Brittany Snow and the two child actors, Juliette (Donenfeld) and Redding (Munsell).

I'd seen so many shades of Brittany Snow as an actor playing vastly entertaining characters. But there was always a hidden depth to her that I could see.

I really had this instinctive belief and gut feeling that Brittany was going to be tremendous in this role, and to our surprise, she read it almost straight away and said “I wanna meet and talk to Nazrin,” and we met over the Christmas break while she was still wrapping up filming and going into post [production] on her own film.

I think she is such a talent that has been discovered that there is so much depth to her that means, I feel like this is going to be an odd thing to say, but it's almost like these new discoveries of her range and so on that you see in this film. She's every bit as good as any actor that I've ever admired and wanted to work with and she was so generous. And we were so lucky to find Juliet Donenfeld and Redding Munsell.

It was so amazing to watch as a filmmaker, you're bringing these strangers together, who’ve never met, and they are being asked immediately to become a family. The chemistry at the rehearsal was really just wonderful. Juliet plays so well as a big sister, the way that she shepherded Redding was amazing. Redding is like an old soul in a small being, just an amazing human being.

Just the fact that they came together as an on-screen family, but were really supporting and nurturing each other behind the scenes in the short amount of time we had, it really felt like a family. 

Yeah, I could really feel this family dynamic and they just had such great chemistry. I forgot that they were actors.

Even though it's a short film, I'm so appreciative that you say that you felt like they were a family because we wanted it to feel that way. But also the people who come in, we didn't want them to just be a plot device. Like the diner who opens up the pathway with the generous tip that she leaves for Rachel to go and do what she needs to do and go on this journey. All of these characters I hope feel very fully realized.

Most of the female characters in the film just help each other. It's such a beautiful thing to see on film, women supporting other women.

I made a very conscious decision not to have any male voices on this. You do not hear anyone, even the songs. It's all predominantly female voices, except for the young, unadulterated voice of Jake, played by Redding, because the idea is there that he's kind of an innocent child who's going to hopefully grow up to become an ally based on his mother and sister’s experiences.

But it's really important for me to have the voices on this be people who are, or who have been, or who might have been affected by the legislation that came down. It was time for us to speak about the things that affect us, and I think that isn't to say that we didn't have people who don't have reproductive organs and therefore reproductive rights, to consider working on this film, we did, they were allies, but hopefully, they'll understand the reason why I did that, that I'm starting to talk about now, even though I just kind of subliminally did that and no one necessarily noticed but me. 

I think it became more apparent in post [production] with my editor as I was like, “hey, can we adjust this jingle? Can we change it into a female voice, please? Let's get this re-recorded and put a female voice in because I want everything to be just female.”

Amazing, and back to the song, after that scene was done I had to pause the film just to look it up on my Spotify. I needed to add this to my playlist.

The voices that you hear, those are my daughters singing. 

Oh, no way!

Yeah! We recorded their vocals. They're both musicians and very creative. They have lots of strings to their bow, but they are high schoolers—or were at the time—and they’ve written music before, we didn't have time to write another track, but they re-recorded the vocals.

The fact that those are your daughters, that's amazing!

I just wanted them to be in this film in some way also as the people who I first pitched this idea to and said, “Hey, I think I'm gonna write this, what do you think?” and who have been my biggest supporters and who've lived through this with me more than anyone else.

Towards the end, the aspect ratio just starts to tighten and get more box-like. What was the reason behind this transition?

For me, just in terms of using technical devices it still lends itself to the storytelling. I don't think something has to do one thing, it can do multiple things. So, it's like a POV shift by the aspect ratio, as well as in that point, the shared memory that exists between them, and then the feeling of the walls closing in of what's to come and what they have to face, in addition to what has already been so egregiously faced.

Yeah, and I do like the whole dichotomy of it, where it's coming in tighter as you're realizing this new information that is making the whole picture a lot bigger for you, while at the same time, the borders are closing in. 

I'm so happy you said that and then you noticed it. I'm glad that Adam (Suschitzky, DP) and Phil (McLaughlin, Editor) will also feel very pleased that you picked up on that because there were some very clear storytelling intentions behind it.

This being your debut short film, were there any challenges or obstacles that you had to overcome?

I'm luckier than most in the sense of having worked in an established way in film and television. I was able to utilize all the network of relationships that I had to put this film into motion. I work on a show called Fear the Walking Dead that wrapped in December. And so I turned my attention to this film with the writer's strike coming and do I work and pay the bills, or do I basically put this film afoot because it feels so important for me to tell this story? 

And yes, it's a short film with high production values, so I had to beg, borrow and steal so many favours, but also from my kids' college funds, albeit with their blessing to make this and put this out there. It’s been a real labour of love with several challenges and we had a mainly great cast and crew who helped us to tell the story and gave their hearts and soul to this too.

Yeah, for sure. And now that your film is an Oscar-qualifying short—congratulations, by the way—what are the next steps for you?

I would love for this film to be seen by as many people as possible in as many states as possible. My wish and aspiration for this is that we give access to as many people who want to watch this as a stark contrast, ironically speaking to the lack of access that exists for healthcare itself. 

If you can't get access to healthcare, maybe at least you can access the film, which can then help us to have a dialogue and conversation about why some of these rollbacks are hurtful to characters like the ones in our short film.

Is Taylor Swift’s new concert film transforming the theatre industry?

The film's emerging success in unusual theatre etiquette poses the question: What’s next for movie theatres?

By Isabella Iula

 Local Swiftie Isabella Iula at the Cineplex theatre at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto on Oct. 28, 2023. She is leaving the Eras Tour concert film with her new Taylor Swift merch and friendship bracelets. (Isabella Iula/CanCulture)

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour film is bringing people back to theatres through its new entertainment strategies pinpointed at audience participation. 

The Eras Tour celebrates the infamous singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her musical journey through the span of 10 albums. Each album represents a different story or ‘era’ in Swift’s life, so she decided to create a concert to honour all the albums that brought her tremendous success in music, and now the film industry. 

The highly anticipated film directed by Sam Wrench follows the one and only Taylor Swift on her live The Eras Tour performances at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., in the United States. The film invites audiences to experience the movie as if it were a live performance. 

Swift encourages audiences to dress up in “Era’s attire,” exchange friendship bracelets, sing and dance along to their favourite songs in the theatre. 

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First-time The Eras Tour film attendee Ally Magbalon said the film’s interactive elements helped her emotionally connect with the audience both on and off-screen. 

“You can tell everyone just loves everyone in that concert and in that theatre,” said Magbalon. “It feels real like I'm in that concert.”.

Three-time Eras Tour movie attendee Hadar Zaidman added how the film gives fellow Swifties like herself a space to embrace their fandom free of judgement. 

“I think it's nice to be able to experience [the film] with other people who feel the same way you do and to not be judged for your obsession with the artist,” said Zaidman.

Victoria Sands, a part-time lecturer and PhD student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), studies Taylor Swift and her role in media and fan culture. Sands said the movie helps connect audiences to Taylor Swift by involving them in her fan practices.

“[Taylor Swift] has this thing she always does, which is to bring fans into the content itself and the product itself, so that the success of the product is intertwined with fans’ embrace of it and fans’ participation," she said.

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Sands added how engaging with Swift’s fan culture brings movie audiences into her “story-world.”

“[Taylor Swift] divided her content into eras that make up each piece of the film at each piece of the show, so that gives the viewers these different worlds that they can be immersed into,” said Sands.

According to Sands, such fan practices allows movie-goers to understand the film from a Swiftie’s perspective.

“Of course, people will want to see a concert movie of a concert they want to see. That's understandable. But there's also something to it for the ability to participate in this huge cultural phenomenon that is The Eras Tour,” she said.

By encouraging audiences to step outside the traditional theatre etiquette, it helps create a sense of community surrounding the film. Sands said it allows fans to feel seen, heard, and appreciated for their dedication to the artist’s work. 

“Part of this cultural phenomenon is fans' reactions. So The Eras Tour film has to include the Swifties because they've become part of the brand and the story,” said Sands.

Zaidman said The Eras Tour film is a virtual gateway for people to attend the concert without the hassle of finding tickets or spending outrageous amounts of money.

“You still get the whole concert experience, but in a movie theatre,” she said.

Taylor Swift singing Enchanted from her Speak Now album during the Eras Tour film (Isabella Iula/CanCulture)

Since The Eras Tour film debuted back in October, domestic box-office sales reached $92.8 million, setting the record for the highest grossing concert film to date.

Jeff Knoll, the CEO of Film.ca, an independent cinema in Oakville, said the film’s immersive experience brought in locals outside the location’s usual crowd of moviegoers.

“We saw people coming to the theatre who haven’t been to the theatre in years,” said Knoll.

The film’s financial success has audiences wondering if concert films are the next big investment for theatres going forward, especially with Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour film coming out in December.  

According to Knoll, the answer is unclear.

“I'm not sure if it's going to be a long-term sustainable thing or not or whether it's going to become a trend. We'll have to wait and see,” he said. 

However, that is not to say these concert films won’t help drive in customers.

Knoll mentioned how their theatre’s private screening room was booked out for the first two weeks of the film's screening.

“It's really cool to see folks enjoying a movie in a theatre. It's going to be good for the industry,” said Knoll.

The Eras Tour film also gives smaller, independent theatres like Film.ca an opportunity to create an event around the film’s premiere. During the film’s release, the theatre hosted photo-ops and sold personalized, collectable merchandise. 

Knoll describes this engagement method as “showmandizing,” an old-fashioned marketing strategy where theatres design events and merchandise specifically for the film and its fanbase. 

“We always find ways to sort of engage the audience beyond just coming to a movie and Taylor Swift offered lots of opportunities to do that,” he said.

For example, Film.ca created a Taylor Swift-inspired promo video to encourage people to experience the Eras Tour film from their screening rooms.

Not only has the Eras Tour brought back audiences to theatres, but unlike most theatrical releases, The Eras Tour film is not backed by a major Hollywood studio. 

According to a press release issued by AMC Theatres, Swift worked out a deal to have the film distributed directly through the movie theatres. The company also worked with sub-distribution partners such as Cineplex to show the film internationally.

