May 9, 2025 • 45 mins
In this episode, ArtsAbly is in conversation with Emily Schooley, an award-winning actor and filmmaker, the founder of Laughing Cat Productions, based in Toronto.
During the interview, Emily Schooley mentions a certain number of resources that are listed on ArtsAbly’s website, in the Blog section. Access Emily Schooley’s resources
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
♪ Opening theme music ♪
Hello, and welcome to this episodeof ArtsAbly in Conversation.
My name is Diane Kolin.
This series presents artists,academics, and project leaders
(00:22):
who dedicate their time and energyto a better accessibility
for people with disabilities in the arts.
You can find more of theseconversations on our website, artsably.com,
which is spelled A-R-T-S-A-B-L-Y dot com.
♪ Theme music ♪
(00:53):
Today, ArtsAbly is in conversation
with Emily Schooley, an award-winning actor
and filmmaker and the founder ofLaughing Cat Productions, based in Toronto.
You can find the resources mentionedby Emily Schooley during this episode
on ArtsAbly's website in the blog section.
♪ Tense music played by strings ♪
(01:15):
Think of how many people love you.
Think of how many hearts you'regoing to break if you go
through with this right now.Look at how many people care about you.
Look at how many people thinkthat you are going overseas for work.
Think of how many people thinkthat you are off to something better.
I am.
You're what?
(01:35):
♪ Tense music continues until it fades. ♪
♪ TV Generic music with guitar and drum ♪
Welcome back to Broadstrokes,
your local arts program for the tri-state area.
If you're just joining us now,I'm here in the studio with Kris Preston,
the frontman for the American punk band,The Flareups, joined via Zoom.
(02:01):
They just released their third album,Pharmaceutical Cocktail,
and started their national tour.
Kris, it's a pleasureto have you here with us.
Likewise, Bill.
Could you tell our viewersa little bit about your band?
Yeah.So we are a Cripple Punk band.
And yeah, I know some audience membersmight cringe at the use of that particular
(02:22):
C-word, but it is a specific movement.
Cripple Punk is all about refusingto conform to able-bodied standards.
So what's next on the horizonfor the Flare-ups?
Well, once we recover from this tour,whenever that'll be,
we're going to get back in the studioand record our next album.
Right now, the working title is Not Covered By Insurance,
(02:45):
and we've got a bunch of greatdisability-related cover tracks.
We've got Shiny Flappy People, Can't Stopthe Peeing, Pills, Pills, Pills.
There's a lot that we'reexcited to go in and record.
You feel like this willsell a lot of copies?
Well, we would love to make a lotof money, but Uncle Sam capped our savings
(03:05):
at $2,000,which is not enough to live in today's day
and age, especially when we arethe only ones looking after each other.
Look, before the interview,I thought we agreed that
you weren't going to get political here.
Yeah, news flash for you, buddy.
When you're disabled,everything is political.
That $2,000 cap means that we are livingin poverty, especially
(03:26):
with all the rapid inflation.
Oh, and then there's the pharmaceuticalcompanies which keep jacking up the price
of the medication that weliterally need to survive.
Not to mention the political parties,where the one side has a major disdain
for any minority, to say the least,and the other side,
they just shrug and do nothing.
So yeah, there is a lot to be angry about,and that is the whole point, you f###
(03:48):
♪ Beep sound ♪
Welcome to this new episodeof ArtsAbly in Conversation.
Today, I am with Emily Schooley,who is an award-winning actor
and filmmaker, and also the founder ofLaughing Cat Productions,
which is based in Toronto.Welcome, Emily.
(04:09):
Thank you.And thank you for having me, Diane.
So you are right now in Toronto,but you didn't grow up in Toronto, right?
That's correct.
I grew up in the Niagara region,which is about 2 hours just
a little bit south of Toronto on Lake Erie.
And then from there,I end up going to university.
I went to the University of Waterloo.
(04:30):
So I've moved around the Southwesternend of our province a fair bit.
But since then, I've beenin Toronto officially since 2010.
And I work here,and then I also tend to travel and work
regionally and internationally as well.
Based in Toronto now,but I think of myself as somebody who is
(04:53):
both very globally inspired, and I lovetraveling outside
of the city to work as well.
But you attended a school for the artsover the Niagara region?
or what happens to your firstartistic practices
that led you to where you are today?
(05:14):
So for me, it's interesting becausemy journey as a creative artist has really
evolved over the years, where Ioriginally went to university thinking,
Okay, well, I'm going to I'm specificallytrain as an actor for theater.
And that's what I wentinto university doing.
I did a lot of drama and theaterwhen I was in high school as well.
(05:35):
So that's really what led meto want to be a performer.
But from there, what happened was after Ihad shortly graduated university,
I ended up getting a lot of auditionsfor film rather than for theater stuff.
So I immediately went, okay, well,I've trained as a theater actor,
but now I'm going to try out film.
(05:57):
And then from there, what happened was oneof the first directors who cast me
in a film project,he and I ended up working quite
closely together for a number of years.
So through him,I got my feet wet with producing,
directing, writing, allof that at a more indie level.
So it ended up that with one of the projects
(06:19):
that I worked on with him, I started as,"just the lead actor,"
and I went from that to helping co-writethe series, helping production manage,
as you do with indie arts, and thenhelping direct as well, because I also...
One of my side hobbiesis still photography.
So I have a bit of an eye as well when itcomes to cinematography,
(06:42):
setting up the shot, what am I looking for?
And then as well asa director being able to work with other
actors and helping them reach an emotionalplace, helping them
choreograph or the story that we wantto tell when we're working on a project.
So I went into that project that I was working on
with the director who had hired me,going, okay, well,
(07:04):
I'm mostly just an actor.And I came out of that one.
We had actually produced a half an hourseries with a double length pilot.
So it was about 13 episodes total.
And through that, that was really my bootcamp in terms of learning
the behind the camera skills.
And then since then in my career,I've done a lot of both,
sometimes at the same time,but any time I get to be just an actor
(07:26):
these days, it feels like a vacation.
So yeah, I still perform, I still direct.
Those are my two favorite things to do.
But I also produce my own work, which is what led me to founding laughing Cat Productions.
When did you found this company?
So I produce smaller work, casually,off and on for years under the name,
(07:50):
but we ended up incorporatingofficially at the end of 2020.
Before that, you did a lot of acting andyou were recognized internationally, too.
You were saying you weredoing both at the same time.
What's the feeling between both?
(08:12):
You say when you are an actor,it feels more like a holiday today than...
[Laughs.]
Than producing, which I understand.
But can you explain to us what are both
sides of your your position, basically?
Yeah, absolutely. So for me, I'm somebody with ADHD, which I didn't know for years.
(08:35):
I always thought I was just a slightlyquieter than some of the other theater
kids' theater kid,Because anybody
who comes from that performing space,we're all a little bit chaotic.
We're all a little bitlike, energy, go, go, go.
And for me, for years, it's always like,Oh, I can do one more thing.
I can learn this other skill.I can do this other thing.
(08:55):
And a lot of that fedinto my acting practice.
But what I've ended up doing isthat because I like to challenge myself,
sometimes on my own projects, I was like,Okay, well, I'm both the lead
actor and the director.
And then just with the way that film tendsto work, unless you have millions
of dollars, you'rewearing a lot of hats yourself.
(09:18):
So I've also like,I've learned to produce as well.
And then that's actually what Idid on a few of my short films.
But for me,I think for me, too, part of it was always
trying to find a ceiling and what Icould actually successfully accomplish.
And then I finally hit that pointlast year, the year before, where I went,
(09:39):
okay, well, I'm only one person.
I can accomplishone substantial project at a time where
I'm doing these things,and that's about it.
I can't do multiple projects.
I can't be working at a seven-figurebudget level if it's just me.
So I hit a point where I foundthe ceiling layer where I'm like, Okay,
well, if I'm producing and directing,sometimes maybe acting,
(10:04):
I can do this much.
So it was nice to find being like, Okay,well, now that I know that, now I can
specialize down a little bit more again.
