When I go to work I don’t discriminate it as a comic-book movie. It’s full-on commitment. That’s all you can do. (…) Comic-book movies are mythology in a way, and there are a lot more parallels in them with what’s going on in the real world than people want to discuss…[2016]
[on the struggle to get The Apprentice (2024) released] Everything with this film has been one day at a time. There are a lot of people who love reading the Wikipedia page and throwing out their opinions. But they don’t actually know what they’re talking about. That’s a popular sport now online, apparently.
[2025] Costumes and a character’s wardrobe, or how they dress, really tells a story, and it tells a lot about that particular character, about the person. So I take the wardrobe very seriously.
INSIDE ALONE, 4min. Iran Directed by Hossein Moradizadeh Inside alone there is nothing. A black hole that smashes everything inside. Sometimes it’s a light star. Sometimes illusion and sometimes imagination. Such a world was created.
ONE GIANT WADDLE, 8min., USA Directed by Kevin Jones A group of penguins watching the moon landing gets jealous of the astronauts’ constant bragging about taking giant steps. While the penguins watching are stuck on Earth, with gravity keeping their steps so tiny that their walking style is mockingly referred to as waddling.
IF I WERE A PONY, 4min., USA Directed by Leonard Eckhaus If I Were a Pony by Leonard Eckhaus is the story of a boy and his pony told from the Pony’s perspective. The pony and the boy share many adventures. They ride across streams; they ride with friends and sometimes they just enjoy each other’s company.
VIPER PRODUCTS, 2min., Canada Directed by David Creighton
Tornado: War of the world, 15min., Iran Directed by Majid Frazolanhi An alien race attacks another planet and after destroying it, attacks Earth with its spaceships. One of the ships destroys cities using a large tornado. In another place, the ships destroy buildings with lasers. The armies of countries fight against the aliens. While a gate opens and many spaceships attack Earth. Godzilla enters and calls on the superheroes of Earth.
Eureka!, 15min., Canada Directed by David Creighton In this animated micro-short, a conspiracy nut finally grasps the truth.
CANADA UNPLUGGED:( Part 1) The Perfect Storm, 56min., Canada Directed by Sangita Iyer A bold, eye-opening documentary from Mettle Films, directed by award winning filmmaker Sangita Iyer, explores diverse Canadian voices discussing the impact of mass immigration in Canada. In this two-part series, we hear real concerns, lived experiences, and urgent questions about Canada’s immigration system, cultural cohesion, housing crisis, and economic pressures.
Submit your FEMALE short story to the festival here, and we will automatically have it performed by a professional actor and turned into a promotional video.
Get FULL FEEDBACK on either the 1st chapter or entire novel book from our committee of Professional Writers, and Writing Consultants. Get your novel performed by a professional actor at the festival.
NEW OPTION: Or, just submit for an actor performance reading transcript of your novel (any 5 pages of your book). Great way to promote the sales of your book if you’re already published. (see examples on the video playlist below)
This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.) 1) Full Feedback on your script 2) Actors performance video reading of your script 3) Blog interview promotion. 4) Podcast interview on the Film Festival ITunes show.
Great festival! They go above and beyond to give your film the attention it deserves. Super helpful, and the feedback video is an amazing touch!
“I am deeply honored that my film Santa Fe & Esmeralda – Crossroads has been officially selected for the Toronto LGBTQ+ Film Festival. The entire experience has been nothing short of exceptional. Their incredibly fast response to all my questions reflects the professionalism of the festival. I am also highly impressed by their commitment to providing full feedback from industry professionals to every entry, which is a fantastic way to further promote and support filmmakers’ work. Thank you for this incredible opportunity!”
I am thrilled to share my experience with the LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival. The professionalism and communication from the festival team have been outstanding. From the submission process to the announcement of our win, they have been incredibly supportive and responsive. Their dedication to celebrating and showcasing diverse voices in film is truly commendable. It has been an honor to be part of such a well-organized and passionate festival. Highly recommend!
I’ve always wanted to work with dogs, so in high school, I worked at the Humane Society for a little while. I honestly think, even today, that would be the other career I would go into. Somehow I would be involved with animals.
I grew up in Kentucky, so we do not have a pro team. My family was split between the Cubs and the Reds. I would say I go Cubs usually. That’s sort of where I grew up. My older brother was a huge Reds fan.
Rice cakes and peanut butter is my favorite snack in the whole wide world.
“Everybody thinks people who promote PETA don’t eat meat, but I think animals were made to be eaten. I take my part in the food chain very seriously. I eat meat, the rarer the better. I just don’t think animals should be slaughtered for their fur.” (Stuff Magazine, Feb. 2007)
People have asked me if I consider any animal on Earth equal to, or greater than, human beings in terms of intelligence. On some counts, I believe animals are actually smarter than humans. Let’s put it this way – how many animals have you seen drink booze, smoke, gamble, or take drugs?
[2012 interview, on Lolita (1997)] I revere the novel, I’ve read it six times. Whenever there were scenes in the film, I would refer immediately back to the book for more information. One thing I wrote to Adrian Lyne on my audition tape that I initially sent, is that Lolita didn’t have a point of view, she was third person. I told him I know who she is, and I can give her a point of view. That’s all I wrote, and that’s what I felt. When you’re a kid, you have balls of steel.
When I was really small, my mother had difficulty keeping me dressed, as I liked to be naked! I definitely had very strong ideas on what I wanted to wear. My favourite look was always Action Man and Spiderman. Now though, I really like beautiful clothes.
Women are what completely inspire me, and they have also been my downfall. I have only been hurt by women, my mother first of all. The thing is, if I ever found a guy I could fall in love with, I’d want to marry him and have his children. And that scares me to death because I think I’m a whole bunch of crazy, and I always worry that a guy will walk away once he really, truly knows me.
[on depression, which she says runs in and out of her life, as does a tendency toward the self-destructive] It’s like, if anything is good for too long, I prefer to ruin it.
It took me a long time to accept the idea, until I first fell in love with a girl at 20 and recognized that I had to accept it. But I have erotic dreams only about men. I had one two nights ago where I went up to a guy in the back of a VW minivan, with a bunch of his friends around him, and pretty much jumped him.