Swift’s decision to bypass the Hollywood studios is sparking a trend among celebrities and independent film distribution. For example, Beyoncé already sealed a similar deal with AMC Theatres for her upcoming film. 

Swift’s movie deal also creates new financial opportunities for the theatres themselves. With potential Hollywood blockbusters delayed for another one or two years, The Eras Tour film cuts out the middleman to help theatre businesses stay afloat. 

Knoll mentioned the film’s unique and timely release is currently helping theatres who are struggling to compete with the rise of streaming services and still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was an important product for us to have access to during this very slow period,” said Knoll.

Whether or not other concert films receive the same hype and success rate, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is changing people’s movie-going expectations.

The film strays from the traditional movie-watching experience to give Swifties and theatres something far more rewarding.

“It’s iconic, incredible and everything we know and love Taylor Swift for,” said Zaidman.

Breaking Barriers: Deaf Stories with a Loud Impact

Four short films created by Deaf filmmakers are paving the way for disabled creatives in Toronto 

By Atiya Malik

Official Unify Deaf Film Festival poster (@alessioconvito.art via Instagram)

The Unify Deaf Film Festival, presented by TIFF Bell Lightbox and Undivided Productions, has carved a remarkable path for Deaf filmmakers and Deaf stories to be embraced and celebrated. This event is the first of its kind in Toronto and marks a significant step forward in recognizing talent and creativity within the d/Deaf community. 

On Oct. 13, the Unify Deaf Film Festival public screening presented four impeccable short films all created by Deaf filmmakers. The event was followed by two days of workshops and panels.

The festival was not only about showcasing Deaf talent but also fostering meaningful dialogue and creating a bridge between the deaf and hearing worlds. Panel discussions and a Q&A session with the filmmakers allowed for open conversation about Deaf culture, the language and the challenges of being a Deaf creative in a predominantly hearing world. 

The Power of Visual Storytelling: The Black Deaf Experience

His Hand, His Art, directed by Ebony R. Gooden, is a documentary on Ralph “Ralf” Newberry, a Black Deaf artist, and his compelling journey. This film depicts his sickening experiences with racism, ableism and how they have and continue to affect his life. His story engulfs viewers in feelings of confusion, pain and anger due to the lack of resources until he discovers the art of healing and forgiveness. 

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“Creating this film was very personal for me, my goodness, it was extremely personal to me. Ralph was someone I wanted to see when I was growing up. To know that I wasn’t the only one and to know that our history existed,” said Gooden during the Q&A session. 

Gooden emphasized how being able to tell Ralph’s story in her documentary is a form of representation that is desperately needed in the film industry. She said the power of film goes beyond just the people who view it in the cinema when it’s released. You don’t know who you’re going to impact in future generations with these films. 

The Multi, directed by Storm Smith and Natasha Ofili, shared a different perspective from the Black deaf community. This film tells the story of an isolated Black Deaf woman who has constructed a world to keep a childhood trauma buried deep in her consciousness. This is until an unexpected series of events forces her to confront the demons from her past who threaten to destroy everything she has built.

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According to a Forbes interview, Ofili says, "I remember feeling worthless, I remember feeling that I did not want to be here anymore, I was done, I felt done. In 2009, I had announced that I needed help, I started going to therapy, all of that did help me, it was a two-year journey, and I am now able to talk about it."

Ofili draws attention to the fact that not a lot of people speak about their mental health, especially not in the Black Deaf community. 

"There is a lack of conversation about our trauma, and I decided to include that in the script. We do not have enough of that on the screen. The Multi is inspired by my mental health," said Ofili in the Forbes interview.

Both The Multi and His Hand, His Art give voices to a marginalized community. They shed light upon varying perspectives and experiences. 

“There’s no one way to be Black, there’s no one way to be d/Deaf, you can’t paint everyone with the same brush.”

— Gooden during the Q&A session

(L-R) Jenelle Rouse, James 'Joey' Caverly, Fatima T. Nafisa, Alexandra Hickox, Ebony R. Gooden during the Q&A session on Oct. 13, 2023 (Atiya Malik/CanCulture)

Unify Deaf Film Festival photo wall on Oct. 13, 2023 (Atiya Malik/CanCulture)

Deaf Perspective on Sound

The film titled The 5%, directed by Alexandra Hickox and co-directed with Nathan Hughes-Berry, is a film that retells the true stories of Deaf individuals. It displays the intersection of three deaf people who have lived through shared experiences but are still living through different moments in their lives.

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During the Q&A session, Hickox says she wanted to show how there isn't just one universal d/Deaf experience in the world, a common stereotype about the community. 

“It's a struggle to have representation within the film industry. Where is the Deaf community? There are not a lot of opportunities available,” said Hickox in a Zoom interview through a sign language interpreter.

In her film, Hickox strategically used the element of sound. When a deaf individual appeared on the screen, there was little to no sound and the film would often display the character's inner monologue through text. Whereas, when a supporting hearing character appeared on screen, there would be a variety of relevant audio.

“I played a lot with sound. We [deaf individuals] can’t hear anything but the other person can hear all these scenarios. I wanted to show the audience how it sounds different,” said Hickox.

However, as a Deaf person, it was difficult to explain the sound she wanted. “How do you explain a d/Deaf perspective on sound? How do you convey that through film? It was a challenge,” she said. 

Hickox emphasized that her team, composed of both hearing and deaf folks, was exceptional during this learning journey.  

“I wanted to create a space for deaf folks and hearing folks to be able to work together. This is what being ‘Undivided’ is. Breaking that barrier.”

— Hickox in an interview in sign language through an interpreter

Hickox is the founder of Undivided Productions, a Deaf-led initiative that showcases the richness of Deaf culture and Deaf talent through film production, art, poetry, theatre, comedy and more. 

Fatima T. Nafisa, an actor in Fable Deaf, explains how both cultures can thrive in unison. Fable Deaf is a film based on the magical story about an elderly Deaf archivist stubbornly rooted in history and tradition, whose rigid world is threatened by the arrival of a young traveller with an ancient map.

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During the Q&A session, Nafisa said there are various ways a production team can work together. For example, her own team elicited support to cue each other. Instead of saying “action” to cue the beginning of a new scene, a team member would tap the actor's leg or use more visual forms of communication. She said there’s beauty and appreciation about adapting to the diverse backgrounds around you.

The Future for Deaf Creatives

The Unify Deaf Film Festival displayed four powerful and moving short films. His Hand, His Art, The 5%, The Multi and Fable Deaf are films whose messages will remain for generations to come. 

“We needed a starting place. ‘Oh, you can work with Deaf people?’ Of course you can! We hope to make creatives aware that this is a possibility. That's what I want for Undivided Productions and for the Unify Deaf Film Festival. For us to have more collaborations between hearing and deaf,” said Hickox.

The Unify Deaf Film Festival and Undivided Productions are breaking barriers. To current and up-and-coming Deaf filmmakers and creatives, this is just the beginning. 

The future of deepfakes isn’t memes – it’s nonconsensual porn: A review of Another Body

Filmmakers Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn want to reclaim the online space for women in their new documentary on the misuse of deepfake technology.

By Sarah Grishpul

Imagine you received a message from a friend one day with a link to a porn site to which you discover that there are a bunch of pornographic videos with your face on them.

That is how directors Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn’s documentary, Another Body, starts. In the film, we follow Taylor, a young college student whose life turns upside down after discovering someone has posted deepfake pornography, using her face, online.

Deepfakes are artificially generated footage created by running a large collection of images through AI software. 

While many people may have encountered deepfakes through memes or silly videos of Nicolas Cage on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s body, at least 96 per cent of this technology has been utilized for pornographic content. The majority of these victims are nonconsenting women.

The documentary is a slow-burn thriller that guides the viewer through a situation every modern young woman fears. There is a constant sense of unease and dread as we see Taylor close off from the world while more deepfake videos of her are posted. It’s heartbreaking to witness this youthful, carefree girl slowly become undone by such an act of hate.

Throughout this documentary, we follow Taylor’s journey as she works relentlessly to seek justice for this egregious invasion of privacy. However, as the film hammers home, most countries don’t have proper online harassment laws surrounding this new technology.

Even in Canada, there are no criminal deepfake laws in place. It is also difficult to punish the creators of pornographic deepfakes as the perpetrator is often hiding behind an anonymous online identity.

The documentary is shot similarly to most found-footage films (picture Aneesh Chaganty’s 2018 film Searching), with many scenes shot from Taylor’s phone or laptop while capturing her reactions in vlogs, Zoom meetings or through social media sites and forums. 

When initially developing the idea for this documentary, Compton and Hamlyn wanted to bring awareness to this growing issue that not many are aware of. In an interview with CanCulture, the pair discussed the ethics behind approaching Taylor and sharing her story without invading her space.

“By allowing her to self-record her story, she's the one who decides when the camera turns on and when the camera turns off, she decides when she wants to speak and when she doesn't and by sort of doing that, we provide her with control over how her story is told,” said Hamlyn. “It kind of makes her collaborator in the process more so than the junior typical documentary subject.”

Aside from giving Taylor control over her narrative, Hamlyn also mentioned that they wanted to reclaim the online platforms that had stripped so many women of their agency.

“We want to celebrate these online forms of communication and documentation, and so by recreating that in the style of the film, we're trying to put forward quite how powerful that can be as a mechanism of using your voice,” said Hamlyn.

The pair also utilized this AI tool to demonstrate how powerful this technology can be while also protecting Taylor’s identity, as it is revealed in the film that the face we’ve been staring at isn’t her actual face — but rather, a deepfake of another actress (Ava Breuer).

According to the filmmakers, deepfake technology isn’t inherently problematic. However, it becomes an issue when not used responsibly.

“They don't understand that this technology, when used to recreate a realistic-looking video, can be pretty much seamless,” said Compton. “And so by being able to use the technology in the film not just to protect our subjects, we also really can persuade the audience and clarify how terrifying the technology can be when misused.”

