Luis De Filippis

Luis De Filippis is an Italian Canadian film director and screenwriter from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her work includes the award-winning short film For Nonna Anna and her feature-length directorial debut Something You Said Last Night (2022). As a trans femme filmmaker, De Filippis has become known for challenging and redefining trans representation within contemporary cinema.

Early life and education De Filippis was raised in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, by an Italian Canadian family. After ballet, she pursued Image Arts: Film at Toronto Metropolitan University (previously known as Ryerson University), graduating in 2012. For Nonna Anna, is the story of Chris (played by Maya Henry), a young transgender woman, and her relationship with her elderly grandmother. It is considered her breakout work in the film industry.

Something You Said Last Night (2022) Her debut feature, Something You Said Last Night (2022), is a comedy-drama about a young trans woman named Ren (played by Carmen Madonia) on a family vacation. It explores family dynamics within a Canadian Italian family. Her film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022. The film went on to win several awards, such as the Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award, the Sebastiáne Award, and the Rotterdam Youth Jury Award. The film also screened at several international film festivals such as the San Sebastián International Film Festival and the Rotterdam Film Festival. Following the film’s festival success, the film received endorsement by American actress and media personality Julia Fox, who joined as executive producer. In film critical studies, the male and female gaze were first popularized by Laura Mulvey and Jill Soloway, respectively. De Filippis’s style involves the avoidance of sensationalizing trans identity. She does not focus on transitioning or trans struggle for her stories. Instead, she chooses to focus on family dynamics and everyday ordinary trans representation. The summit emphasizes community building, networking, and professional development for trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse filmmakers. It is an annual event meant to support and celebrate emerging filmmakers.

De Filippis also founded a mentorship program called the Trans Film Mentorship (TFM). TFM is a program that provides training, job opportunities, and work experience for trans filmmakers. This program allows trans youth to participate in different phases of film creation. The mentorship program has offered job opportunities in fields such as production, management, costume design, makeup, and cinematography.