Tell us about yourself.
I’ve had my website ForReel since 2018. I am now a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic and mostly review newly released films and film festival selections. My reviews for films come as either written reviews or video reviews, depending on how much time I have to publish them. And I find it thoroughly rewarding to also be an Editor In Chief where I publish the work of ForReel writers and content creators from across North America and the UK.
What are your top four films of all time?
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy
- Primer
- The Iron Giant
- Inception
Who are your top four directors?
- Christopher Nolan
- John Carney
- Brad Bird
- Damien Chazelle
What is your favourite decade for film?
The 2000’s (technically, 1999-2009)
How did you get started covering film?
I started out as just sharing my thoughts with friends and family on Facebook. But as the three sentence posts started extending into three paragraph posts, I started realizing maybe I needed a better platform for sharing my thoughts. And thus, ForReel became a thing.
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
The Fellowship of the Ring
What is the biggest moment in your career so far?
There are a few milestones that have defined my career in film journalism and criticism. The first would be interviewing a filmmaker named Mark Gillis for his UK film called Sink in 2019. It was a small low budget project, but this was my first time ever interviewing a filmmaker and since then, I have interviewed hundreds of filmmakers, actors, and behind the scenes talent. The second milestone would be applying for Fantasia 2020 press credentials and being accepted to cover that festival virtually during the pandemic. Like many other film critics and journalists, the pandemic turned out to be an opportune time to cover film festivals we otherwise wouldn’t have access to. Fantasia was the first festival I had ever officially applied for, so being accepted to cover that festival was an empowering moment to do the same for other prominent fests. That year, I successfully covered VIFF, AFI, Sundance, SXSW, SIFF, Tribeca, and TIFF virtually.
But probably the biggest milestone was when I finally attended TIFF in-person in 2022. I had already had my foot in the door with the fest covering it virtually and successfully completing their Media Inclusion Initiative, so with restrictions lifting and events going back in person, I decided to make the leap from the convenience of virtual festival coverage to covering it in person. I learned so much in this trip, including how to cover a red carpet, how to schedule and prepare for in person interviews, and how to continue growing a following on social media. Not to mention how incredible it was to meet up with friends and contacts I had only connected and associated with online. It was the same feeling when I was accepted to cover Sundance in person, and the experience I’ve gained with these two festivals is what I’d consider my biggest achievement in my career so far. With every step, I’ve had to evolve my website to accommodate the wide variety of content I write, produce, and publish, and the evolution of ForReel has been wonderful to develop.
What is your favourite piece of content you have produced?
My TIFF 2023 Interview with Fingernails director Christos Nikou! This was my first time conducting a professionally filmed interview. It was an exhilarating experience that put everything I had learned about professionally conducting interviews into play. I don’t know, it just felt so legit.
What is the farthest you have traveled to see a film or cover a festival?
As of now, my treks from Bellingham to Toronto for TIFF is the farthest. I have my sights set for overseas in 2025 though.
Where is your favourite place to sit in a theater?
This depends on the theater. Here’s the breakdown:
Traditional theater seating: Close to the aisle. But if there’s a balcony, I’ll also take the first row of that balcony.
Stadium seating theater: 3/4 of the way up in the middle. Unless it’s a Regal with a row along to the walking aisle that has a railing. Then anywhere on that row.
IMAX theater: Dead center, except for IMAX 3D, then the very farthest back row because the 3D effect is best the further you are from the screen.
Tell us about your local film scene (what you like about it, things you wished it had)?
Bellingham has a bit of a film scene. Here’s what I know about it:
- There are a number of smaller production companies who are aspiring to or actively trying to break into filmmaking.
- We do have an independent cinema (Pickford Film Center) that makes big efforts to sustain a culture of film apprecation and local filmmaking.
- We also have some prominent festivals in the area, including Pickford’s Doctober Fest, Cascadia Women’s International Film Festival, and (a litte further out in the San Juan Islands), Orcas Island Film Festival.
- Seattle has more going on of course, but on that scale, there’s so much more I’d like to see for endorsing local filmmakers and filmmaking.
Look forward to more in depth member profiles coming soon!