Compton and Hamlyn hope that this documentary will help bring awareness to this ongoing issue while destigmatizing the illusion of these online predators and addressing this kind of abuse and misogyny in our communities.

“The Internet is the most important public forum in human history, in my opinion, and the right answer is not to withdraw from it just to protect yourself from this,” said Hamlyn. “We need to find a way of making it safe for women to freely participate in online spaces.”

The documentary is part of their campaign #MyImageMyChoice meant to amplify the stories of survivors and advocate for stronger laws surrounding deepfake abuse. Compton says they started a petition to block these sites from promoting image abuse and email templates that people can send to political representatives.

“What we've really witnessed in Taylor's story is that if you persevere and keep investigating and reach out to people and find community, things can really shift,” said Compton.

“So, I hope that people sense the glimmer of opportunity and hope in that.”

Another Body will be playing at the Ted Rogers Hot Docs Cinema before streaming on CBC Gem on November 22nd.

Fitriya: Muslim On and Off The Court redefines what it means to be a Muslim woman in sports

This documentary traces Fitriya Mohamed's journey as she reshapes the Toronto sports landscape and advocates for representation of Muslim women in the world of basketball.

By: Nageen Riaz

Fitriya: Muslim On and Off The Court doesn’t have a release date yet, but more information will be released soon on the film's Instagram account (Courtesy of Jake Y Ian)

Fitriya: Muslim On and Off the Court is a short documentary that delves into the incredible journey of Fitriya Mohamed, a Muslim female athlete and the driving force behind the Muslim Women’s Summer Basketball League (MWSBL). The film shines a light on the complexities that come with trying to find a safe space for Muslim women athletes and why such a space is so vital to Toronto’s landscape. Even when facing cultural barriers and endless challenges, Fitriya continues to fight for representation and aims to redefine what Muslim women can do, both on and off the court. 

“The one change I hope this documentary brings is a narrative shift for Muslim women and for people to understand there are so many other complex characteristics to us,” said co-director and writer, Selina McCallum. 

McCallum first pitched the idea for the documentary as part of an alumni callout for the OYA Black Arts Coalition. She had been a part of their emerging filmmakers' program in 2019 and saw this callout as an opportunity to create a documentary surrounding Muslim athletes. 

“I reached out to Fitriya and asked her if it would be okay if I pitched MWSBL as a story and she was totally on board,” said McCallum. “From there Safa really fought for my film so I really appreciate both of them for being so passionate from day one and advocates all the way through.”

Safa Ali Mudei was originally the producer but later also took on the role of co-director and writer alongside McCallum. “Working with Selina was so inspiring because it just made me feel like I was at home. It made me feel centred and aligned so that I can adhere to my religion as a Muslim woman while also creating the art that I wish to see,” said Mudei.

The documentary had a lot of support, both from the internal team as well as from OYA, but getting it to the big screen was no easy feat. With pre-production spanning from October to December of 2022 and post-production from January to April this year, the film was completed over seven months ago. Currently, it has seen widespread success and positive feedback, with festival screenings in both Canada and Australia and future screenings in the works.

“What made the response so wonderful and important was the feedback we got from our Muslim peers, especially Muslim women, knowing that they can see somebody else that may look like them and may even live the same experience as them on the screen,” said Mudei. “It’s important to recognize that they are as powerful as they know they are and they're able to express that in a bigger light.”

The mission was always to empower Muslim women, but finding the space and resources to do that wasn’t always easy. The documentary shines a light on the stories of Melissa McLetchie and Nazie Shakur, two women who embraced Islam despite the challenges and islamophobia they faced. They both share how important MWSBL is in fighting back against these barriers and how the league allows Muslim women to truly feel like they belong.

“I think it’s very important for us to be a source of positive representation in basketball as Muslim women,” said Melissa McLetchi in the documentary. “To challenge the stereotypes, challenge the misconceptions and just to show people that yes we are Muslim, we are women, we wear hijab but we do other things too.”

Left to Right - Nazie Shakur, Fitriya Mohamed, Melissa P. McLetchie and Selina McCallum (Rahma Alim)

Fitriya Mohamed first launched MWSBL in the summer of 2020, but due to COVID-19, its first season was postponed to 2022. Since then, the Toronto-based non-profit basketball league has seen great success in its community and has united women every summer through the sport.

“I’m doing the work today because basketball has done so much for me and I want to give back. MWSBL has been my way of doing that and growing the sport within my community,” said Mohamed. “What we really wanna do is shed a light on Muslim women doing amazing things and them taking up space. Those are some of the things we do with MWSBL and I just wanted to make sure that it's portrayed that way in the documentary.”

“Fitriya recognized that she wasn't able to play safely in a spot while also adhering to Islam,” said Mudei. “And so what she did was create her own space where she could also welcome other youth and that has been such a light to see with the amount of impact it had on so many people.”

Despite Fitriya’s unwavering determination, MWSBL is still yet to find a permanent home as establishing a safe women-only space is proving to be a struggle. “Finding a space like that isn’t easy and so the mission is to make the league sustainable in that way so we have a set location every year,” she said.

Not only is MWSBL fighting for a permanent spot in Toronto, but also a spot for Muslim women in competitive athletics globally. 

“I know a lot of people experience external factors, like not being able to play wearing their hijab at the highest level of competition,” said Mohamed. “But we’re doing the work to ensure to our community and our girls, at least in Canada, that doesn't happen.”

The documentary redefines what it means to be a Muslim woman by highlighting how every individual has their own story and capabilities. “It was the passion and grit behind Fitriya and her story that inspired this documentary. Just being around her and seeing how she really wants to change the narrative for Muslim women in sports and overall,” said McCallum. “I just knew it was a strong story, a powerful one that would touch many people, Muslim and non-Muslim.”

“The message to take away from this film is definitely don’t let people change who you are, just let them accept you for how you come,” said Mudei.

Fitriya: Muslim On and Off the Court will be available to watch online, look out for more details on their Instagram account.

Sci-fi Meets the Lovable Loser: A review of Relax, I’m from the Future

Relax, I’m from the Future reflects the best and worst of humanity in the funniest way possible

By Caleb Jackson

Caleb Jackson stands in front of a Relax, I'm from the Future poster at the Westdale theatre after travelling to Hamilton to a see a movie that was coming to Toronto the next day :,) (Sarah Grishpul/CanCulture)

Luke Higginson, CBC TV editor for Dragon’s Den and a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) film studies alumni, breaks into the world of directing with a bang in his debut indie feature Relax, I’m from the Future.

Self-described as a “dirtbag time travel comedy,” the film certainly delivers on all aspects of this sentiment. The original idea for the story is derived from Higginson’s short film of the same name, which was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) back in 2013. The homemade, youthful angst of the short film permeates throughout the movie, and it is great. 

"I thought it was funny to do a high sci-fi concept with people that were dirtbags that didn't have a strong moral code or a high place in society, and that dichotomy was always interesting and funny to me," said Higginson on how the movie came to be.

In an interview with CanCulture, Higginson said the movie simply couldn’t have been done without his time at TMU. Wango Films, a production company formed by people who also attended TMU around the time Higginson was there, picked up the film due to familiarity with him and his work. He had even edited their first film when they were fresh out of TMU film school. 

In the 2023 movie, a time traveller from the future named Casper (Rhys Darby) crash lands in 21st-century Hamilton (of all places) and slowly learns how to live old school with the help of local resident and punk incarnate Holly (Gabrielle Graham). He swears he has come back in time with a plan to save the world. But does he?

No. Not even remotely. All he wants is a chance to meet with one of his favourite comic artists named Percy (Julian Richings) before he commits suicide on a roof. He is a tragic element in the plot and his story parallels Vincent Van Gogh's, as he only achieves fame post-mortem. Casper plans to ask him his most burning questions and then watch him jump. Isn’t that nice? 

While comedy is clearly the main sticking point of the narrative, there are a lot of interesting themes of nihilism embedded throughout all of the characters and how the movie handles its sci-fi plot. This is seen most obviously in Percy, a man who works a dead-end job and has his walls plastered with his own political cartoons that depict the same superhero dying in many horrible ways. 

When asked about Percy’s characterization, Higginson said a lot of the nihilistic aspects of the plot happened like that because he was going through a major existential crisis while writing the film.

"I was able to sort of channel a lot of my sort of fears and anxieties about the future and about where we were sort of headed as a species and as a society into the script."

Despite these heavy themes, the film never takes itself too seriously. The viewer is constantly torn between being shocked by the terrible things the protagonists do and laughing at the absurdity of it all-- a quality Higginson told us he wanted to make sure was captured when casting these characters.

“The most important thing was that we needed someone who was inherently, extremely likeable - you have to sort of be on [Casper’s] side during a lot of this stuff, you have to still like him while he’s being a doofus,” said Higginson. 

It's honestly why the movie works as well as it does. Rhys Darby brings an addictingly charismatic dork energy to Casper that makes his selfish and arguably horrid actions easy to stomach.  It’s quite reminiscent of the characters in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in that way. It’s a total and utter mess, but you just can not look away.

In comparison to Casper, Gabrielle Graham’s Holly has a lot more heart. Initially, she is just in it for the get-rich-quick scheme. But Holly works as a sort of grounding for Casper and his decision-making as her morals and self-confidence grow over time until she becomes the leader of a resistance movement to actually save the future. Able to bounce off of Rhys and steal a couple of scenes herself, Graham brings relatability to her role as the straight man and balances out the wackiness of the rest of the film.

“I was watching David Cronenberg’s Possessor and I saw [Gabrielle Graham] and I was like who is that? And then I was like, ‘Oh, she’s Canadian, she’s playing a character named Holly, this is a fucking sign!’” said Higginson.

The majority of the film is spent with quirky, questionable tomfoolery ensuing between Casper and Holly. They use Casper’s knowledge of the future to make Holly rich while Casper lives in the middle of the Ontario wilderness. He spends his time burying 21st-century items on land owned by a beautiful example of the Canadian hick (Zachary Bennett, the short film's original actor for Casper!)

The final act, however, feels somewhat rushed. The threads throughout the film start converging and wrapping up fairly quickly. Before you know it, the credits are rolling and the film is over.

