FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT: Ontario Arts Council backs my new short film

I am proud to announce that my newest short film, Heavy Petting, has been partially funded by the Ontario Arts Council. This is a major milestone in my artistic career— it is the first time any of my work has received government support. And, the first time since Choch (2011) that I have not fully self-financed one of my personal narrative films.

As a person often filled with a lot of doubt about the value of my ideas, it is so affirming to have my project validated by a jury of other artists. I look forward to living up to the potential demonstrated in my application, and the trust placed in me by the OAC.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my peers Michael Hanley and Jason Karman who guided me with the knowledge they accrued during their own successful applications. And, to all the amazing collaborators— Andrew Lau, James Tracey, P.H. Bergeron, Neil Haverty, Chris Reineck, and many others— that I’ve been working with recently, who have elevated my practise to the place where I could be considered seriously for such a grant.

I’ll have more to say about Heavy Petting as we approach pre-production, but for now I’ll just mention that this is the richest and most confounding short film I’ve ever imagined. It is an ode to the peculiar nature of imagined loneliness, an eccentric skewering of hookup culture, and an eerie contemplation on the horrors of true isolation, all at once. It is a story focused on two characters who seem initially to be sharing a symbiotic longing for companionship, but who upon closer examination are experiencing something separate and gravely dissimilar. It’s a little bit kinky, and a little bit macabre.

I am so excited to work with a slightly longer leash, for my artistic practise to not drive me into debt, and to be able to financially compensate some of my collaborators for their remarkable contributions. Thank you so much OAC!

Pre-production will begin shortly, and I intend to go to camera sometime this summer. For updates, be sure to join my email list.