2015 Emerging Artist Award Finalist

Chelsea McMullan is a filmmaker whose works have premiered at Sundance, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the New York Photography Festival. Her award-winning shorts have been featured by Nowness, Dazed Digital, Vice and Vogue Italia. Whenever possible, Chelsea inhabits the space between documentary and fiction filmmaking. She is a member of the artists’ co-operative What Matters Most and a secret but fervent topiary enthusiast. 

Why do you think the arts are important?

I think that to build culture you need art – those two things are synonymous. It contributes to a city and enhances people’s lives; it’s pretty much integral. Art is what draws people to places. It’s usually the heart-beat of a city.

Where can we find you when you’re not working?

When I’m not working, you can probably find me on the basketball court. I’m a basketball fanatic. I play 4 nights a week in a women’s league and a mixed league, and then on Sundays I play with a group of people at Dufferin Grove Park. Basketball is a real release for me. All the people I play with are filmmakers, or film critics, and artists; it’s an outlet for all of us, this arts community that plays basketball together.

What was your reaction after finding out that you’re a finalist for the Emerging Artist Award?

My legs felt like jelly. Whenever something exciting happens, my legs turn numb. It was sort of a visceral reaction. It’s pretty exciting to be recognized for your craft, especially within your peers, your community, and your city. It’s a big honour.

Can you describe your style of work?

I like to explore the grey matter of things, the in-between spaces. The things that attract me are issues that aren’t straightforward. My most recent film explored how we approach gender and the ambiguity and the spaces in-between. I tried to approach it formally in a way that would represent that space.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The thing I enjoy most is that I can become a chameleon; I embed myself in different communities and in the lives of people that in my normal day-to-day life I might not normally come into contact with. No two days are the same.

I love becoming different versions of myself and incorporating myself into different situations, and I love telling stories. Representing ideas and people visually is something I’ve always wanted to do; I’m really lucky to be able to do it for a living.

Anything else you’d like to add?

As artists, we’re really lucky to be supported by institutions like the Toronto Arts Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council – it has kept me going, and has allowed me to push my art outside of commercial spaces.

chelseamcmullan.com