Taylor Hill (far right) is the writer/actor and producer of the upcoming feature film, Leap 4 Your Life (Photo courtesy of www.TIFF.net)
“I’ve always loved movies, whether it’s talking about them, re-watching them, re-imagining the characters in different scenarios, I could never get enough,” said Taylor Hill, the 24 year old filmmaker in a recent interview. Her mockumentary Leap 4 Your Life is one of the many films that will be featured at the third annual TIFF Next Wave Film Festival. This special three day event, taking place from February 14-16, will showcase the best in film from around the world, along with Q&A sessions with special guests, interactive workshops, and the exciting 24 hour Film Challenge. This film festival is geared towards youth ages 14-18 and meant to inspire young filmmakers and the next generation of movie lovers.
Taylor Hill, the multi-talented actor/writer and producer, and her film will be part of the festival’s exciting line up of films. Leap 4 Your Life, which was directed by Gary Hawes, is a sidesplitting comedy/documentary that follows a dysfunctional teen quartet dance troupe and their overly enthusiastic parents as they prepare for a high-stakes dance competition. In the risk of revealing too much information, the cast are actor friends and colleagues of Taylor’s and represent the stereotypes of the fiercely competitive dance world. If there’s anyone who has watched TV shows such as Dance Moms, it’s easy to recognize “The Star” dancer, the “Runner Up” dancer, and the “Token Male.” Taylor plays Molly, the troupe’s “Weak Link” dancer with her clunky braces, pigtails, and questionable dance moves. Then there are the adults, who deliver some of the funniest lines in the film.
The inspiration for the film came from her admiration for Christopher Guest films (e.g., A Mighty Wind and Spinal Tap) and her own background as a former child actress/competitive dancer. At the age of 22, she felt frustrated by the lack of auditions and gigs and was on the verge of calling it quits on her stalled acting career. However, her mother Barbra Hill, wasn’t going to let Taylor give up that easily. She explained, “Once I told my Mom, she encouraged me to tunnel my frustrations into writing this project I’ve talked about for years and within an hour we had brainstormed the characters and I couldn’t stop writing.” One year later, at the age of 23, that talked-about writing project became the feature film, Leap 4 Your Life.
The film took ten days to shoot, which is surprisingly fast for an independent feature. As Taylor said, despite all of the craziness that comes with shooting a film, the filming wouldn’t be possible without the support and dedication of the cast and crew.
“Everyone was so supportive and we laughed the whole time,” said Ms. Hill, who produced the film on a shoestring budget. “I felt like we were all one big family. It’s taken almost 2 years from the time I wrote it to it being done, which is crazy it feels like yesterday!”
Gary Hawes, the director of Leap 4 Your Life (Photo courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival)
It’s evident that Taylor Hill and Gary Hawes couldn’t be more proud of this film. Since production, Leap 4 Your Life made its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October 2013, where it won the Audience Must See Award. According to Gary and Taylor, featuring the film at this year’s TIFF Next Wave Film Festival is their greatest accomplishment so far.
“We made a film about teenaged life that has been selected by a committee of teens to screen as a film that represents their interests as film-goers,” stated Gary. “To me, that validates the film more than any newspaper review from a critic. The fact that they responded to the film means that we did something right. This is really a credit to Taylor’s writing and understanding of what it’s like to be a teenager. I mean, she wrote Leap at the age of 22, so she wasn’t that far removed from what our characters experience in the film.”
Taylor Hill is definitely a talent to watch at the upcoming film festival. Since this festival celebrates and nurtures the cinematic talents of young aspiring filmmakers, she and Gary share their valuable advice to the new crop of future Steven Spielbergs and Kathryn Bigelows.
Gary encourages the young filmmakers to take advantage of the technology that is at their fingertips. “Technology has allowed anyone to be a filmmaker. Cameras are readily available and affordable, you can edit a film on a laptop, and you can upload your film to Youtube or Vimeo in a heartbeat. In the years since graduating film school, I’ve seen this industry change so radically, it’s almost tough to keep up! But, it’s amazing because it puts everyone on a level playing field. You just need a great story. That’s the most important thing.”
For Taylor, treating others well and displaying passion for your project plays a huge part in being a success in the film industry. “Be kind to people, work hard, and don’t let someone else tell you what you can or can’t do. If you have a story to tell and are passionate enough about it, then tell that story. There’s nothing more soul draining than waiting around for someone else to let you be creative. So grab your friends and make your amazing film. I’ll come watch it!”
Leap 4 Your Life will be playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on Saturday February 15 at 4:15pm. Tickets are available now for screenings and high-school students get to see these films for free! Check out the official trailer and follow Leap 4 Your Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn more about mockumentary and its remarkable cast.
