Four Filmmakers Discuss How Toronto Film School Helped Their Careers – The Hollywood Reporter

This story was created in paid partnership with the Toronto Film School.

“I can’t explain exactly what the decision was—I just knew writing was the one thing I haven’t tried, and it was so scary because it’s so vulnerable to share your story,” writer and producer Jen Bendle shared, recalling how she first got into film. “I wanted to get my hands dirty—to get into the industry and find the school that would give me the best chance. So that’s when I applied, and it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Bendle came to film late in life, in 2020: After getting her undergraduate degree in biological sciences, she taught rock climbing and had spent a decade building a longstanding career in Human Resources. At the time, Bendle was happy with her professional pursuits—until the COVID-19 pandemic and its introspective isolation made her realize she was serious about turning her passion for writing into a career.

“I was in my 30s, and I was like, I’m not getting any younger. I was always constantly filling up notebooks and journals, writing stories. I would never share them, but it was something innate inside of me. I would watch a show or whole season and write spec scripts with dialogue and action, just not knowing the terms—until I went to Toronto Film School in 2020,” she said.

Despite the pandemic’s enormous impact across all industries, Canada’s multi-billion-dollar TV and film industry has never been stronger. In Toronto alone, the screen production industry spent a record-breaking $2.5 billion in film, TV, and digital media. In the next five years, the city is projected to boast more than 10,000 new jobs in the screen industry. Due to a combination of highly talented crews, Canadian tax incentives and vast, sweeping landscapes, Hollywood location shooting is also soaring across the country—experiencing a 20 percent jump in foreign film production between 2021 and 2022 alone. 

This year especially, filmmaking as a career has been in the spotlight more than ever, as conversations around the role of generative (AI) technology in acting & screenwriting and the Hollywood strikes continue to dominate the news. But as recent concessions by studio executives have shown, exploring a career in film and TV remains a stable choice—especially as the recent WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have proven just how critical writers and actors are in bringing a story to life on the silver screen. Beyond screenwriting, craft careers and skilled labor also remain highly in demand: Line producers, accountants, camera operators, and sound mixers continue to be vital professions that are required on each set, with qualified labor in short supply at these levels of production.

But while training great talent continues to be a priority in the industry, diversity—both in front of and behind the camera—is more top of mind than ever. For Bendle, creating space for women in her work was a key tenet in her short film RUNNERS, a specially-selected project Toronto Film School helped produce using the school’s studio and resources. “Learning and growing in the industry, I’ve seen a lot of it being male dominated,” Bendle explained. “For my first film, it was important for me to have an all-female-identifying set.” 

Fellow TFS screenwriting alumnus Caleigh Bacchus similarly values increasing diversity in the industry. For the 2018 valedictorian of the Writing for Film and Television Diploma, ideas being discussed in writers’ rooms come from the world around us—”film and TV reflects social issues that are going on, and stories about the future that you want to see,” Bacchus explained—so it’s extremely important for filmmakers to represent a world as thoughtful and diverse as they hope for the future to be.

While inclusive writing is vital for ensuring that thoughtful stories continue to be told across backgrounds, promoting diversity both on and off the camera is necessary for creating a truly impactful shift: “I feel that we can be more intentional about having people of color, people in the LGBTQ community, and people of all genders in every department, so that those voices are represented in every aspect of the production,” Bacchus said. 

In the last few years however, cinematographer and TFS alum Laura Loaiza, has definitely seen a notable difference in the field since starting her career in 2017. “When I was starting as a trainee, I would be the only woman in the camera departments I worked in, and I feel like that’s 100% changed,” Loaiza reminisced. Now, she’ll often work with talented women across all departments, including camera. “There are so many more women than before, and I hope it continues to grow.”

Indigenous filmmaker and TFS’ 2022 Video Production Valedictorian Shelby Adams actually began her career in film with dreams of being an actor. “I always loved everything I watched on TV and was trying to find ways to get through the door,” she recounted. But discrimination when it comes to casting has always been a battle, and Adams found she could make an even more impactful difference behind the camera.