And then so I've always relied onthat neuro-spiciness,
that ADHD to be like, okay,I can do this and this and this.
And then it all blends togetherin my mind, where
(10:27):
I always say, I feel like I'm a littlemushroom, where you see a little mushroom
above the soil, and that'sthe part that you see.
But the part that you don't see isthe mycelial network underneath, where
it's so interconnected to everything.
To me, that's very much how I've alwaysdrawn on creativity and how I build
my creative work,where everything is that yes and.
(10:50):
But knowing what I can do successfully,for me now, it's nice to take a I step
back and go, Okay, well,I just want to act in this project,
so I'm going to audition for somebodyelse's piece,
and then collaborate with them,or be like, Okay, well,
I'm going to produce and direct thisproject, but I'm not going
to act on this one this time.
And then that's being ableto take a hat off in a way.
(11:12):
But for me, I foundstarting with my training as an actor,
it really fed into the other disciplinesbecause I could go, Okay, well,
I know what works for me to get meemotional emotionally present or deeper
into a scene or being able toachieve a genuine reaction
on camera, things like that.
So that's fed into my directing.
(11:34):
And then I would say as well,probably a lot of it is anxiety,
where I'm like, I like to know what'sgoing on and have things organized.
And on some indie productions,that's not always the way it goes.
So I think that'show I learned to produce for better or
worse was my anxiety just wantedeverything to be organized.
But I've also realized, too,it's in the world film,
(11:56):
I'm really good at beinga creative or logistical producer.
But for me, the business skills are notreally my favorite thing,
to be doing a lot of paperwork orbeing trying to find the funding.
So one of the things I'm working on rightnow is because we've already raised
substantial funding for a coupleof Laughing Cat Productions projects,
(12:17):
is looking for another producer to bringon board to help finally share
that workload so that our projects cancontinue to grow and be successful.
As a producer, the nice thing is that youcan choose your subjects and choose
the scripts and choose the scenarios,whatever, the authors.
How do you choose the productions you want to bring life?
(12:42):
Bring to life, sorry.
It's okay.
So for me, the way I choose thingsto bring to life is that
I'm very personally passionate aboutcreating queer woman-led media, specifically.
And we have quite a gap in that market where
we're finally getting shows likeYellowjackets or films like Backspot,
(13:05):
where there's justnormalized queer women-led stories.
But when you look at what's out therefor men, gay men, straight men, whatever,
they outnumber what's out there for women,two to one, three to one, five to one.
So for me, it's always like,is there an underheard or underrepresented
(13:26):
woman's voice in the story?
That's one of the bigdraws for me as well.
And then also, isthere something in here that provokes
social change or more inclusive thought orbringing to life,
bringing to screen somebody's life who wedon't really hear or see a lot of stories
from somebody from that demographic.
(13:50):
So for example, it's like we do get the occasional
large scale feature film done by a really big noname, where it'll touch on something like
poverty or disability oreven fat phobia, things like that.
But a lot of those films tend to beproduced from more privileged voices.
(14:10):
So for me, as someone who grew up workingclass, as someone who grew up
in a mid-sized body,especially in the '90s and 2000s,
where people wanted you to be super slim,I also experienced a lot of exclusion
in the film industry justbecause I was not not
essentially what they were looking for.
So for me,I'm now drawn to tell those stories,
(14:31):
the stories that we don't hear, the peoplewe still don't see enough of on screen.
So that's really what I look for,where it's like, who is this character?
How are they different frommainstream media out there?
How is the story different?How does this better society?
Because the other thing I look for aswell, where it's like we have a lot of
(14:53):
what I'm going to call content showing,where a lot of stuff is getting made.
People will watch something on streaming,but they won't remember
that series six months later.
It's like I like to make things thatget into people and hook them,
stick with them, where they'll come back and think about the film in a year from now.
It'll go, and go, Oh,I am seeing this play out in society.
(15:13):
Funnily enough, Emily was right.
Things like that.
Sometimes even a shorter film,I saw one of your movies called
Crip Metal Interview,and this one was really awesome.
In that movie, there is the typicalreaction, or in that short film,
(15:34):
there's a typical reactionof the interviewer that says,
Oh, I thought we would agreethat we won't talk about politics.
And your character says,Everything in disability is political,
so how can I not talk about it?Yeah.
Yeah.
So Crip Metal Interview.
So that was a sketch done with Sick Bae,which is a disability-focused
(15:56):
sketch troupe that I work with.
The people that benefit from the silenceof those being oppressed are the ones
that will try to keepperpetuating that silence or
try to keep that power dynamic in play.
Whereas I'm someone very much where
I believe that none of us are goingto thrive until everyone can thrive.
(16:18):
So a lot of the work I do is ultimatelyabout creating a world
where that can happen.
And also breaking assumptions, right?
Yeah, exactly.
That's very nice.
In your recent projects,you have one interesting
upcoming project that is coming.
Can you talk about that?
(16:40):
Absolutely.I made a short film.
We actually shot back in 2022,and then it's been on the festival
circuit for about a year now.
But it's a short film abouta chronically ill woman who chooses MAID.
And the film is about her best friend finding out the 11th hour
and then confronting herabout her choice, where,
(17:02):
yeah, we've been on the festival circuit for about a year.
And coming up in May,we actually have two screenings here
in Ontario,We're going to have one May 15th
in Alliston at the Circle Theater as partof a collective of independent filmmakers.
And then I don't quite have the date yetbecause they're still
finalizing the schedule.
But the film will also be partof the Grand River Film Festival
(17:24):
at the end of May happeningin Kitchener Waterloo, Cambridge area.
So for me, in a way, the project feels a little bit full circle,
where, having been a U Waterloo student,
where we filmed the film was actuallyliterally along the Grand River,
where the Airbnb that we shot at, it'sa property managed by a friend of mine.
(17:48):
The Grand River literallywent through the backyard.
So being able to screen there,especially as someone who
grew up in Waterloo region,was there for a number of years.
I remember when Ken Nakamura started that festival in 2007,
I'm almost more excited to screen therethan if we got him to TIFF,
just based on the connections I have andthe way the film came about,
(18:11):
who I made it with, where we made it.
So yeah, I'm really lookingforward to both those meetings.
So this movie,is it a production with multiple actors
or is it just story of this person?
So it's two actors.
And with this film, Idid the thing we were talking about
(18:32):
earlier, where I wrote it, I wasin front of the camera as a lead actor.
I directed with my cinematographer,and then I did about 80 to 90 %
of the actual producing labor.
So it was a lot.
But basically, the storyis a two-hander drama.
So it's myself playing the characterClara, who is the one that's
(18:52):
choosing to undergo MAID,and then her best friend Skye,
who played by Salma Dharsee,who's another very talented Toronto actor.
Well, congratulations becauseit's a big achievement.
We're going to post all the detailson ArtsAbly's website so that people can
have a look and knowmore about the dates and everything.
(19:15):
Yeah, so that's great.
After this movie is streamed
and after this movie is featured in festivals,
do you have other things that are comingin the next few months
that you're working on?
I do.
So I've got a few things that arein earlier development right now.
And then with The Sweetest Goodbye aswell, we're hoping to still screen
(19:39):
at a few more festivals before wewrap up and then move on to VOD.
But in the short term, I actually justgot my first paid literary submission.
So I'm going to be part of an anthologythat's coming out later this year.
We're still waiting on a release datefor that, but that should be, I think,
probably summer or fall.
(19:59):
And that was done in collaborationwith Workman Arts here in Toronto.
As well, I've got some Canada Councilfunding for a short film, so
that's going to be in production later this fall.
We're still getting some details together for that, but
I'm really looking forward to that.
It's funny.
(20:20):
I've actually become a little bitsuperstitious where I
don't talk a lot about projects unlessthey're finally done and ready to screen.
But outside of that, I'mdeveloping some feature film content.
We actually had a really good receptionfor The Sweetest Goodbye
in Brazil last year.
So because of that,I've made a lot of really good connections
(20:41):
in the São Paulo and Virginia areas.
