Celebrating Halloween and My Latest Project: Charles TM Charles

A Spooky Season Reflection

Hello! Happy spooky season! Like many genre lovers, I'm very hyped for Halloween. I love seeing people wear costumes. As someone who isn't crafty, I'm always blown away by what people come up with. It's a nice way to mentally prepare for the dread of winter. But let's rewind, as so much has happened in my not-too-distant past.

Exciting News: Charles TM Charles

We'll start with the most exciting news. Charles TM Charles, my latest project, had its official debut on Bell Fibe TV1 on September 11! YOU CAN GO WATCH IT NOW! LOOK, ISN'T IT PRETTY? MY PRECIOUS!

Don't have Bell TV1? That's unfortunate. I mean... please wait and see. Please.

Leading up to the release, Bell generously allowed us to premiere the first four episodes at the historic Westdale Theater in Hamilton. This was a magical night. We got to hear an audience respond in real-time, and it meant the show was finally complete! I was humbled by the support and turnout we had that night. We reconnected with lots of our amazing cast and crew, and friends and family came out more than they ever have.

If you've ever made a movie, you know that during post-production, you see your film about 3000 times. It can become a bit of a slog. That's why, as filmmakers, it is so rewarding to watch it with an audience. You get to see it through fresh eyes. Stephen and I stood in the back, listening for every shift and giggle. My soul soared as laughter echoed through the building. Many cast and crew members attended, and I'm so glad we could be together when they saw their efforts on screen for the first time. As writers, it was educational and rewarding to see which jokes landed. I'm so grateful that we were able to screen it live. People seemed to genuinely love it and were eager to see the other four episodes.

The Journey Continues

So the show has been delivered, but the work continues with promoting it and planning for the next stage. It's been a huge learning process, and I'm so happy I had this opportunity. I have my fingers crossed for another season because there is a lot more story we have to tell.

TIFF 50

Of course, in September, I also attended TIFF 50. This year, instead of doing the TIFF conference, I went to Access Canada. Naturally, I also watched a bunch of movies. I know many people don't have time to see films during TIFF, but as I mentioned earlier, I love watching films with audiences. So, I always see as many as I can fit in. However, trying to get tickets was rough this year. I'm used to rushing screenings with my conference pass, so I don't know if they were more expensive than in previous years, but they felt super expensive. As a type A person, the stress of rushing didn't jive with me very well, so I enjoyed this year a lot more as a regular attendee.

I was quite happy with the films I saw this year. Here are some quick impressions:

• OKA - Visually stunning and very poetic. The three storylines didn't quite land for me, but I loved this movie all the same. It was strange and had some memorable lines. It leaves you thinking. I would recommend seeing it.

• Obsession - Quite impressive for a young director. The acting felt a bit over the top (maybe that's what they wanted). The story had some good turns. I liked the concept but would've probably established the female lead more before the chaos. Great for the Halloween season.

• Adulthood - A fun watch but nothing too memorable. Strong performances.

• Normal - The Midnight Madness screening had the best energy ever. Very funny with great action sequences. I liked the Fargo vibes. Lots of good stuff. Henry Winkler was amazing as always. Great for autumn viewing.

• Ballad of A Small Player - The score is what sticks with me the most. One of the most entertaining and visually compelling films I've seen come out of Hollywood lately. The cinematography, production design, and locations were incredible. I appreciated the classic screenplay structure; the film had a strong final test moment. The greed aspect was well represented on screen. Many critics didn't like this one because it felt lacking in emotional impact, but I'd still see it in theaters.

• Marama - This was one of the best debut features I've seen at TIFF. The filmmaker explored a deep human and personal issue within a gothic horror framework. I liked the build-up of dread, and the final reveal was satisfyingly disturbing. The casting worked really well. I'm always interested to see how male filmmakers handle female protagonists, and honestly, this one held up super well. I'd watch it again.

• Two Pianos - This was part of my gala package, and I wouldn't have chosen it for myself. This is probably sacrilegious to say, but I'm not a big fan of jump cuts and melodrama, and this film had both. However, the story held my interest, and I had some empathy for the characters. I don't see many films with young men being mentored by older women, so that felt fresh.

• Whitetail - This is the type of film I've seen most commonly over the years at TIFF, but they're not really to my taste. It's sort of a slice-of-life movie, and not much happens externally beyond the initial incident. It doesn't follow a classic story structure where momentum builds, making it hard to know when it's going to end. It has some nice camera work and acting, but it wasn't for me.

  
  
  
  

Networking and Learning

So yes, now you know what I think of movies. Of course, I networked and attended a bunch of conference sessions at Access Canada. I participated in roundtables and even had three 15-minute pitches. I prepared like crazy for these and found them valuable yet super nerve-wracking. It's funny to me that writers have to present their ideas verbally. This is such a different skill set that I've certainly had to work on. But I think I did okay, considering this was my first time doing this type of pitching. In the conference sessions, I picked up some great tidbits, and I'd probably go to Access Canada again. Overall, TIFF was a week of beautiful weather and meeting lots of lovely people.

Current Projects and Future Aspirations

Alright, reader, if you're still along for the ride, let's head back to the present day. The writing and directing continue. I'm still waiting to hear from Telefilm regarding my Talent to Watch application, but based on my record, I don't expect good news. I applied to so many things this year and got into none of them. I'm doing one more application just to suffer a bit more. But honestly, the 'no's roll off me like water off a duck's back at this point. I just keep going, doing my thing, and seeing where it takes me.

Currently, I'm rewriting a feature and falling in love with writing again. I haven't had much time to write this year with Charles in post-production and other producing tasks, so I'm really enjoying getting back in touch with this part of my brain. I'm also very excited to be starting a filmmaking collective with two people I really vibe with. We're planning to take on the ambitious task of making one film a month. However, we're keeping it very small and loose, using this as a way to build our skills. This is something I've wanted to do since film school, but I've only recently met the right people to make it happen. Let's go!

Well, I could keep blabbing, but I'll stop because I'm honestly just updating myself at this point. Thanks for catching up with me (if you are reading this), and I hope you have a lovely spooky season. Let me know what you're watching, if you love Halloween, or anything else you want to chat about. Until next time...

-Jess