Fertile Ground: Reframing Genre | FOUNDATIONS | TIFF 2018
406 views · Published 10 September 2018 · 1:04:56 · Indexed 23 September 2026
Channel: TIFF Talks · 2018 · Film & Animation
Genre filmmaking has been a space for social commentary since the 1960s. Horror, westerns, and science fiction can be fertile ground for activism, but in a contemporary context, how can genre films be used to centre marginalized voices, break through social barriers, and challenge stereotypes? We explore what’s possible from the script stage through to distribution and give genre film the credit it deserves for breaking barriers while also breaking box-office expectations. Guest Jeff Barnaby Jeff Barnaby was born on a Mig’maq reserve in Listuguj, Quebec. His filmmaking paints a stark and scathing portrait of post–colonial aboriginal life and culture. After writing and directing 3 award winning short films, he made his debut feature film, the cult hit Rhymes for Young Ghouls. His second feature film, Blood Quantum, is currently in production. Guest Peter Kuplowsky Peter Kuplowsky is a film curator, content producer, writer, and hat enthusiast based in Toronto. Since 2005, he has established a career championing genre cinema and outsider art both as the co-host of the Laser Blast Film Society — a monthly film series celebrating eccentric film — and as a programmer at various international film festivals, including Toronto After Dark, Fantastic Fest, and the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness programme. Kuplowsky is also a producer, whose credits include Manborg (11), the segment “Z is for Zygote” from the anthology film The ABCs of Death: Part 2 (14), The Interior (15), The Void (16), and Your Mother and I (16). Guest Emma Tammi Emma Tammi was born in New York City and studied at Wesleyan University. She is known for codirecting the feature Fair Chase (14). The Wind (18) is her solo directorial debut. Guest Funa Maduka Funa Maduka is a creative and acquisitions executive with Netflix Original Films, where she works with the world's top global and emerging filmmakers. Her film acquisitions brought Netflix its first film nominations at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards. Previously, she held positions at Participant Media, McKinsey & Company, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Obama for America, the Clinton Global Initiative, and Goldman Sachs. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is an awarded filmmaker, credited with producing and directing the first Nigerian film to have its world premiere at Sundance. She is active in girls’ education advocacy and water-access initiatives. Guest Kate Hagen Kate Hagen is a writer living in Los Angeles. She's been the Director of Community at The Black List since 2014, where she created an annual series on feminist horror. She's also written for Lenny Letter, FiveThirtyEight, TCM, and Seed&Spark.