So I'm developing a feature filmwith one of the filmmakers I met there.
I'm developing some otherfeature length work as well.
And then I'm also developing a genre series that
we're hoping to be able to release an interactive digital prequel for that.
And then there would also be a one hourstreaming or broadcast component as well.
(21:07):
I'm very much right now,I'm looking for the right people,
the right partnerships to help elevate mine and Laughing Cat Productions' work
to the next level and then helpbring these projects to life.
You mentioned international connectionsthrough this production company,
but also as an actress, right?
You also performedin international projects.
(21:31):
Yeah. So for better or worse,because I've been so heads down in
grant writing, trying to get funding, tryingto develop some of my own work.
I've had to take...
Like acting has had to take a little bit of a back seat over the last couple of years for me.
But I'm at a point now where I've realized how much I miss doing
(21:52):
that element of the creativity,because, not necessarily the downside,
but it's the necessary evil that comeswith running a production company, where
90 % of my days these days are admin,and paperwork, and strategy,
and looking for grants,and writing grants, and
looking for funding, and trying to build partnerships.
(22:12):
And so much of it hasbeen the business and logistics side
of it, where,yeah, it's been over the last couple
of years where I haven'treally done much on screen.
I shouldn't say that.
It's not nothing, but I didthe sketch stuff with Sick Bae.
I shot my film.
Selma and I actually worked togetheron another project just a few months ago.
(22:33):
So that was her first time producing.
But yeah, I'm at a point where I am looking to start doing more acting again, and
I've just got to get some new head shots done,
but looking for more projectsto audition for and be part of.
And then we're still nailing allthe details, but I'm supposed to be
shooting a film this summer as wellwith a filmmaker I've known for over
(22:56):
a decade who's out of Montreal.
So there's a few irons in the fire,but especially for me who likes to be busy
and on the go, there's not quite asmuch as I would like of the creative.
And then as well, it's been a few yearssince I've been represented
by an acting agent.
So I'm also on the look out for anotheragent as well who
also understands the multidimensionality,the multi-passionate that I do, but
(23:19):
also supports my work as an actor.
So we'll see where that hunt goes,and we'll see who ends up
being the best fit there.
Did you work - With the production company,
did you work with the projectcalled the Squeaky Wheel?
I did, yeah.
Funnily enough, the segmentI was in was also about MAID.
(23:41):
That's been a theme overthe last couple of years.
And then they're actually nominatedfor two Canadian Screen Awards right now.
So that's been very exciting.
Andrew, the lead producer of that,I had met
actually through the Disability ScreenOffice a couple of years ago,
and then they had me come out to be partof one of the episodes,
(24:03):
which is really nice, where Ithink I had actually missed the main
auditions for the core casting, but it wasnice to be able to step in for an episode.
And then, yeah, very supportive set,very, very collaborative.
And then, yeah, there are a lot of talented folks working on the show,
and that is all disability-centric comedy, which is...
(24:23):
It's really nice to see how howfar people will push things.
It's very almost reminiscent of alittle bit of that '90s, 2000s SNL vibe
as well, has made its way in there.
People can watch thison AMI TV online also.
If you want to discover that,that's a very funny show that has very
(24:49):
short episodes and always by disabled,
with topics that are frequently
mentioned and in a very fun way.
I recommend watching that.
Funnily enough, the sketch I did was a lotmore funny than - a lot more of a humorous
(25:12):
take on MAID than my film,and I'll share as well, too,
just a brief anecdote wherethe genesis of my film,
The Sweetest Goodbye, was very muchbecause of Bill C-7 passing here in Canada,
where MAID has now opened up to people
that are not terminally ill, but,
(25:35):
"decreased quality of life."
And as I'm sure you know,what we're seeing is that
people have applied for MAID becausethey can't get safe housing, which is...
I understand why, to some degree,it's not being made as much of a big deal
in the news as it should be, butwhat I think a lot of people who only
(25:57):
consume mainstream news or whoaren't a part of any equity or community
don't realize is just how dangerous it is essentially,
where people are not being provided with the supports
they need to live a thriving life,
and then they're choosing to end theirlife because they don't have that support.
(26:17):
Whereas a lot of this could be mitigated if we had a UBI
or If people living with disabilities hadadequate financial, adequate medical,
adequate housing, other levelsof support, they need to thrive.
And I think this is something systemic,too, where in Canada, abroad,
(26:41):
we're seeing more and more of a disparitybetween the ultra wealthy and everybody else.
And that's ultimatelywhat's underneath this.
But for me, and this is like I was sayingearlier, where I like to include
social impact themes in work.
I thought it was very timely to addressthis and address it's not just,
(27:01):
Oh, I'm sick and I want to die.
It's I want to die because I'm so sick of being made to feel
less than or othered or unsupportedby society that I feel I have no other choice.
I don't want to take things too dark ortoo bleak here, but
I think a lot of people don't think aboutor realize how much social exclusion,
(27:24):
how much living in poverty, livingwithout adequate resources that you see
other people getting contribute to themindset that can lead up to that as well.
Where I think it's an important topicto address and think about going,
if we made more of an effort tocreate equity in society,
(27:48):
to reduce income inequality,to make things more accessible,
a lot of people wouldn't be havingthe struggles they're having
simply because they're under-resourced.
It's true.And by making movies about it, in a way,
people can see an aspect of life
(28:08):
that they didn't really think of.
And it also ties to my other question
about what you think of
the impact of the art in the disabilitycommunity or working in
disability culture or creating moreaccessibility in the arts.
(28:29):
Can you tell us what you think the roleof art is in the disability culture?
Well, I think overall, artsand disability culture,
or arts in any culture, is a way ofboth expressing yourself, learning
about yourself, telling your stories.
But then as well,it goes back to the Paleothic times
(28:52):
with the handprint on the wall.It's a way of saying, I was here.
This is my story. This is what I experienced.
But especially in terms of accessibility,this is the hill that I will die on.
Part of accessibility to me is adequatefunding and adequate inclusion,
where even with, say,Ontario Arts Council,
(29:14):
disabled artistscan only get up to $10,000,
but a media artist who does not applyunder the disability category
can get up to $40,000 to make their work.
So something like that to me,there's still a weird inequity there,
where if I apply to Ontario Arts Councilas a filmmaker
(29:36):
versus a disabled filmmaker,I'm treated a little differently.
And so that's even within an arts bodywithin Canada,
where that discrepancy still exists.
And again, this just goes back to -there's an inherent,
in some areas, I will say an inherentelitism or exclusionaryism that
(30:02):
comes with certain areas of mainstreammedia, mainstream arts, where
we're told we need to look a certain way,behave a certain way,
have a certain set of ideals thatwe blend in, and we don't rock the boat
on politics, or genocide, or incomeand equality, or any number of topics.
(30:22):
But it's going back to what you mentionedearlier, where you watched
the Crip Metal sketch, and everything ispolitical because it's had to be.
But in terms of accessibility in the arts,a lot of it, too, I think,
is being made to feel safe, seen, andincluded in spaces where
(30:44):
a lot of the times it's clear that people don't...
They don't think about including otherpeople because they've never had to,
because the world has always cateredto them in some way, or they've never felt
unwelcome or excluded in a room,or somebody's never had to think about,
Okay, well, how am Igoing to get in there?
Or watching films,how do I understand what's on screen
(31:08):
if I can't see, hear, whatever?
People that have more privilege,people that have more access,
they've never had to make room,or they never think about making room
because they've never had to, essentially.
Whereas, yeah, I think too,
(31:29):
Part of it, too, I think, and this goes back to the whole financial equity, but also
being paid equally for equal work.
Whereas one of our most pervasiveattitudes in society is, oh,
everybody has to earn a living,which I think is one of the most messed up
things, where the system that we're under,
(31:51):
we're told we need to function under capitalism, where we have to produce
a certain way to be successful.
We have to look a certainway to be successful.
And I think the arts in general,but especially disability arts, is so
countercultured to that in a verybeautiful way,
where you can produce amazing works of artthat the financial value is
(32:14):
really, really irrelevant.
