Closet Monster (film)
| Closet Monster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Stephen Dunn |
| Written by | Stephen Dunn |
| Starring | Connor Jessup Joanne Kelly Aaron Abrams Isabella Rossellini Mary Walsh |
| Cinematography | Bobby Shore |
| Edited by | Bryan Atkinson |
| Music by | Todor Kobakov Maya Postepski |
| Distributed by | Elevation Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Closet Monster is a 2015 Canadian drama film written and directed by Stephen Dunn and starring Connor Jessup, released in 2015. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Canadian Feature.[1] Dunn was subsequently chosen for the Len Blum TIFF screenwriting residency.[citation needed]
The film went into general theatrical release in July 2016.[2]
Plot
The film stars Connor Jessup as Oscar Madly, a creative and sexually confused teenager who retreats into a fantasy world to deal with his sense of isolation. The film's cast also includes Joanne Kelly and Aaron Abrams as Oscar's parents, and Isabella Rossellini as the voice of his talking pet hamster.
Production
Closet Monster is Dunn's debut feature film. The film is inspired by Dunn's experiences growing up as a gay teenager in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Dunn said a series of gay hate crimes in St. John's when he was growing up had a strong impact on him, his coming out and dealings with internalized homophobia.[3]
The film was shot primarily in St. John's,[4] with an additional scene shot on Fogo Island,[5] and is a Rhombus Media and Best Boy Entertainment production. The film was funded and produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Newfoundland & Labrador Film Development Corporation, The Harold Greenberg Fund and Rogers Telefund. The film will be distributed by Elevation Pictures in Canada, with Fortissimo Films handling international sales.
Reception
The film won the award for Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.[6] In December, the film was announced as part of TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten screening series of the ten best Canadian films of the year.[7]
The film currently holds a score of 81% on Metacritic based on 11 reviews.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "Cannes: ‘Closet Monster’ and ‘P.O.V.’ Make Market Debuts at Fortissimo". Variety, May 12, 2015.
- ^ "Closet Monster, a home-grown award-winning film, debuts in St. John's". CBC News, July 22, 2016.
- ^ Dunn, Stephen (October 26, 2015). Closet Monster director says film inspired by his own life (YouTube video). Daily Xtra. Event occurs at 0:18. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
{{cite AV media}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "St. John's Film to Premiere at TIFF". VOCM, August 6, 2015.
- ^ Allen, Jessica (July 21, 2016). "How Closet Monster director Stephen Dunn tried to sell his film with cupcakes". MetroNews.ca.
- ^ "Stephen Dunn's 'Closet Monster' Wins Toronto's Best Canadian Feature Award". IndieWire, September 20, 2015.
- ^ "TIFF reveals Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival line-up". The Globe and Mail, December 8, 2015.
- ^ "Closet Monster Metacritic listing" (http://www.metacritic.com/movie/closet-monster). Metacritic. Accessed January 10, 2017.