Circus of Books was a bookstore and gay pornography shop, opened in the 1960s by an unlikely and unassuming straight couple who kept their business from their personal lives a secret. The documentary explores the challenges they faced, edited, written and produced by Kathryn Robson who was nominated for an Emmy (Outstanding Writing in a Nonfiction Program) for her work on the film. Find out more below!

Congratulations on your Emmy nomination for Circus of Books, Kathryn! How are you feeling? Did you know while working on this documentary as editor, producer and writer that you had something special in your hands?

Thank you so much!  I’m feeling all the things– thrilled, surprised, excited, and really humbled. I knew Circus of Books was a really special story, and while I was working on it, I definitely felt if we could get the film out, we would find an audience who loved the story as much as we did.  But getting an Emmy nomination is really beyond what I imagined. Just getting a documentary made and into the world feels like a minor miracle, so this is really rewarding.

Jessica Huras is a Canadian actor and filmmaker, and Bing! Bang! Bi! is her latest short film, which she wrote, directed and starred in. The film is a personal exploration of representation of bisexuality on the screen and is currently screening at Frameline International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, then at the Inside Out Film Festival in October. Find out more about the movie and Jessica below.

Hi Jessica, thank you for answering our questions today for Defective Geeks! Please tell us about your new short film, Bing! Bang! Bi! What inspired the story and the title?

The film is a bi-visibility, slice of life, comedic short that follows Morgan– a recently single, struggling actor, who is trying to navigate her sexuality and express herself amongst her oldest friends after arriving in her hometown for an unusual gig. I wanted to write a screenplay that was personal and meant something to me. My process was inspired by a scene I had observed between two exes who hadn’t seen each other for almost 20 years. By contemplating the fluid nature of relationships and love gone by, I started to zero in on what I really wanted to explore– the intricacies of being bisexual. The title is a play on the song at the end of the film. That Sophia Loren track really encapsulates the buoyant and slightly vintage feel I wanted the film to have.

PADMAVYUHA is Raj Krishna’s latest thriller film starring Nikhil Prakash, Ross Turner and Pooja Batra, which is set to hit the film festival circuit in 2020, starting with the North Carolina South and East Asian Hollywood Film Festival (NCISAFF). Krishna delves and pulls inspiration from faith and mythology for the setting of his story’s mystery. Find out more below.

Hello Raj, thank you so much for answering our questions. Can you tell us about your film, PADMAVYUHA. What is it about and what inspired the whole premise of the story?

Padmavyuha is a unique Indian-American production, a mystery thriller. It’s about a mysterious phone call that draws a religious studies professor into a dark labyrinth of mystic puzzles– the answer to which could shake the foundations of the world’s religions. I wanted it to be a trippy, edge-of-your-seat thriller, whilst also being a comprehensive, balanced lesson in Indian history. I followed the good old-fashioned filmmaking advice and made the movie I would want to see on opening night.

At eight-years-old, Carina Battrick’s rising success as an actor shows her passion for performing. Her upcoming film– Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut– Falling will be set to screen at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival this month. Read more about Carina and the movie below!

Hi Carina! Tell us about your upcoming film, FALLING– what is it about and what role do you play in it?

Falling is a family drama spanning over many generations. It is a story of the relationships we form with our loved ones and how those connections affect the life we lead as adults. In this film, I play the role of younger Sarah and what I really liked is how the relationship between my character and her father is portrayed when she grows up. How small moments that we might think are not big at the time can really have a big impact on who we end up becoming 30 years later.

Leanne Noelle Smith took a leap into creativity and never looked back. Today, she is working on multiple projects, including Vasilios Filipakkis’ web series, FAK YAASS, about a dysfunctional Greek family and the main character’s struggle to have them accept his sexuality. Learn more about Leanne and her role in the show below!

Hi Leanne, welcome to Defective Geeks! Tells us about yourself and your journey into becoming an actor. Did you always know you wanted to become an actress? What inspired you?

It has been quite the interesting journey from when I was a kid dancing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to today, being the actress/producer that I am. It all started with me in ballet from the age of 5, I loved performing and always have. I grew up with some incredible mentors that always inspired me, went on tours, started modeling– and then found myself drawn to acting back in high school.

Along the Water’s Edge is written and directed by Jonathan Elliott, a film set in the near future that explores the long term impacts of the water crises among Indigenous communities across Canada. Actor, Nadia George, stars in the film and talks to Defective Geeks about what the movie means to her.

Tell us about your upcoming short film, Along the Water’s Edge–– what does the movie and your role in it represent? How did you become involved with the movie?

I was fortunate to be offered the role. I had the pleasure of working with Writer and Director Jon Elliot before, on the film, Her Water Drum, back in 2018. Jon reached out to me and explained the concept of the film and wanted my thoughts on it and asked me if I would also do the narration. I’ve always been a big fan of Jon’s work, and was honored that he had thought of me for this project. The topic of the water crisis is also one that sits close to home for me, as my father’s health was once affected by contaminated water; so It was important to me to be a part of this story.

As millennials, we are often boxed into very specific generational stereotypes. In Avocado Toast the series, Perrie Voss and Heidi Lynch hopes to give the viewers a more complex representation on the lives of two women growing into their relationships, sexuality and experiences. The series premieres on Amazon Prime on May 18th– learn more about the show and creators below!

Hi Perrie and Heidi, thank you for answering our questions today. Please tell us about Avocado Toast the series– what is the show about and what inspired the title itself?

Heidi Lynch: The show is about female friendship and mother/daughter relationships. We explore bisexual millennial coming out stories and coming to terms with watching baby boomer parents fall in love again. That article about millennials, mortgages and avocado toast. We wanted something symbolic for causing a wedge between our millennial and baby boomer characters.

Francis Luta directed a once-in-a-lifetime documentary in collaboration with explorer, Adam Shoalts. In this interview, he talks about the challenges of filming Alone Across the Artic and how he became a filmmaker. Read more below!

Hi Francis, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions! Your documentary, Alone Across the Arctic, looks gorgeous and incredibly intense at the same time. How did you get involved with explorer, Adam Shoalts and what inspired you to film his journey?

Thank you. I made a short film with Adam back in 2015 entitled Explorer where I basically introduce him as this modern day explorer. I went camping with him where we shot tons of b-roll showcasing his survival skills. I didn’t really think anything would come out of making the short up until he invited me to make a film about his next expedition. You don’t get an invite like that every day, so I said Yes! with wide eyes and creative wheels turning without fully grasping the enormity of the project. What’s most inspiring for me is his level of focus and dedication to his craft. I respect what he does because he does it so well, so even-keeled and so logistical. I got sucked into it and to this day I carry that same level of focus and dedication to what I do best. It’s the kind of expedition that can only happen once and we captured it.