And I think to me, too, accessibility is also...
Just even having the support you needto be able to thrive in the same way
that somebody who's not disabled can.
Whereas, for example,I have one of my filmmaker friends.
(32:37):
They always shoot on iPhone or they shooton a small camera
just because the weight of a physicalcinema camera is 20, 30 pounds.
And not everybody can lift that.
To me, if I was hauling that around fordays at a time, I'd be very sore as well.
So even thinking about that, too,where it's adapting tools to
(33:00):
what can I use that suits me
versus, Oh, you have to fit with this standard to be taken seriously.
But today, fortunately, to our advantage,we live in a society that
grows very fast and evolves.
One of the things that I always foundamazing is the possibility of finding
(33:22):
a new tool that is smallerthat is more efficient.
I'm thinking of this advertisement
that Apple did with their phone filming.
The filmmaker was someone with
vision impairment, and he was able
(33:44):
to film a whole movie with an iPhone.
It was the story of how he was
managing the limitation of
the way he could see the whole scene
and the way he adapted with the new tools.
(34:06):
I find it hopeful in a way to think of,
Okay, so we have more and more tools
that are built for everybody.
Like the universal design concept, right?
It's built for everybody.
Everybody can use the last iPhone,but it helps some artists
(34:27):
to be able to create in another way.
It helps withvisual descriptions and it helps with...
I don't know,it connects with hearing aids.
The evolution today is better and better.
I wonder if you feel thisimpact in your industry.
(34:52):
I think we're definitely in a veryinteresting time when it comes
to the intersection of technology,art making, what the future is,
and even the future of humanity itself.
But I think any tool that we have
should be able to serve us and serve all of us.
So even for example,while there's described video,
(35:19):
there's also ways of even making dialog,making on-screen content more accessible,
where if somebody says, Oh, Ican't believe you're wearing
that ugly pink sweater, for example.
Even something like that in a line of dialog
in a film can make visual descriptions
(35:43):
or conveying that a little bit easier
for people that are hard of sight,blind, things like that, where it's...
There's both technological ways,and there's also just intuitive ways that
maybe we haven't thought about before.
But, yeah, I think because we're living
(36:03):
in the age that weare, people, regardless of
financial background, whatever,should be able to access the same tools
that the ultra wealthy can access.
And I think there's a lot of ways
to incorporate that into makingperformance, making films,
even creating visual arts, where for me,
(36:26):
I'm someone that I just ethically,
I can't really deal with a lot of AI use,especially because knowing what
it does for the environment.
But even just on my iPhone,there's so many accessibility tools
built in where it'll do it automatically.
It can describe something to you.
It can read things back.
(36:48):
Like, it's just...
Everybody should have access to these.
I do work in a accessibilityassessments of buildings.
This iPhone has a tool.
It's been there forever,but people barely know it.
It's a tool that can not only measurethe distance between two points,
(37:12):
but it can also measure the inclinationof a ramp, for example, things like that.
It's so easy now compared to the timewhere we were using tools
with wood and whatever.
Calculation.
It's almost getting the stoneand chisel to make sure the ramp is...
[Laughs.]
(37:33):
I'm grateful for these tools.
I know totally what you meanby including more, for example, captions.
There are fun ways to include captionsin an artistic project,
and that's something to think about.
What can I do with theseboring caption that are helpful
for following and reading?
(37:54):
But is there a way I can includethat in the artistic project?
Yeah, or even a way to, you know: Oh, she grumbles, or she like... (37:58):
undefined
I have to admit, I'm not that good.
I need to work with some people becausemy captions, I do captions with these
episodes, but it would be text captions.
That's something I would really needadvice or a partner to make these
(38:22):
captions more fun, or more useful sometimes.
There's little ways, too,because you can go, Oh,
the music is like a '90s smooth, sexy jam,
or just throwing in those spicy,
fun adjectives there whereLittle things like that.
(38:43):
But yeah, and I think too,just partnership in general is so helpful.
I think, especially even looping back to the earlier conversation
around accessibility,where having somebody else's energy,
having somebody else's insight,somebody who,
even if you've had very similar livedexperiences, will still have somewhat
(39:03):
of a unique lens on the worlds, whereI think being able to share
things with each other, share thingsin community, share things in partnership.
I think that's also crucial for all of us.
Well, thank you.
I have a last question,and it's about people who might have been
(39:25):
able to motivate you or
counted in your career or in life, generally.
Do you have someone to think of whoreally counted in your career?
(39:46):
Can you tell us who thisperson is and why?
Absolutely.
I've got a few in mind, actually,but I'll start just very quickly.
I want to mentionthe Disability Screen Office.
So they're a film and television-focusedorganization working on bringing more
inclusivity to both how media is producedand as well as reputation on screen.
(40:11):
So that's something elsejust circling back again to accessibility,
where nothing about us without us,to borrow that slogan.
And I know the DSO is working onbringing better representation
to screen, to writers rooms.
If there are disabled stories being told,we should be in positions of power
(40:35):
as the ones telling that story,not just as a side character
hired here and there for the day.
But in terms of people, specifically,I want to mention Sasha Boersma,
and she's one of the foundersof Sticky Brain Studios.
So I had originally met her through WIFTa couple of years ago,
the Women in Film and Television Network.
(40:57):
So she's building up...
Sticky Brain is a video game company.
They have a few different games launchedon your Android apps or your iPhone apps,
Rooster's in there, there's also one called Kimono,but basically, both between the way she
(41:18):
runs her company and also just the waythat she makes education very accessible.
I have so much love and admirationfor Sasha because she's done so much to
build communities, to support community, to help educate, to help make her own workplace accessible.
And I guarantee, like most of us,she's probably only being paid a 10th
of what her knowledgeand value actually is worth.
(41:44):
Actually, thinking back, I thinkshe and I originally met in person.
It was through a course that I did with WIFT, where
getting prepared to apply for a certain level of funding and just...
She was teaching budgetingand cash flow and things like that.
And just the way that she approachedsharing the information,
(42:05):
teaching, making it accessible,it was such a breath of fresh air.
And just she's brilliant, she works incredibly hard.
And I think even with her studio,even with Sticky Brain,
I'd say they're probably one of the industryleaders in terms of modeling,
building an accessible workplace.
(42:25):
And creating room for caretaking needs,disability-related needs,
mental health time, things like that.
Being able to build and adapta workflow to actually
support diverse workers and support needed accommodations.
I'm so impressed by everything she does.
(42:48):
And also, she just goes a long way to
reach out and serve a number of communities as well.
So The Women in Gaming Community,Women in Television.
And then as well, she wasteaching for a while, too.
So she was also impactinga lot of students.
She was at Centennial for theiradvanced media and film program.
(43:11):
So, yeah, I'm just so impressed by everything
she does, just how generous she is withher time, her knowledge, her energy.
If anybody of the major funders are listening, definitely give her all the money because she deserves it.
[Laughs.]
Well, thank you so much for sharing partof your career and life with us.
(43:35):
Thank you for having me, Diane.
I think it's really important to havethese conversations too, where
in some ways we're told it's like, Oh,well, to be a successful artist, you
have to be making millions of dollarsin Hollywood blockbusters,
and this, that, and the other thing.I think that's not the reality that most of us
face, where we're either juggling
(43:58):
an artistic career with a day job to getby, or we're doing the arts full-time,
but we're just like, we're living paycheck to paycheck. We're hanging in there.
It's perpetual freefall, alwayslooking for the next project,
always looking for the next opportunity,and then celebrate the successes.
But it's been an interesting journey for me, too,
(44:19):
because I've been at this for wellover a decade now, when that's
something I realized, too, where it's the version of success I was told I could have
may or may not ever happen.
But to me, it's very rewarding for meto meet other people from the community
to collaborate and build up these projects and these
stories one day in one project at a time.
(44:41):
Well, it's an important topicand it's great that it's happening.
We're going to see thatin May at your screening.
Thank you again.
