Get out your sweaters and parkas, it’s time for the Winter Semester for the Acting for Film, TV & Theatre Diploma Program.

We have 10 acting sections and our largest intake ever for a January start. The word is out! It is all due to our exciting and passionate faculty along with a diverse and complete acting program that we offer you at Toronto Film School.

As a new year’s resolution, we want to encourage you to commit to the work, dive into the characters you create and make bold and risky choices in your performances.

If you are new to the program, break down all barriers that inhibit your creativity and network with as many filmmakers, writers, actors, video game developers and design students that you can. Congratulations for taking this step.

The cross integration between programs at TFS has never been more active than now. Some of this term’s acting program collaborations with other departments include:

• TFS actors starring and working on Film Production sets
• Film Production students helping to produce our Term 6 greenlit Films
• Actors’ Voiceovers being used by Video Game designers
• Writing Diploma students pitching scripts to our Term 5 Acting Students for the greenlight competition
• Graphic Design Diploma students are creating more dynamic packages for our Term 5 pitches
• Acting students modelling unique designs during runway shows for the Fashion Design students.

An important reminder, our resident instructor (and all around great guy) Omar Zamir, will be running the TFS General Auditions. This is an online platform for acting students to record a monologue on camera, and then have Omar post it online for TFS directors/producers who use it to cast their films. If you have not auditioned for the generals or want to update your monologue with something new and improved, we urge you to contact Omar at OZAMIR@YORKVILLEU.CA

Our graduates are continuing to thrive in the industry and are getting scooped up by the best talent agents in the city. Already we have graduates represented by:

• Noble Kaplan Abrams
• Talent House
• Characters
• Butler Ruston Bell
• Ambition Talent
• AMP Talent

Graduates have gone on to direct, produce, write and star in several films that have premiered at TIFF, Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and Toronto Film School’s Festival of Films. They have also made appearances in both commercials and tv series including Degrassi, Covert Affairs, Rookie Blue, Hannibal, Odd Squad, Mr. D, and the new HBO series Sensitive Skin. These are big shoes to fill and we could not be more proud.

Caroline Smith is returning for her first Winter Term 5 play after an extremely successful run of Camera Cabaret last summer. The show title will be officially announced shortly and will run the weekend of March 18^th at The Pia Bouman Theater. As well, our ever-popular acting showcases will be between March 18^th and March 25^th.  Do not book flights or trains until the showcase week is over.  Stay tuned for specific times.

We’d also like to congratulate our 2 x Term 6 graduating classes who will be starting production on their short films. Under the leadership of Yale Massey and Tony Del Rio, the directors will be on location and in studios for the first half of the semester. Make sure to inquire with the directors as to whether they are holding auditions for acting program students or feel free to participate as extras for those who need them.

Stay warm and focused, have an incredible term and strive towards bettering yourselves in every possible way. We are honoured to continue the journey with you.

Hart Massey & Michael Ayoub are the Coordinators of The Acting for Film, TV, and Theatre Program. Hart is also an actor and producer, known for Last Monday (2010), Ordinary Magic (1993) and The Film Student (2011). Michael is a graduate of the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City, under the brilliant Sanford Meisner. As an actor, director, producer and teacher, Michael has been an active force in the business for over forty years.