How Filmmakers Go from Short Films to First Features - Toronto International Film Festival

DIALOGUES: Short Cuts to First Features" is a Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Industry program featuring conversations with emerging directors who transitioned from making acclaimed short films (Short Cuts alumni) to directing their debut features, sharing insights on script development, collaboration, and overcoming challenges to build their filmmaking careers. It's a key part of the TIFF Industry Conference, focusing on practical advice and inspiration for filmmakers aiming to make that crucial jump to feature-length projects.  I had the grand pleasure to join alumni directors of TIFF Short Cuts and Industry Talent, Lloyd Lee Choi (Lucky Lu), Sasha Leigh Henry (Dinner with Friends), Taratoa Stappard (Mārama), and Eva Thomas (Nika & Madison), as they discuss their journeys from making short films to developing and directing their first features. Learn how they honed their scripts, found the collaborators and supporters they needed, and coped with practical challenges while protecting their creative visions. Lloyd Lee Choi is a Korean-Canadian filmmaker based in Brooklyn. He has directed the short films Same Old (22), which played the Festival, and Closing Dynasty (23). Earlier this year he received the TIFF–CBC Films Screenwriter Award for his screenplay Yakult Ajumma. Lucky Lu (25) is his feature film debut. Sasha Leigh Henry is a Toronto-based writer, director, and producer. Her short films include Love Bent (14), To Love and Back (16), Bitches Love Brunch (18), and the Festival Official Selection Sinking Ship (20). She also created, wrote, and directed the television show Bria Mack Gets a Life (22), which premiered at the Festival. Dinner With Friends (25) is her latest film. Taratoa Stappard was born in Aotearoa and lives in London. He has directed the shorts Eight for Eight Thirty (96), Strip (98), Euston Road (04), Goalie (16), and Emkhatsini: Between (18). Mārama (25), his latest film, is his feature debut. Eva Thomas is a writer and filmmaker from Walpole Island First Nation based in Wallaceburg, Ontario. Her production credits include the Festival Official Selections Night Raiders (21) and Kaniehtiio Horn's Seeds (24). She directed the short film Redlights (23) and co-directed the feature Aberdeen (24), both of which played the Festival. Nika & Madison (25) is her latest film. Moderated by: Jason Anderson is the International Programmer for Short Cuts. A member of TIFF's Programming team since 2015, he's also worked on TIFF Kids and Canada's Top Ten. He's been the director of programming for the Kingston Canadian Film Festival since 2008 and the programming director for Aspen Shortsfest since 2019. A longtime journalist and critic who graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.A. in English literature, he was a film critic and columnist for the Toronto weeklies The Grid and Eye Weekly, and regularly contributed to such publications as The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Toro, and Saturday Night. He currently writes about music and film for Uncut magazine, Sight & Sound, and Cinema Scope. He has taught a course on film criticism for the University of Toronto since 2008 and has taught journalism courses at Toronto Metropolitan University. His least useful areas of expertise include the Step Up franchise, show business memoirs, and the discography of Nile Rodgers. Stay connected with me here: https://www.instagram.com/shesallovertheplacepodcast