Despite this, the movie stays consistently enjoyable to watch from start to finish. It utterly traps your attention with witty dialogue and absurd situations that keep you engaged for its entire runtime. 

With a soundtrack featuring, and cameo appearance by bitchin’ Canadian punk band PUP, a fun fast paced plot, frenetic editing and charmingly shady characters, the film creates an identity that is incredibly funny and certainly “dirtbag” in all of the best ways possible.

Relax, I’m from the Future will be available for on demand streaming in early November, so be sure to check it out!

8/10, would run as far away as I could if Casper were to ask for help after eating out of a dumpster in front of me.

Founders Day: A bloody political slasher film review #TADFF

Maybe politics do kill…

By: Aliya Karimjee

Founders Day premiered at this year's Toronto After Dark Film Festival (Courtesy of TADFF)

Does voting scare you? Do you fear a future with too much consistency that there will be no further development or one that includes drastic changes? That’s the case with Founders Day, a horror film where political opinions are a driving force to kill. 

The Bloomquist brothers released Founders Day for its Canadian premiere at this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

Director-actor Erik Bloomquist, accompanied by his brother Carson Bloomquist, who produced and helped write the film with his brother, both got involved in the making of this bold and bloody movie. From the synopsis, we learn that this is a “series of ominous killings in the week leading up to a heated mayoral election.” 

This American film’s title is based off of the actual holiday that celebrates the creation of the United States Declaration of Independence. Politics plays a big part in a killer’s mastermind’s plan.

Taking place after the murder of Melissa (Olivia Nikkane), one of two star-crossed lovers, continuous killings take place--even at a family festival celebrating the political holiday.  From that incident, punishable pranks started taking place and people impersonated the killer to scare others. 

After finding out who the murderer is, a big cliffhanger comes up making us wonder what could possibly happen after that event, but that is for you to find out. Who knew holidays were so dangerous?

Initially, I didn’t have high expectations from a political slasher. However, I fell in love with the movie as the plot kept me intrigued and always wanting to know what would happen next. 

Throughout the flick, we learn the characters’ nature and personalities, attaching us to them through their various challenges. For example, Melissa’s girlfriend, Allison Chambers played by Naomi Grace, went through a series of obstacles and near-death experiences as she and her loved ones were threatened with death.

The plot twists made me want to scream and throw my computer at the wall with how unpredictable it was! 

The visuals were also out of this world - such as the killer’s red creepily smiling mask, which I already knew would give me nightmares for days.

Like the primarily known poem “Roses are red, violets are blue…,” the murders followed the same poetic concept in red writing with subtle hints to help us determine the killer, making it more fun and interactive for us viewers. 

Not only was the film fun, but it was wildly funny! The Bloomquist brothers know how to perfectly time the comedic beats. One character even cried of regret and ran half-naked in fear in a comedic way. 

The only negative note I have is that there should be a content warning regarding a line that casually mentions sexual assault. 

All that being said, the plot twist at the end was well thought out, the visuals were excellent, and the comedy was perfectly timed. If you’re a fan of the Halloween or Scream franchises, you need to add this movie to your watchlist! 

Sinister shorts: Reviewing Canadian shorts at Toronto After Dark #TADFF23

A thrilling series of horror and humorous films by Canadian creators premiered at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival

By Alisha Shaikh

Canadian short films at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival (Posters courtesy of TADFF and edit made by Alisha Shaikh)

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival premiered nine great Canadian short films. Each film takes a unique look, bringing a diverse collection to the spooky season. All nine shorts listed below are rated from most to least entertaining to me.

Bloodline

Bloodline is a short film directed by Richard Rotter. The story follows a young woman who tries to care for her sick, blood thirsty father while simultaneously creating a life for herself. The film is very gory and bloody, inspired by classic vampire tropes. It’s a beautiful yet tragic story of a father-daughter relationship that incorporates horror aspects, making it a perfect Halloween watch.

Demon Box

Demon Box, written by Steve Manale, dives deep into the psychological aspect of the human mind relating to topics of the Holocaust. The film opens up with a great line, calling itself a festival reject and  proclamining the film  as  too deep and dark to be premiered at festivals. Throughout the short film, there is a painfully direct narration that takes a simultaniously funny and ironic take on the usually taboo subject of the Holocaust and suicide. It invokes many mixed emotions. All in all, Demon Box is a greatly narrated scary story with deeper meaning.

Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie

Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie is a story based on the lived experience of a black, nonbinary, disabled artist and former sex worker, Nicole Bazuin. A surrealist examination of dissociative identity disorder (DID) is presented. Just like Demon Box by Steve Manale, this short film takes a funny, ironic take on a serious topic. Showing the audience the scary yet very authentic reality of what people diagnosed with DID go through. 

Night Drives: Campfire in the Sky

A three-minute-long animated film about coworkers and their take on camping It’s a short, funny and comical skit. The story goes on as all three colleagues share their camping experiences when one mentions the presence of aliens and a UFO. This film is neither scary nor fits into the spooky season vibe. Yet, it's the perfect addition to Toronto After Dark, adding a touch of lightheartedness and entertaining dialogue.

Bird Hostage

Bird Hostage, written and directed by Lauren Andrews, is a brief, inspiring story of a scary bird that is kept caged by an ignorant owner. The pet bird is not allowed out of its cage, yet after hearing his dreams and goals, a pet sitter releases the scary-looking vulture. It's a wonderful though weird story about life and how one should follow their dreams, no matter how caged they may feel.

Ghosts Do Not Exist

An intriguing story about a paranormal investigator who makes one last attempt to prove the existence of the myth of the Bloody Mary. This story is directed like a classic horror film, with the traditional dim lighting and eerie scenes. Because the myth of the Blood Mary is one most people grew up hearing and fearing, Ghosts Do Not Exist is also oddly comforting and evokes a sense of nostalgia. 

Forgotten Lake

This short film, written and directed by Brooks and Kennedy, is more than just a skit: it's a great beer commercial. It centers on two counselors at Forgotten Lake Summer Camp who are shocked to learn that the campfire myth of the Blueberry Boy is true. It starts off with the classic campfire story, building up the suspense with a mix of gore and humour; only in the end is the film revealed to be an advertisement.

Your Money’s No Good Here

This short film by Alex Forman is a comedic story about a man who misunderstands the common phrase, “Your money’s no good here.” This sends his life into a downhill but also humorous spiral. However, the film is not necessarily scary or frightening; it doesn't resonate with the spooky Halloween vibe like the other films.

Colin Carvey’s Long Halloween

A group of about 60 artists and weirdos from Port Hope, Ont., created Colin Carvey's Long Halloween. The movie centers on Colin, a young man who has a mask stuck to his body and tries to escape his glued-down costume, only to get confused for a serial killer. Colin Carvey’s Long Halloween is filmed like a vintage silent movie, with cue cards inserted to help piece the story together. In a similar vein to Your Money’s No Good Here, Colin Carvey’s Long Halloween is also not scary but still has a Halloween feeling to it.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep: A deeper look into the terrifying woods #TADFF23

A mysterious unraveling by Teresa Sutherland at Toronto After Dark Film Festival

By Alisha Shaikh

Still shot from Lovely, Dark, and Deep (Courtesy of TDAFF)

Lovely, Dark, and Deep, a psychological horror film directed and written by Teresa Sutherland, was screened at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, an annual showcase of horror, sci-fi, thriller, and action cinema.

After co-writing, Midnight Mass, a successful Netflix horror series, Teresa Sutherland makes her directorial debut with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. The beautifully directed horror film stars Georgina Campbell, best known for her roles in the horror films Barbarian and Bird Box Barcelona. The film follows Lennon, Campbell’s character, a new backcountry ranger, as she wanders the terrifyingly strange wilderness to learn more about the tragedies that occurred there and have plagued her since she was a young child.

Campbell’s acting throughout the film was very realistic. She fully immersed herself in the role, and brought her character to life. Campbell’s character is very intricate, as she is haunted by past memories but still shows persistence in moving forward and finding answers. One gets the impression that they are traveling on a quest of horrifying discovery alongside Campbell's character, experiencing all of her feelings. 

The film direction plays a brilliant role in capturing the audience, creating an eerie and mysterious atmosphere throughout the film. Sutherland's directorial talents are well-displayed in the film; these skills are a key factor in why Lovely, Dark, and Deep has the feel of a psychological horror film that truly scares the audience.

The film’s colour palette is based on brownish, cool, and dull tones. This is perfect to create the lure of the terrifying woods and what lies behind the shadows. Many scenes follow dark and gloomy undertones, which allows the audience to feel present in the woods as if they are rangers themselves. 

While Sutherland has shown off her directorial talents in Lovely, Dark, and Deep, her writing talents seem to have been overshadowed. The plot starts strong and steady, slowly drawing the audience in. However, it does not excel beyond that. Lovely, Dark, and Deep’s storyline shortly turns confusing and disjointed. 

The film starts off greatly while hooking the audience to the plot. The scenes gradually build up, creating suspense with characters covered in blood and terrified by the unknown. Viewers are left wondering why people are going missing in the woods—is there a bigger monster lurking in the shadows? 

The plot continues to thicken, creating a lure, but then ends with no answer, solution, or explanation. The main issue with the plot lies in its lack of closure; it ends with the viewer longing for more answers or at least an explanation. The ending feels foolish since the audience is left wondering, “What does that mean? Huh?”

All in all, while the ending of the film did lack closure, Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a greatly crafted horror film. Campbell’s acting highlights Sutherland's talents, bringing together a great film for the Halloween season.

Restore Point: a unique, original new addition to the sci-fi cyberpunk genre #TADFF23

The film challenges its audience with difficult ethical questions to ponder long after the credits have stopped rolling.

(Courtesy of TADFF)

By Azalea Young

Robert Hloz isn’t new to the filmmaking game—he has already directed three projects, and his latest, Restore Point, is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that keeps you intrigued in this world and these characters until the end. The film examines themes surrounding capitalism and even comments on the justice system. When the film concludes, the viewer is left with one important question: what will our own future look like?

