Isaac Cravit on TIFF and filmmaking

TIFF brings some of Hollywood’s most renowned actors and directors to Toronto, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt. But the festival also showcases plenty of young, talented directors -- Isaac Cravit is one of them. And they didn’t have to look very far for Cravit, who’s a Toronto native. He's had three of his films featured at the world-renowned festival, including this year’s Good Boy. Cravit chats with Shalom Life about his short film, the festival and his plans for the future.

What drew you to filmmaking?

I'm fortunate because my family is extremely artistic and creative, and I think my love of movies must have come from their love of movies. There was never a time when I decided I want to be a filmmaker. I just always did.

Who are some of the directors that you admire?

Alfred Hitchcock. Francis Ford Coppola. Roman Polanski. John Cassavetes. Paul Thomas Anderson.

How did you come up with the concept for Good Boy?

A few years ago my mom told me about a short story she wrote as a child, about a dog and a baby on a beach, the baby going into the water, and the dog going into the water to save him - or so you're led to believe. And that seemed very Hitchcockian to me, and I liked it, and wrote it down in a notebook. But it was just a scene, not a story, and I sort of forgot about it.

Then last year, when I was looking through my notebooks for an idea for a new short film, I came across that note and it was suddenly very obvious to me that the dog is jealous of the baby, that the mom is on the beach with them, that the story would be told through the dog's eyes, and that the more we can empathize with the dog, the funnier and more affecting the film would be. That's when I got excited about the concept.

Your movies have made it to TIFF a couple of times. How did you like this year’s festival?

This was my third consecutive year at TIFF with a short film, and each year I've enjoyed the festival more. This year we were screening in front of a feature film called Amy George, and so that was a new opportunity and a great experience. Most importantly, I now know which parties to go to and which parties to skip, and to try to see as many films as I can every day.

Did you get the chance to meet any interesting directors or actors at TIFF?

I spent a lot of time with all the other short film directors. It's super interesting for me to meet other people with similar ambitions, at similar stages in their careers. It's both comforting (see I'm not the only one trying to make a living at this impossible profession!), and inspiring (oh man I need to get better because these guys are really good!).

If you could work with anyone, who would it be?

There are a number of actors I would love to work with/write for. Ben Foster, Michael Shannon, Michael Fassbender... (My girlfriend/ every girl I know/ all of the women in my family, really want me to work with Ryan Gosling for some reason).

What advice would you give other young filmmakers?

Write a good, original story that you can make for little or no money. And then go make it.

You’ve done a lot of short films. Would you like to do some feature films as well?

Absolutely. Currently my producers and I are trying to raise money for a low budget feature to shoot this summer.