Milo Elena Gorgevska lives in the dreary suburbs outside of Toronto, Ontario. They are gender non-binary and identify as a menace to society’s traditions. Their debut short film, SHARDS, placed in 8 festivals worldwide and was awarded Best Cinematography. They have written and directed 3 other, smaller short films, which also saw festival placement. Before that, they were an actor for 8 years, featured in a principal role in short films, as well as a CBCKids show. A graduate of Ryerson University, they have a particular focus on telling true stories that are taboo and uncomfortably emotional.

NY Elite: Congratulations on being an ISC finalist. What does it mean for your work to be selected at the International Screenwriting Competition in New York?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: It’s a gift. It’ll feed my unyielding hunger for more, and more still.

NY Elite: Can you tell us about the work that you participated with at ISC? What is the story about?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: Girl, Assigned is about the social crucifixion of a teenage girl—who just can’t get the right social cues. It’s a study into how quick we are to cut the legs of someone we deem different to us, or perhaps more successful, and how this kind of amputation happens most in high school. Specifically, at high school parties (a total war zone).

NY Elite: Can you tell us yourself and your artistic talents?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: I don’t like to talk about myself. Capricorn, if you know what I mean. My biggest talent is getting knocked off my feet, over and over again, and standing back up. Is that art? I like to think so.

NY Elite: What scripts have you written so far?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: Too many. I write at least once a day.

NY Elite: Top 3 favorite projects that you have been involved in?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: My favourite is hard to choose, so I’ll settle for the first—my debut short film was a skeleton crew, full of volunteers who believed in the story. That energy was unparalleled. I don’t think I slept more than 4 hours during the shoot, and I don’t think I cared.

NY Elite: What type of scripts do you want to write in your career?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: I want to try every genre. I want to tell fleshy stories, rich with character and rewarding to every re-watch.

NY Elite: As a writer, what is the most important aspect of building a character?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: If you don’t love your characters, how can you expect anyone else to?

NY Elite: What projects are you currently working on?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: My next project is a television series that’s currently in pre-production. I’m also working on the short film that I submitted to this festival, plus edits on a feature film scerenplay. Other than writing, I’m also assisting the founding of a film festival in my home country (Poppy Film Festival). 

NY Elite: Do you express yourself creatively in any other ways?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: I also write novels, poetry, draw (rarely), sing (poorly), dance (like no one’s watching).

NY Elite: What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a career in filmmaking/writing?

Milo Elena Gorgevska: Don’t let yourself get discouraged. It takes a lot of hard work, talent, and the right opportunity to succeed. There’s no timeline. Time is fake, anyway.