Set in the year 2041 in Central Europe, we follow Agent Em (Andrea Mohylová), a detective on the police force who is investigating the terrorist attacks of a group called River of Life. They do not use or believe in the resurrection technology of Restore Point, which allows a person to come back to life if they have a backup version of themselves saved. People who use this technology have to back up every 48 hours to protect themselves from death.

When Em hears about the murders of David Kurlstat and his wife (Matej Hádek and Katarzyna Zawadzka), she is reassigned to that case and eventually comes to discover how the terrorist attacks and the couple’s deaths are intertwined. She finds out that David, a prominent researcher at Restore Point has come back to life via a saved backup of his brain and body from six months ago, and the investigation turns into a manhunt for his murderer, Viktor Toffer (Milan Ondrík). 

When Em and David inevitably find Toffer, he reveals information about Restore Point that leads them to uncover the secrets the corporation keeps hidden. It appears that in a world where humanity has beaten death, there are still greater threats lurking.

The worldbuilding is reminiscent of other sci-fi cyberpunk-esque films but produces an original concept with the idea of the Restore Point system. For a film set in the year 2041, this world almost seems accessible today, even though it’s still 18 years away. The reasoning for this is simple. In an interview with CanCulture, Hloz said that he wants viewers to see the idea of this technology in its early stages. 

“These first users are used as test subjects,” he said. “We wanted [the technology] to feel new, the same way it will feel new for the audience.” Hloz also adds that because he wanted the technology to feel very new, the time frame was potentially going to be earlier than 2041. “We were having discussions about whether [the film] should be even earlier, like maybe 2038, but it felt too close,” he said. 

Besides fleshing out the technology, the characters are also fully developed, and each has their own ambitions and struggles. The main character, Em, is a character that demonstrates this very well. The audience can clearly see why she is invested in the crimes that have been happening, and how her past has played a large part in bringing her into the police field. The beginning of the film, in particular, shows the audience why she has become more reserved and quiet but puts on a strong facade. Her grief over the people she has lost is carried with her, and Mohylová does an excellent job of showing the audience this when interacting with characters like David, as they bond over the loss of his loved ones.

The film presents interesting questions about the value of life and death, and how they operate in this world. When asked about the technology’s ability to bypass death, Hloz talks about how the topic plays into the overarching message of the movie. 

“Where is the boundary [between] how we should feel safe and how should we feel free?” He said. “It starts an interesting debate.”

Hloz adds that because of the technology people are simultaneously free but not free, since they spend so much time thinking about the system keeping them alive and restoring their backups to really enjoy much else. 

“It gives you this amazing safety but at the same time, it takes away your freedom because it constantly reminds you that you can die at any moment, and you should do something against that,” he said. “It gives you this extra layer of stress.”

Since the Restore Point technology imposes a new set of rules for humanity, the themes that Hloz discusses here spark a compelling debate about how ethical this technology really is in the hands of humans. It’s up to viewers to decide for themselves where they stand on such a heavy question.

Restore Point presents a dark and immersive world not unlike our own, potentially giving us a glimpse into what our future can look like. It offers its audience the chance to become intrigued with its technology and new rules, putting a spin on classic dystopian and sci-fi films while giving us something unique. The end of the film also asks the audience to think about how our justice system works, and whether or not the conclusion for some of the characters is justified.

Although Restore Point is not as dramatic or fast-paced as others in the genre, it’s still a fun time if you’re looking for an adventurous movie that captivates you from the start and leaves you questioning your own mortality.

Turning a Christmas classic into a slasher: An interview with the writer-producer of It’s A Wonderful Knife #TADFF23

After writing the script for Freaky (2020), Michael Kennedy returns to the horror genre with a new and bloody spin on It’s Wonderful Life.

By: Isabella Soares 

 Jane Widdop as Winnie Carruthers in It’s a Wonderful Knife (Image via RLJE Films and Shudder)

Writer and producer Michael Kennedy’s latest onscreen endeavour, It’s A Wonderful Knife, brings a new twist to the 1940s holiday classic by turning it into a slasher. 

The film is focused on Winnie Carruthers, played by Yellowjackets’ alum Jane Widdop, a girl who struggles to carry on after she saves her town from a masked serial killer. As she wishes to have never been born, Winnie ends up in a parallel universe that shows her what would have happened to her family and community if she didn’t exist. 

It isn’t the first time that Kennedy has come up with a slasher based on a feel-good classic. His first venture was in 2020 with Freaky, a body-swap horror film that was inspired by the Freaky Friday series. The positive feedback and memorable experiences on set on his previous project were what drew him to partner with director Tyler MacIntyre to work on It’s a Wonderful Knife, both as a writer and a producer. 

Ahead of the film’s sold-out screening at the 2023 Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Kennedy spoke with CanCulture about the behind-the-scenes process of writing the script, casting Justin Long as the devious Mayor Henry Waters (aka the psychotic serial killer tormenting Angel Falls) and how Freaky prepared him to be a producer for the first time. 

This film is a spin on a holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Why did you decide to use this holiday favourite as inspiration for the script?

I always wanted to do a Christmas slasher. So I instantly thought of It's a Wonderful Life because it was my dad's favourite movie. I thought it was a nice way to honour him since he passed away five years ago. That was the first movie that came to my mind, and I started running through the plot in my head, and I was like, yeah, this (a slasher) would actually make a really fun spin on it.

What I really like about this film is that you already know who the killer is right off the bat. This is different from other slasher films like Scream (1996), which always make you wonder who the killer is. What led you to this creative decision?

I wanted to subvert expectations. I also didn't want to have a kill in the first five minutes, so that's kind of a bit different too. I knew there was no way to avoid revealing who the killer was. If the basis of the movie was going to be about somebody who kills, stops a killer, and then wishes their life away. That killer is still going to be around.

I thought it was a fun and a deeper way to examine that portion of life that you never get to see in these slasher movies unless there's a sequel a year later where you get a quick up-to-speed on what that person's been up to but you never get to see the post effects of the hero taking down the villain and what that does to their mind.

How did you find a balance between horror and the uplifting feel of a holiday film in this Christmas slasher?

Christmas is also a rough time for a lot of people, so I thought there was an interesting way to discuss that through the movie. For me it was really natural cause I love horror and I absolutely love Christmas. I love Christmas horror movies.

You're also a producer in this project, which is really exciting because it allows you to also figure out casting. When did Justin Long's name come into the conversation? 

It was pretty late, honestly. We literally cast him, I think the week before we started shooting. We were in negotiations with him for a few weeks before that, but his name came up pretty late. The character kept changing, quite frankly. The original draft of the script had more of an older guy, in his fifties or sixties.

It was a role that we were just struggling to cast. So then about a month before we started to shoot, we had the whole movie filled, except that role. 

We had a conversation, and I was like, I think we need to make him a man my age. I'm 43. That was when someone from the studio was like, oh, we should get Justin Long for that.

As a producer, were you on set with the director and cast every day?

It's different in every movie, depending on what capacity you produce. But for me, yeah, I was there every day. I was involved from day one, even before there was a word written. I weighed in on casting, I weighed in on locations, and I weighed in on hiring Tyler (director). 

Tyler fosters a really collaborative set and we had a really fast shoot. Thank God it came naturally for everybody because there would be days when I'd be writing based on the location.

We had a day that we completely got rained out, so we had to take an entire day that was supposed to be outside and move it inside and figure out a way that made it work and make sense to the movie. It was crazy because I'd never produced before.

How was your experience on Freaky compared to this set, where you had a chance to be more involved in the production process?

We shot Freaky for over 35 days and I think I was there for 25 of them, but I was mostly there to learn. Normally, the writer isn't usually on set, but I wrote the movie with Chris, who directed it, so as he was prepping the movie, I said, can I come? And he goes, yeah, if you want to come, definitely come. I felt like Freaky was my film school and It’s a Wonderful Knife was my coming out party as a filmmaker.

It’s a Wonderful Knife arrives in select theatres and VOD on November 10.

Family reunions can be a real killer: A review of Daniel’s Gotta Die #TADFF23

Sibling rivalry just got a whole lot deadlier in the premiere of Jeremy LaLonde’s dark comedy at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival

By Sarah Grishpul

If you thought your family was horrible — get a load of Daniel’s. 

Daniel’s Gotta Die is the latest dark comedy film from Canadian director Jeremy LaLonde, which had its Toronto premiere at this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The movie follows Daniel Powell (Joel David Moore), the son of eccentric, wealthy Canadian tycoon, Edward Powell (played by famous American musician Iggy Pop), who inherits a large fortune upon his father’s death. 

This is quite unfortunate for Daniel’s three siblings, Mia (Mary Lynn Rajskub), Victor (Jason Jones) and Jessica (Carly Chaikin), who stand to gain nothing if they don’t agree to tag along with Daniel on a weekend away together at their family beach house.

While Daniel is ecstatic at the opportunity to finally forge relationships with his estranged siblings, the other Powells have something else more sinister on their minds besides family bonding. 

If you’re keen on films that play around with the dysfunctional, spoiled family trope (similar to Knives Out or Succession), this is one Canadian feature that may pique your interest. 

Daniel is very much the straight man against his three wildly unhinged siblings, reminiscent of the level-headed Michael Bluth in Arrested Development. Much of the humour comes from his clueless naivety while interacting with his self-absorbed family. 

However, whenever Daniel isn’t playing off their antics, he becomes a dull and one-noted character. His entire role in the film is to be the naive, morally good man determined to see the best in people, yet even his desire to “live on the frequency of positivity” becomes a bit tiresome.

As for his siblings, Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays the stoic (and possibly psychotic?) Mia Powell steals the show with her performance. The character reminds me of a much older Wednesday Addams, with her morbid sense of humour and deadpan inflections. 

Together, Mia and her coke-addicted twin brother, Victor, pair up to try and kill Daniel. This duo proves to be one of the funniest dynamics onscreen, as their relationship is much like a servant and his master. Mia concocts multiple ways to murder Daniel, while Victor struggles to work up the nerve to carry them out successfully. 

