Filmmaker Statement

In making my first narrative short film, I wanted to create a collective work that involved friends and emerging artists within my community. I didn't know what that idea would become until one night inspired a palpable feeling of anxiety amidst a basement punk show that had me imagining it as a film. With a team of over 45 people involved, we shot it during the COVID-19 pandemic, loosely based on that evening in the same home where the same band played in 2020. Centred on a collective anxiety that is shared between the eleven character ensemble, they are confronted with a basement punk show, HUGH MAN. Comprised of emerging talent and professionals, this production was made possible with the support of Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council.