After nine years of publishing, Toronto Film Scene decided to close their digital doors this past weekend. I was a contributor to the site for just under half of Toronto Film Scene’s existence, though I had decided to step down from my role last month and seek other opportunities. However, I do cherish the time that I spent at this online film magazine.
I would be lying if I said that my time at Toronto Film Scene didn’t challenge me to become a better writer. For much of my time as a contributor, I was required to write at least one long-form editorial a month, which often required much thought and research. I also had to come out of my introverted shell and conduct a number of interviews for Toronto Film Scene. Some of my interviewees over the course of my time with Toronto Film Scene included Jeremy LaLonde, Ingrid Veninger, Valerie Buhagiar, and Geoff Pevere, among others.
I was still a relatively new writer for Toronto Film Scene when I wrote a review for Ingrid Veninger’s The Animal Project, as part of a magazine’s coverage of TIFF 2013. A few months later, a quote from the review was included in the trailer for The Animal Project, marking the first time I received such as pull quote. For me, this moment validated nearly a decade of hard work writing online. To my knowledge, I’ve received only one trailer quote since The Animal Project, however this is an accomplishment that I am really proud of.
Toronto Film Scene was not the first website I was a contributor for, but it was the first that had a truly meaningful effect on my development as a film writer. I will make sure to take what I have learned and apply it to all of my future endeavours.
Thank you Trista and Will.