I wish the film had continued to have more moments of Daniel being oblivious to the many murder attempts courtesy of his siblings. There was one funny scene in which Victor tried to poison Daniel’s wine, only for him to pour it into the dinner he was cooking for the entire family. Watching Victor toss the dish out the window and attempt to hastily replicate the meal was delightful. 

As for their social media influencer sister, Jessica, apart from constantly being on her phone, she doesn’t get much to do in the film. Sure, she wants the money just as much as her other two siblings, but rather than commit the act herself, she convinces her boyfriend to kill him instead.

Rather, Jessica spends most of her time helping Lawrence, her father’s loyal advisor played by the late Bob Saget. He spends the majority of the movie trying to steal Daniel’s money from right under his nose. 

As a fan of Full House who would religiously watch the sitcom with her sister growing up, it was great to see him onscreen in his final film role. While Lawrence does have his moments of dripping sarcasm and zingers, my only gripe is that I wished he would have had more to do, as it often felt like his actions weren’t enough to carry the plot or my interest.

Despite that, the movie does a good job of paying tribute to the late actor – dedicating the film to Saget in the credits.

There were multiple moments in the film where comedic timing and delivery was impeccable (largely due to the talented Bob Saget, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Jason Jones), yet still many of the jokes just did not land for me. The comedy was at its strongest when the Powells were not-so-discreetly attempting to murder Daniel, and I wish it had continued to play off his utter cluelessness.

As for the production value of the Powell family beach house, I thought it was quite well executed. For a movie that takes place majorly on the grounds of a massive mansion, the isolated location succeeds in creating an atmosphere that made me feel just as trapped as Daniel and his siblings.

While the story itself doesn’t exactly break new ground or add anything new to the genre, Daniel’s Gotta Die is a charming flick that reminds us all that while blood may be thicker than water — greed is often stronger than blood.

How to Not Direct a Sequel: A film review of Hey Viktor! #TIFF23

Cree Actor Cody Lightning’s debut feature Hey Viktor! is a biting comedy about the struggles to remain relevant and the toxic effect of a massive ego

By Sarah Grishpul

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the film Hey Viktor!

Director, co-creator and lead actor Cody Lightning isn’t afraid to poke fun at himself in his debut feature film Hey Viktor! which had its Canadian premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year.

In a CBC interview, he talks about how the film started as an inside joke between him and his roommates, as they often quipped about Lightning using his fame as a child actor to behave like an entitled, bigshot star.

Hey Viktor! is a mockumentary comedy shot in Alberta documenting the fictional life of Lightning nearly 25 years after his childhood role in the 1998 film Smoke Signals. In the movie, a young Lightning plays “Little Victor,” the younger version of the main character during several flashback sequences.

For the Indigenous community, Smoke Signals was groundbreaking in portraying the ordinary lives of First Nations people while simultaneously dismantling harmful stereotypes. It was also the first movie to be written, directed, co-produced and acted by Indigenous people.

Hey Viktor! dives into the impact Smoke Signals had on Indigenous representation early on in the film, featuring talking head footage of the original cast reminiscing their time shooting the film and its cultural significance after its release.

However, for the fictional Cody Lightning, there’s almost an unhealthy attachment to the film, as he clings on to the role of Little Victor as the sole part of his identity. Upon first meeting Cody, it becomes clear that this is not the type of main character an audience would be inclined to root for, as the man is—to be frank—a real jerk. 

In the film, the real-life Cody Lightning plays an exaggerated caricature of himself as a middle-aged struggling Indigenous actor trying to relive the glory days of his childhood role. He spends his days teaching acting classes to youth, picking up acting side jobs in gay porn, and spending his earnings at the bar or on drugs.

The first act sets up Cody’s life quite well, establishing him as an absent father and self-centred friend drowning himself in alcohol and drugs as he descends into a downward spiral while the threads of his life start to unravel. It’s during the second act where the film leans heavily on comedy when Cody decides to create a sequel to Smoke Signals titled Smoke Signals 2.

The meta-production of this fan film is immediately a delightfully comedic dumpster fire, with Lightning unafraid to stoop even lower for the sake of a laugh at the expense of his character.

One of my favourite raunchy moments of the film was when Cody and his manager Kate (played by Hannah Cheeseman) woke up after spending most of their film funding on drugs and partying to find Cody buck-naked with fecal matter smeared against the glass door. 

(C’mon. Poop is funny.)

Whereas the first two acts were the comically strongest in setting up Cody’s life and intolerable character, the third act takes an emotional turn as Cody finds himself truly at the bottom of the barrel. After screening his film, which to no surprise ends up insulting and angering the audience, Cody is heckled off stage and a mob of spectators burns a giant prop of his head. 

He loses his girlfriend, kids, and even his best friend Kate, who has always stuck by him despite her own dreams. Finally losing her is what drives Cody to become a better person and, by doing so, creating a better sequel to Smoke Signals.

Overall, I deeply enjoyed this film and appreciate its bold and brazen humour. Even if you haven’t seen Smoke Signals, the film stands well enough on its own that audience members don’t need to rely on prior knowledge to have a good time with this one.

Hey Viktor! may be a little rough around the edges, but it’s got a lot of heart, and is a film I would definitely recommend to those in need of a good laugh.

Hey Viktor! is slated for a theatrical release in spring 2024 and will eventually land on Crave, where Canadian viewers can watch at home.

Bringing Brazil to Toronto: An interview with the writer-director and star of Toll #TIFF23

Carolina Marcowicz shines at TIFF once again. Now in her sixth run in the festival, the up-and-coming Brazilian director premieres her second feature film, Toll. 

By: Mariana Schuetze

In Carolina Markowicz's latest feature film, Toll ('Pedágio'), audiences take a peak into the life of a toll booth worker in Cubatão, an industrial city near São Paulo, Brazil. Suellen (Maeve Jenkins) raises her son, Tiquinho (Kauan Alvarenga), alone and finds herself in a complicated situation as she tries to deal with the fact that her son is gay. 

Both Jenkins and Alvarenga have worked with Markowicz before. Jenkins in her debut feature, Charcoal ('Carvão'), which premiered at TIFF in 2022, and Alvarenga in one of her shorts, The Orphan ('O Órfão') (2018). 

The pair playing mother and son give award-worthy performances in Toll, doing justice to the stories of many in similar situations. Their performances assist in Markowicz's brilliant telling of the story of a mother who loves her son so much and yet doesn't understand his experience. In the film, she goes to previously unthinkable lengths to protect him in the best way she can, even if it hurts him. 

Toll, at times flirting with the absurd and satirical, brings to the big screen the lived experience of many in conservative countries such as Brazil. At one point in the story, and without giving too much away, Tiquinho is sent to conversation therapy. In those scenes, Toll establishes itself as a dramedy, with moments that will make you laugh at just how absurd it is but at the same time may disturb you to the core. 

Markowicz and the entire Toll cast and crew masterfully weave together this beautiful, yet at times, comical story without losing sight of where it's set. Brazil is an incredibly unequal country, and this absurdity is not too far away from reality. CanCulture had the opportunity to interview writer and director Carolina Markowicz and leading star Maeve Jenkins. In the interview, they discuss how the rhetoric of Brazil's last president, Jair Bolsonaro, against the queer community influenced Suellen and Tiquinho's story. 

Our Editor-in-Chief, Mariana Schuetze, is Brazilian and conducted the interview in Brazilian Portuguese and translated it into English for the CanCulture audience. You can read the Portuguese transcription here. 

Mariana Schuetze: And how is it going? This is your second time here at TIFF, right?

Maeve Jenkins: Second time at TIFF, yeah. We had our first time here with Charcoal last year. And now with Toll.

Mariana: How cool. I was thrilled to be able to talk to you. It's really cool to see Brazil out there, putting on a show. You may have already answered this several times, but as a Brazilian, I have to ask: what is it like to be here again, bringing Brazil to Toronto and the world once again?

Carolina Marcowicz: Well, I love it here. I love this festival. This festival is incredible; besides being a festival of great importance, it also has an incredible audience. That it is wonderful, that reacts, that accompanies us. So, the Toronto festival, it's amazing here… in every way. Sometimes it's just in a professional sense, there's the importance of the festival's prestige and things like that. But beyond that, also having this [response] from the people who are watching the film here, it is very incredible. Just yesterday, at the premiere, in the Q&A, there were people asking about Charcoal. They had come to see the film last year! So this is very interesting, the force of the Canadian audience here in Toronto.

I'm here for the sixth time, I've already been here a few times. I love it here, the festival has always supported me a lot. Starting with my second short film, which was shown here. I was doing an interview for TIFF just now, and I said that was the first year they opened for International Shorts, in 2014, which was the year my animated short was shown here. After that year, I had two more short films, Long Distance Relationship (2017) and The Orphan (2018), and then Charcoal and Toll. And I was a part of the Filmmakers' Lab in 2015. So, I've been here a few times, and each time has been very incredible. 

Mariana: That's amazing! I think that for us Brazilians, this interacting audience makes all the difference. It must be really incredible.

Maeve: I feel like the festival has this audience-building thing too. Many years of the festival, and I imagine that the volunteers and the integration of audiovisual students and young directors are forming a generation of cinephiles. And you feel it in the audience, in those who attend the films, in how they respond to film, how they follow the directors, the actors. There is a passion for cinema that you can feel at the festival. It's really cool.

Mariana: What is it like bringing this specific story here? I feel like a lot of times when we talk about queer stories in cinema, most of what we see is North American. So, for me, it's really very special to see and hear these stories in Brazil and in Portuguese. What was it like for you to tell this story? What do you hope people here, in particular, take away from the film? Is it different from what you hope audiences in Brazil will take away from the film?

Carolina: What I would like people to take away from the film converges everywhere. But [in] Brazil, being a more conservative country, I think it's important for people to see this. Perhaps it portrays a more Brazilian reality. But here, in this case, it is supposed to be a window into that reality. Without wanting to spoil anything, but what happens in the [conversion therapy] program may seem absurd, there is this dramatic part of the film, which is, well, bizarre and at times comical and seems surreal. But it is not. In Brazil, it is not. But here, being a much less conservative country, with politicians who speak much less nonsense than we hear there, it might be more absurd. There are two sides to this, showing what happens there [in Brazil], portraying these people and making them see themselves in this satirical criticism that we see in the film. But I think the film's message is one of acceptance and tolerance without romanticization. It's showing who these people are and that they won't change and that everyone will have to live together and understand each other.