I wish you a great day and maybetalk soon in the community.
Absolutely.Thank you, Diane.
I hope you have a good day as well.
Thank you. Bye, Emily.
(45:03):
♪ Closing theme music ♪
♪ Opening theme music ♪
Hello, and welcome to this episodeof ArtsAbly in Conversation.
My name is Diane Kolin.
This series presents artists,academics, and project leaders
(00:22):
who dedicate their time and energyto a better accessibility
for people with disabilities in the arts.
You can find more of theseconversations on our website, artsably.com,
which is spelled A-R-T-S-A-B-L-Y dot com.
♪ Theme music ♪
(00:53):
Today, ArtsAbly is in conversation
with Emily Schooley, an award-winning actor
and filmmaker and the founder ofLaughing Cat Productions, based in Toronto.
You can find the resources mentionedby Emily Schooley during this episode
on ArtsAbly's website in the blog section.
♪ Tense music played by strings ♪
(01:15):
Think of how many people love you.
Think of how many hearts you'regoing to break if you go
through with this right now.Look at how many people care about you.
Look at how many people thinkthat you are going overseas for work.
Think of how many people thinkthat you are off to something better.
I am.
You're what?
(01:35):
♪ Tense music continues until it fades. ♪
♪ TV Generic music with guitar and drum ♪
Welcome back to Broadstrokes,
your local arts program for the tri-state area.
If you're just joining us now,I'm here in the studio with Kris Preston,
the frontman for the American punk band,The Flareups, joined via Zoom.
(02:01):
They just released their third album,Pharmaceutical Cocktail,
and started their national tour.
Kris, it's a pleasureto have you here with us.
Likewise, Bill.
Could you tell our viewersa little bit about your band?
Yeah.So we are a Cripple Punk band.
And yeah, I know some audience membersmight cringe at the use of that particular
(02:22):
C-word, but it is a specific movement.
Cripple Punk is all about refusingto conform to able-bodied standards.
So what's next on the horizonfor the Flare-ups?
Well, once we recover from this tour,whenever that'll be,
we're going to get back in the studioand record our next album.
Right now, the working title is Not Covered By Insurance,
(02:45):
and we've got a bunch of greatdisability-related cover tracks.
We've got Shiny Flappy People, Can't Stopthe Peeing, Pills, Pills, Pills.
There's a lot that we'reexcited to go in and record.
You feel like this willsell a lot of copies?
Well, we would love to make a lotof money, but Uncle Sam capped our savings
(03:05):
at $2,000,which is not enough to live in today's day
and age, especially when we arethe only ones looking after each other.
Look, before the interview,I thought we agreed that
you weren't going to get political here.
Yeah, news flash for you, buddy.
When you're disabled,everything is political.
That $2,000 cap means that we are livingin poverty, especially
(03:26):
with all the rapid inflation.
Oh, and then there's the pharmaceuticalcompanies which keep jacking up the price
of the medication that weliterally need to survive.
Not to mention the political parties,where the one side has a major disdain
for any minority, to say the least,and the other side,
they just shrug and do nothing.
So yeah, there is a lot to be angry about,and that is the whole point, you f###
(03:48):
♪ Beep sound ♪
Welcome to this new episodeof ArtsAbly in Conversation.
Today, I am with Emily Schooley,who is an award-winning actor
and filmmaker, and also the founder ofLaughing Cat Productions,
which is based in Toronto.Welcome, Emily.
(04:09):
Thank you.And thank you for having me, Diane.
So you are right now in Toronto,but you didn't grow up in Toronto, right?
That's correct.
I grew up in the Niagara region,which is about 2 hours just
a little bit south of Toronto on Lake Erie.
And then from there,I end up going to university.
I went to the University of Waterloo.
(04:30):
So I've moved around the Southwesternend of our province a fair bit.
But since then, I've beenin Toronto officially since 2010.
And I work here,and then I also tend to travel and work
regionally and internationally as well.
Based in Toronto now,but I think of myself as somebody who is
(04:53):
both very globally inspired, and I lovetraveling outside
of the city to work as well.
But you attended a school for the artsover the Niagara region?
or what happens to your firstartistic practices
that led you to where you are today?
(05:14):
So for me, it's interesting becausemy journey as a creative artist has really
evolved over the years, where Ioriginally went to university thinking,
Okay, well, I'm going to I'm specificallytrain as an actor for theater.
And that's what I wentinto university doing.
I did a lot of drama and theaterwhen I was in high school as well.
(05:35):
So that's really what led meto want to be a performer.
But from there, what happened was after Ihad shortly graduated university,
I ended up getting a lot of auditionsfor film rather than for theater stuff.
So I immediately went, okay, well,I've trained as a theater actor,
but now I'm going to try out film.
(05:57):
And then from there, what happened was oneof the first directors who cast me
in a film project,he and I ended up working quite
closely together for a number of years.
So through him,I got my feet wet with producing,
directing, writing, allof that at a more indie level.
So it ended up that with one of the projects
(06:19):
that I worked on with him, I started as,"just the lead actor,"
and I went from that to helping co-writethe series, helping production manage,
as you do with indie arts, and thenhelping direct as well, because I also...
One of my side hobbiesis still photography.
So I have a bit of an eye as well when itcomes to cinematography,
(06:42):
setting up the shot, what am I looking for?
And then as well asa director being able to work with other
actors and helping them reach an emotionalplace, helping them
choreograph or the story that we wantto tell when we're working on a project.
So I went into that project that I was working on
with the director who had hired me,going, okay, well,
(07:04):
I'm mostly just an actor.And I came out of that one.
We had actually produced a half an hourseries with a double length pilot.
So it was about 13 episodes total.
And through that, that was really my bootcamp in terms of learning
the behind the camera skills.
And then since then in my career,I've done a lot of both,
sometimes at the same time,but any time I get to be just an actor
(07:26):
these days, it feels like a vacation.
So yeah, I still perform, I still direct.
Those are my two favorite things to do.
But I also produce my own work, which is what led me to founding laughing Cat Productions.
When did you found this company?
So I produce smaller work, casually,off and on for years under the name,
(07:50):
but we ended up incorporatingofficially at the end of 2020.
Before that, you did a lot of acting andyou were recognized internationally, too.
You were saying you weredoing both at the same time.
What's the feeling between both?
(08:12):
You say when you are an actor,it feels more like a holiday today than...
[Laughs.]
Than producing, which I understand.
But can you explain to us what are both
sides of your your position, basically?
Yeah, absolutely. So for me, I'm somebody with ADHD, which I didn't know for years.
(08:35):
I always thought I was just a slightlyquieter than some of the other theater
kids' theater kid,Because anybody
who comes from that performing space,we're all a little bit chaotic.
We're all a little bitlike, energy, go, go, go.
And for me, for years, it's always like,Oh, I can do one more thing.
I can learn this other skill.I can do this other thing.
(08:55):
And a lot of that fedinto my acting practice.
But what I've ended up doing isthat because I like to challenge myself,
sometimes on my own projects, I was like,Okay, well, I'm both the lead
actor and the director.
And then just with the way that film tendsto work, unless you have millions
of dollars, you'rewearing a lot of hats yourself.
(09:18):
So I've also like,I've learned to produce as well.
And then that's actually what Idid on a few of my short films.
But for me,I think for me, too, part of it was always
trying to find a ceiling and what Icould actually successfully accomplish.
And then I finally hit that pointlast year, the year before, where I went,
(09:39):
okay, well, I'm only one person.
I can accomplishone substantial project at a time where
I'm doing these things,and that's about it.
I can't do multiple projects.
I can't be working at a seven-figurebudget level if it's just me.
So I hit a point where I foundthe ceiling layer where I'm like, Okay,
well, if I'm producing and directing,sometimes maybe acting,
(10:04):
I can do this much.
So it was nice to find being like, Okay,well, now that I know that, now I can
specialize down a little bit more again.
And then so I've always relied onthat neuro-spiciness,
that ADHD to be like, okay,I can do this and this and this.
