Canadian filmmakers think about an evolving industry, a changing audience

Filmmakers have always needed to adapt to a changing landscape.

Perhaps that's truer now than ever—from rapidly evolving technology to a lingering pandemic that has changed the way we consume movies.

On Canada's National Film Day, CityNews spoke with three filmmakers about how the industry has changed for them.

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Sean Garrity

Filmmaker Sean Garrity, whose films include The End of Sex and My Awkward Sexual Adventure.

“Every time I've made a movie, the technology has changed and the way it's produced has changed, and the stories people want to see are always changing,” Garrity said.

The Winnipeg director says theatergoers have changed significantly in recent years.

“The pandemic, I think, has uprooted the whole people,” he said. “They had to stay home and watch movies for two years and most of them never came back.

“As new generations come in who are used to seeing things through their phones or watches, we're asking ourselves, 'How do we change what we do and tell our story in different shapes and sizes to achieve that?' audience?”

Garrity believes there is another barrier to filmmaking in Canada: “Canadians…we don't really watch our movies.”

“Sometimes it's a bit of a trick to make your film so that the story and characters entice the audience before you show your hand and establish yourself as a Canadian film,” he added.

According to him, although Canadian films are very popular abroad, many Canadians are against our own films.

“I hope Canadian Film Day is a little celebration that puts us on the radar for some people, that would be great,” he said.

Garrity's newest film, Burning June, hits theaters in May.

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Kevin Sethi

Emerging filmmaker Kevin Setty, whose documentaries include the four-part Lake Winnipeg Project series, says he sees a new hunger for stories from new voices.

“We're starting to see a lot of Indigenous-led productions, stories run by people from the communities they're talking about,” Setty said. “It's the most important thing for our people, I think, that we tell our story.

“There's so much untapped potential … we're starting to see a lot of amazing, Indigenous storytellers in our communities.”

The Lake Winnipeg Project focuses on stories of ingenuity and resilience among Anishinaabe, Cree and Metis communities on Matheson Island, Poplar River First Nation, Fisher River Cree Nation and Camp Morningstar.

“I think there's a lot of potential for new stories and different kinds of stories through our communities, and I think we can teach a lot of different things to a lot of people from all over the world,” he said.

Sethi is working on a new documentary about cancer conservation that will document the Elders and Keepers of Knowledge and how they impact.

“They have 80 years of experience on the ground and their background is mostly science,” he said.

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Stephanie C

Actress and filmmaker Stephanie C., who is gearing up for the second season of Arnold Schwarzenegger's new series Fubar, says the industry has been slow to change for her.

“As we progress, we seem to go back and forth sometimes,” Xi said. “I know that change is slow and that change has to be slow in order for it to be sustainable and healthy. But I feel like the priorities are sometimes not at the root of the problems and a lot of band-aid solutions take place and there's a lot of face-fixing, panic-solving.

“I think it's something where we still have a lot of room for change and growth.”

Xi believes the biggest change in the industry is “recognizing that we need to change.”

Looking ahead five years from now, Xi looks forward to working with people she loves who are serious about creating a healthy work environment.

“I've always wanted to be in a position where I could choose what I wanted to do, be able to do good projects with good writing and play fulfilling roles,” he explained. “So those are my big dreams and always working with people that I love and care about and have the same vision for a healthy environment.”

Her self-directed short film Knots is about a lonely Filipino daycare worker who meets a younger version of herself and the two share a common theme.

Besides “Fubar”, Xi is currently working on “Love” with Ke Hui Quan.

National Canadian Film Day There are events and screenings in Canada and internationally.