Growing up on the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation on the border of Ontario, Quebec and NY state, Adams’ cultural roots dramatically shaped her upbringing. “Where I grew up in my district, my backyard was basically a river. My father, who was a fisherman, hunter, and iron worker, and I—we pretty much lived off the land,” she shared. But one profound moment in her adolescence helped her understand early in life just how much of a difference her work can make. “I remember watching a black-and-white Cowboys and Indians film, and when it was almost over, he changed the channel.” 

“I was like, ‘Why did you do that? I wanted to see who wins.’ He said, ‘The Cowboys always win.’ And, you know, according to my father, the Indians were never gonna win on TV. So I get to change the narrative now—and I’m very excited and proud that I get to witness that.”

For each and every one of these women, their time at Toronto Film School was vital for getting them to where they are today: The school’s foundational tenets of diversity, equity, and capacity-building initiatives place a strong focus on removing barriers that prevent historically marginalized communities from entering the industry. Experienced, award-winning faculty—with an expansive network of industry connections—help prepare women to succeed in the industry, and support them as colleagues after graduation. 

Bendle, who works as a Creative Executive at Andrew Gunn’s production company (known for hits like Freaky Friday and Cruella) attributes much of her prowess to the valuable experience she got learning how to do table reads at TFS. “They really teach you how to go through each script, find the structural elements of the story—the voice, character, motivations, dialogue—quickly and efficiently. And I think if I didn’t get all of that experience, it’d take me a day to read each script when it now takes me 1-2 hours,” she explained. Adams echoed that sentiment: “I received an array of technical skills that helped me level up; TFS helped me develop this very good, solid portfolio, and build connections with like-minded students and professors.”

Now a permanent writer on Murdoch Mysteries, one of Canada’s most successful and longest-running drama series, Bacchus also credits TFS for helping her break into a “mysterious industry” by giving her direct networking opportunities: “This class basically taught you the entire basis of this industry, which is networking, and I took advantage of a specific school project to reach out to four people—two of which turned into small jobs for me when I graduated,” Bacchus shared.

Loaiza, who’s now worked on major films like The Man from Toronto, put it best. “One of the things that I learned at TFS is how each department works and how all the different parts of the process—like pre-production, production, and post—all come together. So if you’re in a situation like me, where you have no idea of exactly where you want to go, or how any of it works, then film school is essential.”

This story was created in paid partnership with the Toronto Film School.

“I can’t explain exactly what the decision was—I just knew writing was the one thing I haven’t tried, and it was so scary because it’s so vulnerable to share your story,” writer and producer Jen Bendle shared, recalling how she first got into film. “I wanted to get my hands dirty—to get into the industry and find the school that would give me the best chance. So that’s when I applied, and it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Bendle came to film late in life, in 2020: After getting her undergraduate degree in biological sciences, she taught rock climbing and had spent a decade building a longstanding career in Human Resources. At the time, Bendle was happy with her professional pursuits—until the COVID-19 pandemic and its introspective isolation made her realize she was serious about turning her passion for writing into a career.

“I was in my 30s, and I was like, I’m not getting any younger. I was always constantly filling up notebooks and journals, writing stories. I would never share them, but it was something innate inside of me. I would watch a show or whole season and write spec scripts with dialogue and action, just not knowing the terms—until I went to Toronto Film School in 2020,” she said.

Despite the pandemic’s enormous impact across all industries, Canada’s multi-billion-dollar TV and film industry has never been stronger. In Toronto alone, the screen production industry spent a record-breaking $2.5 billion in film, TV, and digital media. In the next five years, the city is projected to boast more than 10,000 new jobs in the screen industry. Due to a combination of highly talented crews, Canadian tax incentives and vast, sweeping landscapes, Hollywood location shooting is also soaring across the country—experiencing a 20 percent jump in foreign film production between 2021 and 2022 alone. 

This year especially, filmmaking as a career has been in the spotlight more than ever, as conversations around the role of generative (AI) technology in acting & screenwriting and the Hollywood strikes continue to dominate the news. But as recent concessions by studio executives have shown, exploring a career in film and TV remains a stable choice—especially as the recent WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes have proven just how critical writers and actors are in bringing a story to life on the silver screen. Beyond screenwriting, craft careers and skilled labor also remain highly in demand: Line producers, accountants, camera operators, and sound mixers continue to be vital professions that are required on each set, with qualified labor in short supply at these levels of production.