And then it all blends togetherin my mind, where
(10:27):
I always say, I feel like I'm a littlemushroom, where you see a little mushroom
above the soil, and that'sthe part that you see.
But the part that you don't see isthe mycelial network underneath, where
it's so interconnected to everything.
To me, that's very much how I've alwaysdrawn on creativity and how I build
my creative work,where everything is that yes and.
(10:50):
But knowing what I can do successfully,for me now, it's nice to take a I step
back and go, Okay, well,I just want to act in this project,
so I'm going to audition for somebodyelse's piece,
and then collaborate with them,or be like, Okay, well,
I'm going to produce and direct thisproject, but I'm not going
to act on this one this time.
And then that's being ableto take a hat off in a way.
(11:12):
But for me, I foundstarting with my training as an actor,
it really fed into the other disciplinesbecause I could go, Okay, well,
I know what works for me to get meemotional emotionally present or deeper
into a scene or being able toachieve a genuine reaction
on camera, things like that.
So that's fed into my directing.
(11:34):
And then I would say as well,probably a lot of it is anxiety,
where I'm like, I like to know what'sgoing on and have things organized.
And on some indie productions,that's not always the way it goes.
So I think that'show I learned to produce for better or
worse was my anxiety just wantedeverything to be organized.
But I've also realized, too,it's in the world film,
(11:56):
I'm really good at beinga creative or logistical producer.
But for me, the business skills are notreally my favorite thing,
to be doing a lot of paperwork orbeing trying to find the funding.
So one of the things I'm working on rightnow is because we've already raised
substantial funding for a coupleof Laughing Cat Productions projects,
(12:17):
is looking for another producer to bringon board to help finally share
that workload so that our projects cancontinue to grow and be successful.
As a producer, the nice thing is that youcan choose your subjects and choose
the scripts and choose the scenarios,whatever, the authors.
How do you choose the productions you want to bring life?
(12:42):
Bring to life, sorry.
It's okay.
So for me, the way I choose thingsto bring to life is that
I'm very personally passionate aboutcreating queer woman-led media, specifically.
And we have quite a gap in that market where
we're finally getting shows likeYellowjackets or films like Backspot,
(13:05):
where there's justnormalized queer women-led stories.
But when you look at what's out therefor men, gay men, straight men, whatever,
they outnumber what's out there for women,two to one, three to one, five to one.
So for me, it's always like,is there an underheard or underrepresented
(13:26):
woman's voice in the story?
That's one of the bigdraws for me as well.
And then also, isthere something in here that provokes
social change or more inclusive thought orbringing to life,
bringing to screen somebody's life who wedon't really hear or see a lot of stories
from somebody from that demographic.
(13:50):
So for example, it's like we do get the occasional
large scale feature film done by a really big noname, where it'll touch on something like
poverty or disability oreven fat phobia, things like that.
But a lot of those films tend to beproduced from more privileged voices.
(14:10):
So for me, as someone who grew up workingclass, as someone who grew up
in a mid-sized body,especially in the '90s and 2000s,
where people wanted you to be super slim,I also experienced a lot of exclusion
in the film industry justbecause I was not not
essentially what they were looking for.
So for me,I'm now drawn to tell those stories,
(14:31):
the stories that we don't hear, the peoplewe still don't see enough of on screen.
So that's really what I look for,where it's like, who is this character?
How are they different frommainstream media out there?
How is the story different?How does this better society?
Because the other thing I look for aswell, where it's like we have a lot of
(14:53):
what I'm going to call content showing,where a lot of stuff is getting made.
People will watch something on streaming,but they won't remember
that series six months later.
It's like I like to make things thatget into people and hook them,
stick with them, where they'll come back and think about the film in a year from now.
It'll go, and go, Oh,I am seeing this play out in society.
(15:13):
Funnily enough, Emily was right.
Things like that.
Sometimes even a shorter film,I saw one of your movies called
Crip Metal Interview,and this one was really awesome.
In that movie, there is the typicalreaction, or in that short film,
(15:34):
there's a typical reactionof the interviewer that says,
Oh, I thought we would agreethat we won't talk about politics.
And your character says,Everything in disability is political,
so how can I not talk about it?Yeah.
Yeah.
So Crip Metal Interview.
So that was a sketch done with Sick Bae,which is a disability-focused
(15:56):
sketch troupe that I work with.
The people that benefit from the silenceof those being oppressed are the ones
that will try to keepperpetuating that silence or
try to keep that power dynamic in play.
Whereas I'm someone very much where
I believe that none of us are goingto thrive until everyone can thrive.
(16:18):
So a lot of the work I do is ultimatelyabout creating a world
where that can happen.
And also breaking assumptions, right?
Yeah, exactly.
That's very nice.
In your recent projects,you have one interesting
upcoming project that is coming.
Can you talk about that?
(16:40):
Absolutely.I made a short film.
We actually shot back in 2022,and then it's been on the festival
circuit for about a year now.
But it's a short film abouta chronically ill woman who chooses MAID.
And the film is about her best friend finding out the 11th hour
and then confronting herabout her choice, where,
(17:02):
yeah, we've been on the festival circuit for about a year.
And coming up in May,we actually have two screenings here
in Ontario,We're going to have one May 15th
in Alliston at the Circle Theater as partof a collective of independent filmmakers.
And then I don't quite have the date yetbecause they're still
finalizing the schedule.
But the film will also be partof the Grand River Film Festival
(17:24):
at the end of May happeningin Kitchener Waterloo, Cambridge area.
So for me, in a way, the project feels a little bit full circle,
where, having been a U Waterloo student,
where we filmed the film was actuallyliterally along the Grand River,
where the Airbnb that we shot at, it'sa property managed by a friend of mine.
(17:48):
The Grand River literallywent through the backyard.
So being able to screen there,especially as someone who
grew up in Waterloo region,was there for a number of years.
I remember when Ken Nakamura started that festival in 2007,
I'm almost more excited to screen therethan if we got him to TIFF,
just based on the connections I have andthe way the film came about,
(18:11):
who I made it with, where we made it.
So yeah, I'm really lookingforward to both those meetings.
So this movie,is it a production with multiple actors
or is it just story of this person?
So it's two actors.
And with this film, Idid the thing we were talking about
(18:32):
earlier, where I wrote it, I wasin front of the camera as a lead actor.
I directed with my cinematographer,and then I did about 80 to 90 %
of the actual producing labor.
So it was a lot.
But basically, the storyis a two-hander drama.
So it's myself playing the characterClara, who is the one that's
(18:52):
choosing to undergo MAID,and then her best friend Skye,
who played by Salma Dharsee,who's another very talented Toronto actor.
Well, congratulations becauseit's a big achievement.
We're going to post all the detailson ArtsAbly's website so that people can
have a look and knowmore about the dates and everything.
(19:15):
Yeah, so that's great.
After this movie is streamed
and after this movie is featured in festivals,
do you have other things that are comingin the next few months
that you're working on?
I do.
So I've got a few things that arein earlier development right now.
And then with The Sweetest Goodbye aswell, we're hoping to still screen
(19:39):
at a few more festivals before wewrap up and then move on to VOD.
But in the short term, I actually justgot my first paid literary submission.
So I'm going to be part of an anthologythat's coming out later this year.
We're still waiting on a release datefor that, but that should be, I think,
probably summer or fall.
(19:59):
And that was done in collaborationwith Workman Arts here in Toronto.
As well, I've got some Canada Councilfunding for a short film, so
that's going to be in production later this fall.
We're still getting some details together for that, but
I'm really looking forward to that.
It's funny.
(20:20):
I've actually become a little bitsuperstitious where I
don't talk a lot about projects unlessthey're finally done and ready to screen.
But outside of that, I'mdeveloping some feature film content.
We actually had a really good receptionfor The Sweetest Goodbye
in Brazil last year.
So because of that,I've made a lot of really good connections
(20:41):
in the São Paulo and Virginia areas.
So I'm developing a feature filmwith one of the filmmakers I met there.
I'm developing some otherfeature length work as well.
