Amy George (2011)

Anecdotes

Amy George is a 2011 Canadian microbudget film written, produced and directed by Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas. The film tells the story of the 13-year-old Jesse who wants to be an artist, but believes that his mundane middle class life has left him unprepared. After reading a book on what it takes to be a "true-artist", he sets out looking for risk, ecstasy, wildness and women.

Production

Amy George was Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas' seventh screenplay after graduating from film school in 2008 and an attempt to write something that spoke to their shared experiences. According to Lewis, having been a "really grumpy young male teenager" was the most obvious point of common ground. The first draft, which grappled with the idea that art must come from a place of suffering, was written in two weeks.

The film was funded with the assistance of friends and family, including the 15-year-old Connor Jessup, who the directing pair knew from a summer arts camp they had taught at and he attended. Jessup said, "Guys, I wanna be in on the film; I wanna be on the set every day. And I'm gonna give you a significant amount of money."

The large teenage cast was primarily found at local schools. Gabriel del Castillo Mullaly who played the lead, Jesse, had never acted before and is the son of Canadian actress Maria del Mar. The characters of Jesse's parents, Sabi and Tim, were played by real-life couple, Claudia Dey and Don Kerr.

Principal photography began in and around the Toronto neighbourhood of Riverdale on May 8, 2010. Several scenes take place at neighbourhood parks, including Withrow Park and Riverdale Park. "We'd write about these generic American towns that don't exist, motels in the desert. Eventually we wanted to embrace what was around us.

The film's minimal score was written by Lewis' younger brother Lev Lewis. The film also features four songs by musician Michael Holt.

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