L
ocal filmmaker James Fanizza doesn’t want to make stereotypical LGBTQ films. His goal, instead, is to shape the film industry by bringing queer context, including realistic storylines and relatable characters, to life for his audiences. As an actor-turned-filmmaker, Fanizza has written, directed and starred in three short film projects – Sebastian, You Are Free and Jackie – before getting to work on his first feature-length film (also named Sebastian), which is an expansion of his first short. Fanizza wrapped shooting on the set of Sebastian late last year and he spent the spring editing the project. Then, on May 26, the film made its world premiere at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival in Toronto – the ultimate homecoming for Fanizza, who is originally from “Hollywood North,” but relocated to Arizona with his husband of two-and-a-half years in February of 2016.
The Prequel According to Fanizza, his interest in acting developed while he was attending York University. It was there that he took his first acting classes, a collective experience that shaped him in such a profound way that he changed his major from law to theater.
The Mandate By creating quality LGBTQ content that explores deeper issues, Fanizza hopes to make an impact on the film industry – and society as a whole. “I will definitely always make LGBT[Q] films. That’s my mandate as a filmmaker, to add as much queer content to the world as possible,” he said. “I think the world needs more LGBT[Q] films … There’s still a lot of people who don’t accept queer people, and there’s still a lot of people struggling with coming out. I think the more content we can put out, particularly in the mainstream media, the more that will change.” With ongoing issues of violence and prejudice toward LGBTQ people, Fanizza said it is important to promote tolerance and acceptance of one’s self. He tries to play his part in achieving this by presenting multifaceted characters with which members of the LGBTQ community can identify. “Creating safe spaces for LGBT[Q]
people is not only physical, it’s creating mental safe spaces as well, through mediums like film and television,” he said. “… how do we do create this mental safe space? How do we reach out to that boy scared to come out of the closet? How do we reach that trans woman who is afraid to use a public restroom? We do this by creating a film with [LGBTQ] characters in the spotlight that portrays them as normal, complex characters; by not shying away from issues that pertain to the queer experience; by creating characters that are not afraid to stand proud.”
The Cast of Characters Fanizza’s experience auditioning for films also sparked his desire to develop more diverse and complex LGBTQ characters. “I found there wasn’t a lot of queer content, and when I did audition for one of those roles, it was very stereotypical stuff, almost borderline offensive,” Fanizza recalled. “I was kind tired of seeing onedimensional characters, particularly queer characters, in the media.”
“It just really spoke to me,” Fanizza said about his initial introduction to what would become his craft. “I also felt like I was naturally pretty good at it … I just really like the feeling of being onstage and stepping into character, and just being creative.” Growing up, Fanizza admits that the closest experience he had to performing on a stage was playing sports. And the closest thing to film influence he received from his family was watching such classics as The Godfather: Part 2 with his dad and grandfather. By his third year of college, however, Fanizza was auditioning for commercials and films. As a result, he’s appeared in several short films, local and national commercials and a TV series – most often as “nerdy guy next door” type of character. “That’s kind of how people get frustrated and end up quitting,” he explained. “They are just waiting around for other people to give them work as opposed to finding the joy and freedom in [their] own work.” Eventually, the young actor began to make his own films and create parts for himself therein. “I decided to take my career in my hands and make my own movies,” he said. Fanizza credits every on-set experience, including those for his own films, with refining his skills as an actor and his voice as a filmmaker – a journey that he’s only just begun. cover story
EchoMag.com
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JULY 2017
37