And then I'm also developing a genre series that
we're hoping to be able to release an interactive digital prequel for that.
And then there would also be a one hourstreaming or broadcast component as well.
(21:07):
I'm very much right now,I'm looking for the right people,
the right partnerships to help elevate mine and Laughing Cat Productions' work
to the next level and then helpbring these projects to life.
You mentioned international connectionsthrough this production company,
but also as an actress, right?
You also performedin international projects.
(21:31):
Yeah. So for better or worse,because I've been so heads down in
grant writing, trying to get funding, tryingto develop some of my own work.
I've had to take...
Like acting has had to take a little bit of a back seat over the last couple of years for me.
But I'm at a point now where I've realized how much I miss doing
(21:52):
that element of the creativity,because, not necessarily the downside,
but it's the necessary evil that comeswith running a production company, where
90 % of my days these days are admin,and paperwork, and strategy,
and looking for grants,and writing grants, and
looking for funding, and trying to build partnerships.
(22:12):
And so much of it hasbeen the business and logistics side
of it, where,yeah, it's been over the last couple
of years where I haven'treally done much on screen.
I shouldn't say that.
It's not nothing, but I didthe sketch stuff with Sick Bae.
I shot my film.
Selma and I actually worked togetheron another project just a few months ago.
(22:33):
So that was her first time producing.
But yeah, I'm at a point where I am looking to start doing more acting again, and
I've just got to get some new head shots done,
but looking for more projectsto audition for and be part of.
And then we're still nailing allthe details, but I'm supposed to be
shooting a film this summer as wellwith a filmmaker I've known for over
(22:56):
a decade who's out of Montreal.
So there's a few irons in the fire,but especially for me who likes to be busy
and on the go, there's not quite asmuch as I would like of the creative.
And then as well, it's been a few yearssince I've been represented
by an acting agent.
So I'm also on the look out for anotheragent as well who
also understands the multidimensionality,the multi-passionate that I do, but
(23:19):
also supports my work as an actor.
So we'll see where that hunt goes,and we'll see who ends up
being the best fit there.
Did you work - With the production company,
did you work with the projectcalled the Squeaky Wheel?
I did, yeah.
Funnily enough, the segmentI was in was also about MAID.
(23:41):
That's been a theme overthe last couple of years.
And then they're actually nominatedfor two Canadian Screen Awards right now.
So that's been very exciting.
Andrew, the lead producer of that,I had met
actually through the Disability ScreenOffice a couple of years ago,
and then they had me come out to be partof one of the episodes,
(24:03):
which is really nice, where Ithink I had actually missed the main
auditions for the core casting, but it wasnice to be able to step in for an episode.
And then, yeah, very supportive set,very, very collaborative.
And then, yeah, there are a lot of talented folks working on the show,
and that is all disability-centric comedy, which is...
(24:23):
It's really nice to see how howfar people will push things.
It's very almost reminiscent of alittle bit of that '90s, 2000s SNL vibe
as well, has made its way in there.
People can watch thison AMI TV online also.
If you want to discover that,that's a very funny show that has very
(24:49):
short episodes and always by disabled,
with topics that are frequently
mentioned and in a very fun way.
I recommend watching that.
Funnily enough, the sketch I did was a lotmore funny than - a lot more of a humorous
(25:12):
take on MAID than my film,and I'll share as well, too,
just a brief anecdote wherethe genesis of my film,
The Sweetest Goodbye, was very muchbecause of Bill C-7 passing here in Canada,
where MAID has now opened up to people
that are not terminally ill, but,
(25:35):
"decreased quality of life."
And as I'm sure you know,what we're seeing is that
people have applied for MAID becausethey can't get safe housing, which is...
I understand why, to some degree,it's not being made as much of a big deal
in the news as it should be, butwhat I think a lot of people who only
(25:57):
consume mainstream news or whoaren't a part of any equity or community
don't realize is just how dangerous it is essentially,
where people are not being provided with the supports
they need to live a thriving life,
and then they're choosing to end theirlife because they don't have that support.
(26:17):
Whereas a lot of this could be mitigated if we had a UBI
or If people living with disabilities hadadequate financial, adequate medical,
adequate housing, other levelsof support, they need to thrive.
And I think this is something systemic,too, where in Canada, abroad,
(26:41):
we're seeing more and more of a disparitybetween the ultra wealthy and everybody else.
And that's ultimatelywhat's underneath this.
But for me, and this is like I was sayingearlier, where I like to include
social impact themes in work.
I thought it was very timely to addressthis and address it's not just,
(27:01):
Oh, I'm sick and I want to die.
It's I want to die because I'm so sick of being made to feel
less than or othered or unsupportedby society that I feel I have no other choice.
I don't want to take things too dark ortoo bleak here, but
I think a lot of people don't think aboutor realize how much social exclusion,
(27:24):
how much living in poverty, livingwithout adequate resources that you see
other people getting contribute to themindset that can lead up to that as well.
Where I think it's an important topicto address and think about going,
if we made more of an effort tocreate equity in society,
(27:48):
to reduce income inequality,to make things more accessible,
a lot of people wouldn't be havingthe struggles they're having
simply because they're under-resourced.
It's true.And by making movies about it, in a way,
people can see an aspect of life
(28:08):
that they didn't really think of.
And it also ties to my other question
about what you think of
the impact of the art in the disabilitycommunity or working in
disability culture or creating moreaccessibility in the arts.
(28:29):
Can you tell us what you think the roleof art is in the disability culture?
Well, I think overall, artsand disability culture,
or arts in any culture, is a way ofboth expressing yourself, learning
about yourself, telling your stories.
But then as well,it goes back to the Paleothic times
(28:52):
with the handprint on the wall.It's a way of saying, I was here.
This is my story. This is what I experienced.
But especially in terms of accessibility,this is the hill that I will die on.
Part of accessibility to me is adequatefunding and adequate inclusion,
where even with, say,Ontario Arts Council,
(29:14):
disabled artistscan only get up to $10,000,
but a media artist who does not applyunder the disability category
can get up to $40,000 to make their work.
So something like that to me,there's still a weird inequity there,
where if I apply to Ontario Arts Councilas a filmmaker
(29:36):
versus a disabled filmmaker,I'm treated a little differently.
And so that's even within an arts bodywithin Canada,
where that discrepancy still exists.
And again, this just goes back to -there's an inherent,
in some areas, I will say an inherentelitism or exclusionaryism that
(30:02):
comes with certain areas of mainstreammedia, mainstream arts, where
we're told we need to look a certain way,behave a certain way,
have a certain set of ideals thatwe blend in, and we don't rock the boat
on politics, or genocide, or incomeand equality, or any number of topics.
(30:22):
But it's going back to what you mentionedearlier, where you watched
the Crip Metal sketch, and everything ispolitical because it's had to be.
But in terms of accessibility in the arts,a lot of it, too, I think,
is being made to feel safe, seen, andincluded in spaces where
(30:44):
a lot of the times it's clear that people don't...
They don't think about including otherpeople because they've never had to,
because the world has always cateredto them in some way, or they've never felt
unwelcome or excluded in a room,or somebody's never had to think about,
Okay, well, how am Igoing to get in there?
Or watching films,how do I understand what's on screen
(31:08):
if I can't see, hear, whatever?
People that have more privilege,people that have more access,
they've never had to make room,or they never think about making room
because they've never had to, essentially.
Whereas, yeah, I think too,
(31:29):
Part of it, too, I think, and this goes back to the whole financial equity, but also
being paid equally for equal work.
Whereas one of our most pervasiveattitudes in society is, oh,
everybody has to earn a living,which I think is one of the most messed up
things, where the system that we're under,
(31:51):
we're told we need to function under capitalism, where we have to produce
a certain way to be successful.
We have to look a certainway to be successful.
And I think the arts in general,but especially disability arts, is so
countercultured to that in a verybeautiful way,
where you can produce amazing works of artthat the financial value is
(32:14):
really, really irrelevant.
And I think to me, too, accessibility is also...
