About Madonna: “She’s a dear old friend, so seeing her at the Evita (1996) premiere was a high point. She never looked more beautiful, glamorous and happy” (In Style magazine, Sept/2006).
My mom had me at 16, and took me every place she went. I remember going on peace marches. She tried to take me to Woodstock–it was pouring rain. It was on my birthday, and I was crying so much in the car they turned the car around and dumped me at my grandmother’s house…I had a little attitude.
Even my failures make money and become classics a year after I make them.
Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.
Blondes make the best victims. They’re like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints.
I don’t understand why we have to experiment with film. I think everything should be done on paper. A musician has to do it, a composer. He puts a lot of dots down and beautiful music comes out. And I think that students should be taught to visualize. That’s the one thing missing in all this. The one thing that the student has got to do is to learn that there is a rectangle up there – a white rectangle in a theater – and it has to be filled.
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!
