My pictures of “Amy George” World Premiere Q&A at 2011 Toronto Film Festival + capsule review

On Thursday, September 15, 2011 I attended the gala World Premiere of Amy George at the Toronto International Film Festival. The sold-out screening took place at the AMC Yonge & Dundas 24. The film was a selection in the Canada First! section.

Rarely does a coming-of-age story do justice to the young people it portrays. In the case of this wondrous little Canadian gem from the team of Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas, who wrote, directed, photographed, and edited the film, the line is blurred between truth and fiction largely due to the project's clever cinema verite-style production and unscripted feel. The film's emotional grip stems from the heartfelt performance of 13-year-old Gabriel del Castillo Mullally as Jesse, an adolescent who follows the titular Amy George (Emily Henry) like a lost puppy. Ironically, Amy has indeed lost her dog in the film and, while she and Jesse search for her beloved "Prokosh," taboos will be broken and both will begin to travel the bumpy road to sexual discovery. In his very first role (and first audition), Mullally's touching performance is one of the most authentic and affecting portrayals of a young boy on the verge of manhood in any recent film I've seen.

Co-writers/directors/cinematographers/editors Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas were joined onstage after the screening for a Q&A with 13-year-old star Gabriel del Castillo Mullally.

Here are some pictures I shot during the Q&A:


Q&A GALLERY (23 photos)