Jonathan Culp

Jonathan Culp (born March 22, 1971) is a Canadian underground filmmaker, whose work includes found-footage collage, Super 8, and activist documentary as well as narrative projects. Working independently out of Toronto, Canada, Culp has produced or co-produced over forty short films and videos since 1995.

Culp’s work is typified by its confrontational tone, rhythmic counterpoint of sound and image elements, and acidic references to mass media. In late 2005 Culp completed his first feature, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, a 90-minute comedy about a revolutionary high school grilled cheese sandwich club. His most recent video, It Can Happen Here (2006), is a complex and emotional fusion of documentary, collage, and personal modes.

Long active in the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT), in 1997 Culp helped found the Toronto Video Activist Collective (TVAC); he was injured by riot police while documenting protests at the 2001 Quebec City Protests. Along with Siue Moffat, he also initiated the Satan Macnuggit Video Road Show, which has screened eclectic programs of underground video in alternative venues across Canada. He has written about film and filmmaking for Broken Pencil, Clamor and Canadian Dimension magazines.

Feature films

• Grilled Cheese Sandwich (2005)

Short films

• It Can Happen Here (2006)
• Supplement (2005)
• Ghost Squat (2005)
• Eventually (2005)
• Death Mask (2004)
• HERE 75 Picket (2004)
• Plasticman and the Justice League (2002)
• Capt. Do-Gooder in "Help the Needy" (2002)
• OCAP Strikes Back (2001)
• How Does It Work? (2001)
• Knife Machine (2000)
• Maple Grove: An Ontario School (2000)
• Homeless on the Hill (1999)
• Chew It, Somalia! (1998)
• Our Vacation Trip (1998)
• Landescapes (1998)
• The Boob (1998)
• Action! (1997)
• Jonathan Culp! (1996)
• Bark (1995)