Maeve: I think that this degree of approximation of the absurd is different for Brazil and Canada, considering the reality of the countries. Canada has a more progressive tradition in this sense, right? But at the end of the day, I think prejudice exists to different degrees all over the world, including here. Yesterday, at the end of the film, a couple of Canadian psychoanalysts, who looked to be in their 70s, came over very excited to greet us and said: "I have to say that I found the approach and development of these characters super intelligent and realistic." Look, we're talking about a language that flirts with the absurd but he said, "Super intelligent and realistic." The woman, it was a couple, and they were both psychoanalysts, she said: "This mother and this son are constantly in my office." They were very emotional. It was really incredible talking to them.

What I mean by all of this is that, to different degrees, this conflict exists worldwide. Unfortunately, it is worldwide. But in Brazil, it is evident. I'm very excited to show it in Brazil. Well, we filmed Toll during the Bolsonaro government, a guy who said he would rather have a dead son than a gay son, among various other offences and violence. Even today, in Brazil, this conflict is very present. Right now, last week, they are trying to foot a bill to annul same-sex marriage. So, we are still under attack. The super-conservative government was defeated at the polls, but we still live the echo of that ultra-conversational period. This is very alive. So obviously, this makes me very excited to share this story with the audience. And about expectations, I confess that whenever I make a film, I internalize themes, like we're talking about this, this and this. But many layers, this intuition, will only appear; you can only take ownership of it when you watch it collectively. When you discuss the film. When you debate the film. This only happens when the film is born, when it comes into conflict with the audience. And that's completely out of our control and that fascinates me. There are things, layers, that we will only discover by putting the film out into the world.

Kauan Alvarenga plays Tiquinho in Toll, directed by Carolina Marcowicz. (Courtesy of TIFF)

Mariana: And in relation to showing this film to different audiences, what care is needed to make a film like this? Did you take a certain amount of care when creating this film and wanting to show it to a foreign audience? As a Brazilian who lives here, I know the idea that people tend to have about Brazil, so I wanted to know if there is any idea behind the image that your film can give of our country when watched abroad.

Carolina: I think we don't want to stereotype or romanticize. There's a rawness to the film that I think is important to show. The important thing is to show things without exoticizing them. Without making people see this as if it were something from afar, as if there was some judgment here. The people are there, they live there. They live in this city, they have this financial situation. Some better, some worse. They figure things out. They live in a totally unequal society, which is Brazil. And you can't pretend that it isn't, and this generates a thousand other forms of violence. So, I think the important thing is that you treat your characters with respect and without exoticizing them. And without placing yourself in a place above, or in short, on the far side. As if you weren't part of it in that way. It's not about wanting to show it as if it were a case study. There has to be that care. It's a question of respect, a question of principle. It's a question of the film itself.

Maeve: Perfect. I agree with every word of what Carol said. And as an actress, what I try, which is always very risky, is to try to have a genuine interest in those people. In the worst and best of them. But having a genuine interest in understanding that and putting yourself in that place.

Mariana: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. I don't want to keep you much longer. I was really very happy to have talked to you. I absolutely enjoyed the film, and I'm super excited to watch it again tonight in the audience.

Maeve: We'll be there tonight too! There will be a Q&A after the session!

Mariana: Oh! That's cool, I'm even more excited now. I've already invited my friend [John, one of CanCulture's Managing Editor]. I saw the film last night and told him he had to come with me again today to watch the film.

Caroline: Amazing!

Mariana: Well, thank you very much, and I hope you two have a great day!

Maeve: Thank you and see you later!

Carolina: Thank you!

CanCulture had a great time talking to Carolina Marcowicz and Maeve Jenkins about their experiences at TIFF and the creation of Toll. As a Brazilian, I can't wait for the film to come out in theatres so I can show it to my family there. 

The soundtrack of a story: Composing for film and television

Canadian film composer Tom Third speaks to CanCulture about the melodically magical nuances of being a composer 

By: Mariana Schuetze

A movie's soundtrack, whether we're actively looking out for it or subconsciously consuming it as it wallpapers the media, has the power to take us exactly where we should be. Behind almost every musical sound in a scene, there has been a discussion of where the audience should be taken by it. Should we be happy here? Sad? Is there more of the story coming? Building this roadmap and creating the pieces that move us is one of the jobs of a film and television composer. 

Tom Third is an award-winning Canadian composer. Working mostly on documentary and television scores, Third’s most recent works include BLK: An Origin Story and the fourth season of the series Coroner, both of which have earned him positive reviews, nominations and awards.

Third has always been invested in music, but his career didn’t start exactly in film scoring. He studied film and new media at The Ontario College of Art and Design, and after graduating, he was making electronic music. To make ends meet, Third started doing music for television commercials, blazing a path for himself into the industry. He moved on to working on short films and, later, longer features and television series, where he’s been since. 

Behind-the-scenes of composing

The role of a film or television composer is as dynamic as any, but the intricacies of the vocation too often go unventured.  Like any other freelance job in this industry, the work usually starts with a phone call or an email. "First thing you do is, you'll say, 'Yes, I'll do it,' then you hang up the phone, and you panic and go, 'can I really do this?'" said Third.

After that initial moment of panic, the planning and creation starts. Third says he usually has a meeting with the project's director and producers, and other creative heads, where they’ll discuss the idea for the film or show. Almost always, when a composer gets on board, there is something to look at, Third says. The next step in the process is usually watching some of the material together and beginning the idea-generation process.

"We take really specific notes about where the music's gonna go, and what it's gonna sound like. We might talk about the kinds of instruments, but we try and build kind of a roadmap of the whole thing, like a list of all the pieces of music that will be in it, which triggers a whole bunch of stuff, organizationally." 

Part of Third's job as a composer, creating original tracks for movies and television shows, is assembling a team when needed. After those initial meetings and coming up with the plan, Third will think about every piece they need to create and if they need to hire any other musicians to do it. "[We] will break it down and figure out what's going to be shot where and how do we combine things together to maximize our resources."

Third’s work also involves a back-and-forth between him and the project's creative leaders. He says that first, they'll let him go loose and "be really adventurous." That's when he'll try "a whole bunch of things," and starts figuring out what might sound best. Then, they'll put it against the moving pictures and talk about it. 

Although sometimes Third might be brought on earlier to the production, especially for films, composing usually comes in at the end. "It's a middle-to-end-ish kind of thing."

Sometimes it's even the last part of the process. "The actual mix, where they put the sound and the movie together and make it all sound great, that's very close to the last day of the film," Third tells. "When you go see Avatar at Christmas at the movie theatres, they probably did the sound mix two days before that. It's always right up to the deadline."

However stressful this tight deadline may be, there is a reason for it. Sound in movies and television is closely integrated with the picture and much of the dialogue. The timings are really precise, Third says. That’s why they usually have to wait until the end after all the reshoots and re-edits to finally add the magical touch of music and sound. 

The power of music! "Where do we want it to hit?"

Music is essential to tell a story in film and television. It's basically the heart of it, Third says. 

"Music has the magical powers, in my view, of somehow just really tapping into your brainstem and just bringing out all those emotions." 

In the end, Third's job is finely picking out which specific sound will bring out that emotion needed at every seemingly imperceptible point in a scene. 

"When I work on films, I'm given images to work with, not images in real life, but idealized images of what people experience, like the beautiful version of what that first date was like, or the best sunset I've ever seen… Then I think those idealized images, combined with music… and it just ups the ante and really makes [emotions] start to blow up," Third says. 

It's all about the feeling they want to unleash in the audience. And that's what Third's scoring will do in a project and why it's so intricately connected to the storytelling. That's where the discussion with the director and producers come in. "We talk about, like, "We want them to cry on this shot. Hey Tom, make it hit here.' and I'm like, 'Okay, let's try that.'" 

BLK: An Origin Story and Coroner

Working as a composer on an established television series versus a documentary can be slightly different. Third does both. 

For a documentary like BLK, Third says his work is more on the backseat, especially in terms of how the music integrates with the image. In this case, particularly because the production was done during COVID-19, the scheduling was a bit more complicated.  

BLK: An Origin Story is a four-part documentary series that explores untold stories of Black Canadians from the 1600s to the present. Rather than being the star, the soundtrack allows the stories to speak for themselves—and Third's work functions as a frame for the narrative.   

On the other hand, CBC's original series Coroner is a project Third has been involved with for years, so the process runs a bit more smoothly. In dramas like this show, music sometimes takes on a bigger role. 

Coroner is a procedural drama based on the best-selling series of books by M.R. Hall by the same name. The series follows a recently widowed coroner who investigates suspicious deaths in Toronto. In this series, Third's work really helps build the anticipation that comes with a mystery story and adds to the drama of the show. 

Unlike documentaries, where there usually is a lot of exposition, a drama can be conceived with music in mind, and less talking, making it all stand out.  "Sometimes, it feels like it's a little bit more poetic, in the way music can be used," Third says. 

Perks of the job

For both BLK and Coroner, Third earned nominations for this year's Canadian Screen Awards. BLK won all five awards it was nominated for, including Best Original Music, for Third's work. 

"Well, it feels it feels great. It really does. I'm not blase about it," Third says about his nominations and win. "It's a really fun honour. It's your peers. So it really does mean something."

This wasn't Third's first nomination, and he's also served on the jury of some awards too, and that's an exciting part of the job for him. "It's your friends' work, you know, that you're going to put forward. So we really take it seriously. So when you win it, the sense is that two people thought about it. It actually does mean something," he said. 

In fact, working with as many people as he has in this business is one of the reasons why Third keeps doing it. "Aside from all the music part of it, that's one of the best parts about it. And the longer I've done this, it's kind of [become] my favourite part." 

