Finally, a movie about 20-somethings from Mississauga

“A labour of love is just getting to do what you love under some great circumstances with some great people,” says Julian De Zotti. Julian is a Toronto actor and the star/producer of New Year a coming of age movie about twenty-somethings in Mississauga. He and I are at Darkhorse on Queen East sitting near the window. The sun is blinding and we have to squint to see each other.

When Julian emailed me out of the blue about New Year, I was intrigued for two reasons. One, it’s an amazing feat for an actor to make a movie in Canada, especially without government support. It was, as Julian says, “all private money, family and friends and our own investments.” And two, I think a twenty-something coming of age story is apt nowadays.

“New Year is particular to this generation. It’s difficult to figure out what your passion is because of the options and the choices out there. It’s the idea of figuring out what you want to do with your life and growing up at the same time. With other generations, you didn’t have much of choice. You had to support your family, bottom line. Now, you come out of school and there are so many choices and so many opportunities. Instead of being decisive, you feel really overwhelmed. This idea of figuring out your life and following your passion, it’s a luxury, but a weighted one.”

…continue reading on Blog T.O.

Why Art is Not A Luxury

Want art? Pay for it yourself.

That was the resounding, if disturbing, cry of many readers in response to a recent column about Parkdale Street Writers, a free writing workshop for youth ages 16 to 25.

Many of you decried the idea that a penny of public money can go to support such programs. One reader compared funding the arts to buying booze at the LCBO when you’re on a limited income.

Despite the misconception that artists are all somehow bloated dabblers living off the public purse, the vast majority of artists go it alone. They do not write a song or paint a picture or lead a workshop for money and fame. They do not do it for a government cheque.

“It has to be about more than dollars and cents,” says Claudio Chiodo, 34, a Toronto actor and producer. “You do it because you can’t not do it. There’s a part of my heart that doesn’t function when I’m not creating art.”

Chiodo and his partners, Julian Dezotti and Phil Borg, have just completed their first independent feature film: New Year. It was a gruelling labour of love.

…read more by Rachel Sa in the Toronto Sun.