But while training great talent continues to be a priority in the industry, diversity—both in front of and behind the camera—is more top of mind than ever. For Bendle, creating space for women in her work was a key tenet in her short film RUNNERS, a specially-selected project Toronto Film School helped produce using the school’s studio and resources. “Learning and growing in the industry, I’ve seen a lot of it being male dominated,” Bendle explained. “For my first film, it was important for me to have an all-female-identifying set.” 

Fellow TFS screenwriting alumnus Caleigh Bacchus similarly values increasing diversity in the industry. For the 2018 valedictorian of the Writing for Film and Television Diploma, ideas being discussed in writers’ rooms come from the world around us—”film and TV reflects social issues that are going on, and stories about the future that you want to see,” Bacchus explained—so it’s extremely important for filmmakers to represent a world as thoughtful and diverse as they hope for the future to be.

While inclusive writing is vital for ensuring that thoughtful stories continue to be told across backgrounds, promoting diversity both on and off the camera is necessary for creating a truly impactful shift: “I feel that we can be more intentional about having people of color, people in the LGBTQ community, and people of all genders in every department, so that those voices are represented in every aspect of the production,” Bacchus said. 

In the last few years however, cinematographer and TFS alum Laura Loaiza, has definitely seen a notable difference in the field since starting her career in 2017. “When I was starting as a trainee, I would be the only woman in the camera departments I worked in, and I feel like that’s 100% changed,” Loaiza reminisced. Now, she’ll often work with talented women across all departments, including camera. “There are so many more women than before, and I hope it continues to grow.”

Indigenous filmmaker and TFS’ 2022 Video Production Valedictorian Shelby Adams actually began her career in film with dreams of being an actor. “I always loved everything I watched on TV and was trying to find ways to get through the door,” she recounted. But discrimination when it comes to casting has always been a battle, and Adams found she could make an even more impactful difference behind the camera.

Growing up on the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation on the border of Ontario, Quebec and NY state, Adams’ cultural roots dramatically shaped her upbringing. “Where I grew up in my district, my backyard was basically a river. My father, who was a fisherman, hunter, and iron worker, and I—we pretty much lived off the land,” she shared. But one profound moment in her adolescence helped her understand early in life just how much of a difference her work can make. “I remember watching a black-and-white Cowboys and Indians film, and when it was almost over, he changed the channel.” 

“I was like, ‘Why did you do that? I wanted to see who wins.’ He said, ‘The Cowboys always win.’ And, you know, according to my father, the Indians were never gonna win on TV. So I get to change the narrative now—and I’m very excited and proud that I get to witness that.”

For each and every one of these women, their time at Toronto Film School was vital for getting them to where they are today: The school’s foundational tenets of diversity, equity, and capacity-building initiatives place a strong focus on removing barriers that prevent historically marginalized communities from entering the industry. Experienced, award-winning faculty—with an expansive network of industry connections—help prepare women to succeed in the industry, and support them as colleagues after graduation. 

Bendle, who works as a Creative Executive at Andrew Gunn’s production company (known for hits like Freaky Friday and Cruella) attributes much of her prowess to the valuable experience she got learning how to do table reads at TFS. “They really teach you how to go through each script, find the structural elements of the story—the voice, character, motivations, dialogue—quickly and efficiently. And I think if I didn’t get all of that experience, it’d take me a day to read each script when it now takes me 1-2 hours,” she explained. Adams echoed that sentiment: “I received an array of technical skills that helped me level up; TFS helped me develop this very good, solid portfolio, and build connections with like-minded students and professors.”

Now a permanent writer on Murdoch Mysteries, one of Canada’s most successful and longest-running drama series, Bacchus also credits TFS for helping her break into a “mysterious industry” by giving her direct networking opportunities: “This class basically taught you the entire basis of this industry, which is networking, and I took advantage of a specific school project to reach out to four people—two of which turned into small jobs for me when I graduated,” Bacchus shared.

Loaiza, who’s now worked on major films like The Man from Toronto, put it best. “One of the things that I learned at TFS is how each department works and how all the different parts of the process—like pre-production, production, and post—all come together. So if you’re in a situation like me, where you have no idea of exactly where you want to go, or how any of it works, then film school is essential.”