My Name is Curt Jaimungal and this is #MyCanada.
I’m a brown skinned Canadian filmmaker trying to change things. I’m sitting on my balcony overlooking Bloor and Spadina and decided to take time out of my 70 hour work week to write this about myself. Is it egotistical? I’m not sure what the line between bragging and stating a fact is anymore.
I graduated from the University of Toronto in Math and Physics. While I was there, I was president for UTTV (University of Toronto TV Club) where I picked up my passion for making short films and things like that. I also had a brief time in stand up comedy (please don’t ask me to tell you a joke) and combining that all is when I thought to myself “Hey, I can write, I know how to shoot things, why not make a movie?”. That’s how the initial concept for “I’m Okay” got started, a film I shot in 60 days from writing to premiering at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Meanwhile, I also founded indiefilmTO (hench the 70 hour work week). A film incubator that tries to change things for Toronto by providing coaching and consulting as well as resources for indie filmmakers and anyone who need to break into the greater film industry. On February 16th, 2017, indiefilmTO is organizing a screening of I’m Okay with a panel afterwards to discuss two main themes in my movie: romance and mental health. This is a topic that is really important to me both personally and in my business. Through the discussion of mental health with mental health experts indiefilmTO has a mission to give actionable steps to helping yourself out of that hole. We are also partnering with Ave Mariabell Designs to give exclusive tote bags only available at the screening.
As my company and I grow in popularity, we’ve been getting a many more fans as well as people who spread pure hatred for some reason. It’s hard sometimes to not take it personally but some friends become enemies when you start having even a little bit of success. It’s a good thing that when those negative forces leave, good people come to take thier place. Still though, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had more free time. I can just imagine myself sitting in bed, playing video games and talking to all the people who don’t get to see much of me.
Passion/ambition has a price to it and if I want to make it work it requires me to pay it.
Hey, I’m not complaining. I get to do what I want and live out my dream every day (until it kills me). I know a lot of people don’t end up doing what they want to do and settle for less so at least I can give myself credit for trying not to do the same. I’m fortunate to have some great people around me who support me and don’t let me get away with certain things.