The Beast In Me Manifesto

After years of stomping around the Toronto punk scene in the nineties, working on independent
art/filmmaking projects, engaging in social activism and working with youth in vulnerable communities, I
realized that I had a passion for connecting with others through the sharing of stories.
I am passionate about human and nonhuman stories framed within the systems, structures and forces that
shape our prejudices and inform our values. My interest in nonfiction focuses on the historical, social and
cultural connections to lend insight into vulnerabilities and challenges in the age of mass migration,
extinction, and global crises.

My film manifesto project interrogates animal representation and cinema to question how humans
encounter animals on screen. This project offers a new inquiry into the ways we as viewers are complicit
in animal exploitation through the cinematic experience. The manifesto style of filmmaking works to
disrupt commonly held views about animals and their agency. These unprecedented times call for the
labour of care to include animals with the hopes to create a kinder, more empathetic future.