Kyle Thomas

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Kyle Thomas
KYLE HEADSHOT 2013 (cropped).jpg
Thomas in 2013
Born (1983-06-23) 23 June 1983 (age 42)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma mater Concordia University
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter, producer, actor
Years active2007–present
Website northcountrycinema.com

Kyle Thomas (born 23 June 1983) is a Canadian screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. His first feature film, The Valley Below , premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. It garnered two Canadian Screen Award nominations in the categories of Best Supporting Actor for Kris Demeanor and Best Original Song for Dan Mangan's "Wants". [1] The film received largely positive reviews from the Canadian media, including The Globe and Mail and the National Post , who called the film a "superb first feature". [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Thomas was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and raised in Calgary, Alberta.[ citation needed ] He began making films with the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers in his teenage years before attending Concordia University's Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Montreal in the early 2000s. After completing his BFA, he returned to Calgary to establish the North Country Cinema media arts collective in 2005. [3]

Career

Directing and producing

Thomas is a founding member of North Country Cinema, along with filmmakers Alexander Carson and Nicholas Martin, whom he met at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. [3] Through North Country Cinema, Thomas has focused on producing director-driven film and video content, and has created award-winning works [4] that have screened at major international festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival [5] and SXSW. [6] Thomas' recent films have portrayed neo-realist narratives concerned with intimate, personal stories depicting life in rural Alberta. Following the announcement that his first feature film The Valley Below would be funded by Telefilm Canada, he was declared one of "10 Canadians to Watch at Cannes" in 2013. [7]

The Valley Below premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014 [8] and went on to garner two Canadian Screen Award nominations. [9]

Thomas' second directorial feature, Range Roads, screened at Cinequest, [10] The Canadian Film Festival [11] and the Austin Film Festival [12] in 2021 and was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress, Alana Hawley Purvis in 2022. [13] The film is distributed by Game Theory in Canada and Freestyle Digital Media in the US. The film features original music by Eamon McGrath. The film won prizes for Best Feature and Best Director [14] at the 2021 Rosie Awards.

Kyle Thomas was a lead producer on Hey Viktor! which screened at the Tribeca Film Festival [15] and the Toronto International Film Festivals [16] in 2023.

Thomas produced North Country Cinema's fourth feature, Alberta Number One (directed by Alexander Carson) which screened at FNC [17] in Montreal and the Chicago International Film Festival [18] in fall 2024.

Acting work

Thomas plays the role of Danny in North Country Cinema's second feature film O, Brazen Age written and directed by Alexander Carson. The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2015. [19]

Filmography - As Director

Filmography - As Producer

References

  1. ↑ "Canadian Screen Awards Unveil Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter , 13 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Knight, Chris (4 March 2015). "The Valley Below, reviewed: Getting lost in the badlands of Alberta". The National Post . Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 "About Us". North Country Cinema. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  4. ↑ Volmers, Eric (5 March 2013). "Telefilm gives Calgary filmmakers funds for first feature, Down in the Valley". Calgary Herald . Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "Numbers & Friends". Toronto International Film Festival . 7 August 2013. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  6. ↑ "Not Far From The Abattoir". SXSW . 20 February 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Canada's big on talent: Telefilm Canada reveals its '10 Canadians to Watch at Cannes'". Telefilm Canada . 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Valley Below: Four narratives hinging between hope and disappointment". The Globe and Mail. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "The Valley Below". CHCH. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  10. ↑ Shareef, HannahJoy (22 March 2021). "Film Director Kyle Thomas Discusses 'Range Roads'". The Knockturnal. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  11. ↑ thejoyofmovies.ca (17 April 2021). "Canadian Film Fest Review: Range Roads". The Joy of Movies. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "2021 Films". Austin Film Festival. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  13. ↑ "Sort Of, Night Raiders, Scarborough lead 10th Canadian Screen Award nominations | CBC News". CBC. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Liza Sardi (27 September 2021). "Rosie Awards delivers accolades across Alberta screen industry". Playback. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  15. ↑ Ahmed Dirie (19 April 2023). "Five Canadian films among Tribeca's 2023 world premieres" . Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  16. ↑ "Hey, Viktor!". TIFF. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  17. ↑ "FNC - Alberta Number One". Cinéma Moderne. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Alberta Number One". Cinema Chicago. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "O, Brazen Age". Vancouver International Film Festival . 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
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