In this business, Third has found that working with compassionate and seasoned artists has been a gratifying experience. The experimenting and the constant challenging moments Third goes through while working on a project are also what keeps him motivated.  

"Why do I keep doing this job? It’s that loving relationship you have with your creative partners, where everybody is very forgiving of everyone else's missteps or experiments that didn't seem to work. And that's one of the things I think that makes it so intimate and so much fun." 

Constantly working with other creatives has another perk for Third: it allows him to grow creatively. "When I'm working on film or television projects, and there's a producer, and there's the network and all these other people involved, they're all pushing me further and further, creatively, like outside of my wheelhouse and into sort of new territory." 

It's always a new challenge, Third says. It makes the job "endlessly exciting." And as far as jobs go, making music for a living is Third’s dream. "You would do it for free, right? It's a passion project. I love to write music, I love playing music. So it's very easy to have a job where you get paid to do that."

And as for the future, Third says there are a bunch of new projects rolling in. Besides a top-secret film, which he can't really talk about, Third is also working on another documentary. "It's this pretty fantastic kind of social justice-style documentary, which is the kind I like to do best."

These jobs are going to keep Third busy well into the summer. And after that, new projects should be coming in as new opportunities for Third to stretch his creative muscles. 

"It's very fun. It's addictive. And every film is so different. Even if they're similar. They're so different. Every relationship is different. And none of the music I've written for any other film can get reused in the films I'm going to do next. Because they just do not fit."

8 Queer rom-coms you should be watching right now

The LGBTQ+ community need some laughs too

By: Angel Agbontaen

(Ish Chopra/CanCulture)

From watching Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona build a slow burning romance in 10 Things I Hate About You to learning about the complexities of human emotions with Tom Hansen and Summer Finn in (500) Days of Summer, romantic comedies have been capturing the hearts of romance lovers everywhere; they provide a heart-warming escape from reality. But it is no secret that romantic comedies have always catered to white, heterosexual audiences, following the predictable formula of a male and female lead falling in love after a series of (not so) comedic misadventures.

In recent years though, the world of cinema has undergone a shift towards more diverse and inclusive storytelling, even within the formulaic universes of romantic comedies. Queer television in the past tackled topics of coming out, being outed and others — which are important stories to tell — but if we’re being real, the queer community needs some laughs and love too.

Gone are the days of you stalking a stranger’s Letterboxd list, because here are a few good queer rom-coms that you should add to your watch list.

The Watermelon Woman (1996)

Written and directed by Cheryl Dunye, this story follows Cheryl, a young, Black lesbian filmmaker and her journey to finding an obscure Black actress from the ‘30s. Further into her research, Cheryl discovers more about herself personally and creatively.

The Watermelon Woman has received critical acclaim for its examination of race, sexuality and representation in mainstream and independent media. The film has played in various film festivals, including the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

Currently, you can't stream The Watermelon Woman in Canada, but the film is available on various archival websites.

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)

But I'm a Cheerleader uses satire, humour and overexaggerated stereotypes to criticize the practice of conversion therapy. Directed by queer filmmaker Jamie Babbit, the 1999 film follows a story of a high school cheerleader, Megan, who gets sent to a conversion camp because her parents suspect she is a lesbian. Megan must learn to come to terms with her sexuality and stand up to her parents. Canadian actor Elliot Page cites the film as one that helped him with his struggles as a young LGBTQ+ person.

You can watch But I'm a Cheerleader on Prime Video.

Saving Face (2004)

Saving Face, directed by Alice Wu and premiered at TIFF in 2004, revolves around a Chinese-American family and how they navigate relationships that go against their cultural expectations. Protagonist Wil Pang and her mother, Joan Chen, must deal with the challenges of their personal relationship with each other and with others around them.

You can rent Saving Face for $4.99 on Youtube.

D.E.B.S. (2004)

D.E.B.S. is an action-comedy driven by its romantic plotline. The movie follows four teenage girls — Amy, Dominique, Max and Janet — who are recruited by a secret government organisation. Exploring the struggle between duty and desire, Amy has to choose between her responsibility as an agent or her new-found romance with the agency’s arch-enemy.

You can rent D.E.B.S. for $4.99 on Youtube.

Fire Island (2022)

In this modern-day adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Joel Kim Booster not only stars in but also writes a compelling story centred around a group of friends who have become a chosen family as they voyage to the vacation spot,  Fire Island. While Fire Island is light-hearted and humourous, this film also tackles thought-provoking themes such as economic status, class, heteronormativity and societal perceptions.

Fire Island is available to watch with a Disney+ subscription.

Punks (2000)

Punks follows the lives of four gay African-American friends living in Hollywood. They navigate love, friendship and romance in a world that frequently marginalizes them. The movie sheds light on a group that is underrepresented in the media, while also celebrating the power of friendship.

Punks is not available for streaming, but you can watch it on various archival websites.

Portrait of a Serial Monogamist (2015)

This heartfelt Canadian film directed by Christina Zeidler and John Mitchel explores the challenges of commitment in modern relationships. Following the story of Elsie and her journey to realisation after a breakup, Portrait of a Serial Monogamist offers viewers the perspective of a woman who has to face her insecurities and fears in order to discover what is best for herself.

You can watch Portrait of a Serial Monogamist on Roku.

Whether you’re seeking a heartwarming coming-of-age or a gripping story exploring the complexities of love, this list has got you covered. With this curated selection, you are now ready to laugh, cry and hang on to the edge of your seat while immersing yourself in some compelling queer stories.

Next in Fashion: What would this U.S. reality TV series look like in Canada?

 Designers create sustainable outfits reflecting various themes to showcase their fashion personalities

By: Aliya Karimjee

 The 12 Next in Fashion cast members and the two hosts, Gigi Hadid and Tan France, are smiling together on this sewing journey (@tanfrance via Instagram.)

This Netflix reality TV show and fashion design competition includes a weekly theme in which contestants use their unique styles in competition to stand out among the crowd.

The two-season show places contestants in head-to-head challenges, from denim wear to Met Gala looks to thrift flips, all to determine which designer will win the competition and be crowned the next up-and-coming creative in the fashion scene.

“We’re not looking for what was yesterday in fashion or what is now in fashion. So pay attention to the title. Fashion moves fast. We’re looking for the next in fashion,” said Gigi Hadid, model, television personality and one of the judges for the show's second season.

Accordingly, the contestant whose designs spark change through sustainability and affordability will win a staggering$200,000 and an opportunity to launch their collection on renttherunway.com.

But as our Canadian programs are often swallowed by our southern neighbour’s creations, it begs the question: What would a Canadian version of Next in Fashion look like? But before we find the fashionistas from the Great White North, it’s important to know the U.S. contestants who are leading the way.

Meet the cast

(@tanfrance via Instagram.)

Alongside Hadid, Tan France, a fashion expert most widely known from another popular Netflix series Queer Eye, co-hosts Next in Fashion.

The show's second season, which premiered on March 3 on Netflix, includes an array of guest judges, such as internet personality Emma Chamberlain, Italian designer Donatella Versace and TV personality Jason Bolden.

Compared to a competition involving designers from all around the world like in the first season, this season focuses more on American-based fashion designers.

Here are the Instagrams of this season’s cast to learn more on their styles: Deontré Hancock, Nigel Xavier, Bao Tranchi, Courtney Smith, Godoy, Amari Carter, Qaysean Williams, Usama Ishtay, Desyrée Nicole, James Ford, Eliana Batsakis and Megan O’Cain.

Among this season’s designers, their fashion features streetwear, high-fashion, drag styles and overall empowering and inclusive wear.

The designers express they sew to help society feel comfortable in clothing, whether culturally, physically or emotionally.

What would a Canadian version look like?

Now that we know how the show works and who the cast is, what would a Canadian version of the show be like?

First of all, this show cannot survive without its entertaining hosts. This is why the best Canadian equivalents of France and Hadid would be Brad Goreski, a fashion stylist based out of Port Perry, Ont., co-host for Fashion Police and a regular judge on Canada’s Drag Race. As for a co-host, Montréal-based fashion-model Kim Cloutier would offer an inside perspective through a modelling background akin to that of Hadid’s. These two fashion icons basically have the same job descriptions and personalities as the Next in Fashion hosts, making them the best choices.

TikTok fashion designer and influencer Lexson Millington from Toronto would also be a fantastic addition as a guest judge.

As for Canadian designers, the country has no shortage of talent to showcase.

For street-wear, Toronto-based designer Mr. Saturday and Montréal-based Brandon Svarc, founder of Naked & Famous, would take to the stage. With a focus on denim, they would create the perfect opportunity to show off the Canadian tuxedo.

Linda Muir, a costume designer from Toronto, would be a good Canadian counterpart to Tranchi. Eliza Faulkner, a Montréal-based fashion designer, emphasizes plus-size wear and Evan Clayton, a past Canada’s Drag Race designer, could use his fashion sense to encompass everything drag fashion.

Highlighting feminine wear is also a significant aspect of the competition, and Isarella Kobla from Toronto would be the perfect designer to exemplify that. Charles Lu, a Next in Fashion Season 1 contestant with a passion for high-end fashion, went through numerous challenges in the last season while working with a partner. He says he aims to help everyone feel comfortable in their own skin. Toronto Metropolitan University alumnus Sunny Fong also creates womenswear and would be an admirable choice for a designer. 

Like season two designer Desyrée Nicole, Toronto-based designer Andrew Coimbra creates adventurous designs that embrace gender fluidity while making room for both masculine and feminine expressions. Also from Toronto, designer Alexander Kershaw plays with gender-fluid clothing that caters to all people.

Finally, the Canadian counterpart of Batsakis could be Hamilton-based designer Hayley Elsaesser for her bold colours and eye-catching designs. Winnipeg designer Stephanie Smith’s Made By Josephine also values unique patterns and colours, making her the perfect fit for Season 1 Megan O’Cain’s designer personality.

Who would you cast in this Canadian version of Next in Fashion?

What’s next?

The public can check out the winner’s collection on renttherunway.com and admire the designs.

Hopefully, there will be a third season. However, there’s no confirmation yet.