Just even having the support you needto be able to thrive in the same way
that somebody who's not disabled can.
Whereas, for example,I have one of my filmmaker friends.
(32:37):
They always shoot on iPhone or they shooton a small camera
just because the weight of a physicalcinema camera is 20, 30 pounds.
And not everybody can lift that.
To me, if I was hauling that around fordays at a time, I'd be very sore as well.
So even thinking about that, too,where it's adapting tools to
(33:00):
what can I use that suits me
versus, Oh, you have to fit with this standard to be taken seriously.
But today, fortunately, to our advantage,we live in a society that
grows very fast and evolves.
One of the things that I always foundamazing is the possibility of finding
(33:22):
a new tool that is smallerthat is more efficient.
I'm thinking of this advertisement
that Apple did with their phone filming.
The filmmaker was someone with
vision impairment, and he was able
(33:44):
to film a whole movie with an iPhone.
It was the story of how he was
managing the limitation of
the way he could see the whole scene
and the way he adapted with the new tools.
(34:06):
I find it hopeful in a way to think of,
Okay, so we have more and more tools
that are built for everybody.
Like the universal design concept, right?
It's built for everybody.
Everybody can use the last iPhone,but it helps some artists
(34:27):
to be able to create in another way.
It helps withvisual descriptions and it helps with...
I don't know,it connects with hearing aids.
The evolution today is better and better.
I wonder if you feel thisimpact in your industry.
(34:52):
I think we're definitely in a veryinteresting time when it comes
to the intersection of technology,art making, what the future is,
and even the future of humanity itself.
But I think any tool that we have
should be able to serve us and serve all of us.
So even for example,while there's described video,
(35:19):
there's also ways of even making dialog,making on-screen content more accessible,
where if somebody says, Oh, Ican't believe you're wearing
that ugly pink sweater, for example.
Even something like that in a line of dialog
in a film can make visual descriptions
(35:43):
or conveying that a little bit easier
for people that are hard of sight,blind, things like that, where it's...
There's both technological ways,and there's also just intuitive ways that
maybe we haven't thought about before.
But, yeah, I think because we're living
(36:03):
in the age that weare, people, regardless of
financial background, whatever,should be able to access the same tools
that the ultra wealthy can access.
And I think there's a lot of ways
to incorporate that into makingperformance, making films,
even creating visual arts, where for me,
(36:26):
I'm someone that I just ethically,
I can't really deal with a lot of AI use,especially because knowing what
it does for the environment.
But even just on my iPhone,there's so many accessibility tools
built in where it'll do it automatically.
It can describe something to you.
It can read things back.
(36:48):
Like, it's just...
Everybody should have access to these.
I do work in a accessibilityassessments of buildings.
This iPhone has a tool.
It's been there forever,but people barely know it.
It's a tool that can not only measurethe distance between two points,
(37:12):
but it can also measure the inclinationof a ramp, for example, things like that.
It's so easy now compared to the timewhere we were using tools
with wood and whatever.
Calculation.
It's almost getting the stoneand chisel to make sure the ramp is...
[Laughs.]
(37:33):
I'm grateful for these tools.
I know totally what you meanby including more, for example, captions.
There are fun ways to include captionsin an artistic project,
and that's something to think about.
What can I do with theseboring caption that are helpful
for following and reading?
(37:54):
But is there a way I can includethat in the artistic project?
Yeah, or even a way to, you know: Oh, she grumbles, or she like... (37:58):
undefined
I have to admit, I'm not that good.
I need to work with some people becausemy captions, I do captions with these
episodes, but it would be text captions.
That's something I would really needadvice or a partner to make these
(38:22):
captions more fun, or more useful sometimes.
There's little ways, too,because you can go, Oh,
the music is like a '90s smooth, sexy jam,
or just throwing in those spicy,
fun adjectives there whereLittle things like that.
(38:43):
But yeah, and I think too,just partnership in general is so helpful.
I think, especially even looping back to the earlier conversation
around accessibility,where having somebody else's energy,
having somebody else's insight,somebody who,
even if you've had very similar livedexperiences, will still have somewhat
(39:03):
of a unique lens on the worlds, whereI think being able to share
things with each other, share thingsin community, share things in partnership.
I think that's also crucial for all of us.
Well, thank you.
I have a last question,and it's about people who might have been
(39:25):
able to motivate you or
counted in your career or in life, generally.
Do you have someone to think of whoreally counted in your career?
(39:46):
Can you tell us who thisperson is and why?
Absolutely.
I've got a few in mind, actually,but I'll start just very quickly.
I want to mentionthe Disability Screen Office.
So they're a film and television-focusedorganization working on bringing more
inclusivity to both how media is producedand as well as reputation on screen.
(40:11):
So that's something elsejust circling back again to accessibility,
where nothing about us without us,to borrow that slogan.
And I know the DSO is working onbringing better representation
to screen, to writers rooms.
If there are disabled stories being told,we should be in positions of power
(40:35):
as the ones telling that story,not just as a side character
hired here and there for the day.
But in terms of people, specifically,I want to mention Sasha Boersma,
and she's one of the foundersof Sticky Brain Studios.
So I had originally met her through WIFTa couple of years ago,
the Women in Film and Television Network.
(40:57):
So she's building up...
Sticky Brain is a video game company.
They have a few different games launchedon your Android apps or your iPhone apps,
Rooster's in there, there's also one called Kimono,but basically, both between the way she
(41:18):
runs her company and also just the waythat she makes education very accessible.
I have so much love and admirationfor Sasha because she's done so much to
build communities, to support community, to help educate, to help make her own workplace accessible.
And I guarantee, like most of us,she's probably only being paid a 10th
of what her knowledgeand value actually is worth.
(41:44):
Actually, thinking back, I thinkshe and I originally met in person.
It was through a course that I did with WIFT, where
getting prepared to apply for a certain level of funding and just...
She was teaching budgetingand cash flow and things like that.
And just the way that she approachedsharing the information,
(42:05):
teaching, making it accessible,it was such a breath of fresh air.
And just she's brilliant, she works incredibly hard.
And I think even with her studio,even with Sticky Brain,
I'd say they're probably one of the industryleaders in terms of modeling,
building an accessible workplace.
(42:25):
And creating room for caretaking needs,disability-related needs,
mental health time, things like that.
Being able to build and adapta workflow to actually
support diverse workers and support needed accommodations.
I'm so impressed by everything she does.
(42:48):
And also, she just goes a long way to
reach out and serve a number of communities as well.
So The Women in Gaming Community,Women in Television.
And then as well, she wasteaching for a while, too.
So she was also impactinga lot of students.
She was at Centennial for theiradvanced media and film program.
(43:11):
So, yeah, I'm just so impressed by everything
she does, just how generous she is withher time, her knowledge, her energy.
If anybody of the major funders are listening, definitely give her all the money because she deserves it.
[Laughs.]
Well, thank you so much for sharing partof your career and life with us.
(43:35):
Thank you for having me, Diane.
I think it's really important to havethese conversations too, where
in some ways we're told it's like, Oh,well, to be a successful artist, you
have to be making millions of dollarsin Hollywood blockbusters,
and this, that, and the other thing.I think that's not the reality that most of us
face, where we're either juggling
(43:58):
an artistic career with a day job to getby, or we're doing the arts full-time,
but we're just like, we're living paycheck to paycheck. We're hanging in there.
It's perpetual freefall, alwayslooking for the next project,
always looking for the next opportunity,and then celebrate the successes.
But it's been an interesting journey for me, too,
(44:19):
because I've been at this for wellover a decade now, when that's
something I realized, too, where it's the version of success I was told I could have
may or may not ever happen.
But to me, it's very rewarding for meto meet other people from the community
to collaborate and build up these projects and these
stories one day in one project at a time.
(44:41):
Well, it's an important topicand it's great that it's happening.
We're going to see thatin May at your screening.
Thank you again.
I wish you a great day and maybetalk soon in the community.
Absolutely.Thank you, Diane.
I hope you have a good day as well.
Thank you. Bye, Emily.
(45:03):
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