
Kalil Haddad
Directing
Biography
Kalil Haddad is an experimental filmmaker based in Toronto. He has written, directed, and edited over a dozen short films.
Known For

Mara is a young creative writing professor struggling with problems in her marriage to an experimental musician. One day, she runs into Matt, a charismatic, free-spirited author from her past, when he wanders onto her university campus. Bonded by their shared interests, the two gradually become closer. When Mara’s husband unexpectedly cancels plans to drive her to an out-of-town conference, Matt accompanies Mara on the trip instead. Along the way, the tension surrounding their undefined relationship slowly grows.
Matt and Mara

Anne hasn't been the same since the jump. While skydiving for her best friend Sarah's bachelorette party, the 27-year-old felt focused, free, above it all. Back on the ground, the pressures of her daily life threaten to overwhelm her.
Anne at 13,000 Ft.

A perfect summer day ends in tragedy, weaving a cosmic connection between three suburban teenagers.
The Maiden

Across distant landscapes of the past, Farm Boy wanders through a phantasmagoria of yearning and regret— memories displaced in time.
Farm Boy

Outraged by the latest bombing of Gaza, Palestinian queer activists Hamza and Walid recruit queer novelist Jean Genet to help them sabotage the Eurovision song contest in Jericho. Their method? Secure the collaboration of Buddy and Pedro, Toronto's famous gay penguins... The emergence of queer BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) as a dynamic Palestinian-led global movement is brought to vivid life through interviews and actions, opera and agitprop, protests and pranks. Recounting fifteen years of passionate activism in Toronto and worldwide, Photo Booth juxtaposes a surreal operatic narrative with documentary scenes that explore pride and pink-washing, gay soldiers and homo-nationalism, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, and the accelerating weaponization of anti-Semitism.
Photo Booth

Scott and Brandon meet at an orphanage in the 1980s. When Brandon sets off for California, Scott follows close behind. Their story lives in the margins of an adult magazine.
Victim of Circumstance

A box of stunning family photos awakens grief and lost memories as they are viewed for the first time on camera.
Still Processing

Jordan, an amateur adult performer, recalls the horror of his many former lives.
The Taking of Jordan (All American Boy)

A portrait of a young woman providing companionship for juxtaposing demographics.
It's What Each Person Needs

A love story at the end of time.
Vampires Drink Blood... I Drink Sorrow

A poem about sex work in the age of COVID to the music of Handel. Let me weep over my cruel fate, and let me sigh for liberty.
Prurient

Some fun in the sun. Part 3 of The Glue Trilogy.
The Boys of Summer

"The latest iteration of his porno provocations, Haddad distorts still pornographic images of a young, gay duo, suggesting a tale of love ending in tragedy. The images capture a certain tenderness, hard core shots brought to life by romantic soundscapes." (Wilde Davis, Los Angeles Filmforum)
My Secret Boyfriend Died in a Mass Shooting

Through a collage of found footage, reenactments, and digital manipulation, the intersection between queerness and age is explored through a reflection of youthful regrets.
As I Sat in His Car...

KALIL x RYAN B2B VIDEO MIXTAPE. FEATURING TEN CLASSIC SHORTS, PLUS THE ALL-NEW COLLAB "BAND PRACTICE".
You Sorta Know It's Gonna End

As he mulls over the budget for his new film, director-gangster Clem sends his artist cronies after an old comrade rumoured to be a leaker.
Gangsterism

“Haddad’s The Beautiful Room is Empty explores the loaded memories of space through his aunt, Marie, (re)visiting her childhood home and recalling the abuse she endured there. […] What have the walls been listening to? What have they absorbed, retained, and released upon a return, a farewell?" (Sarah Sarofim, Canadian Art)
The Beautiful Room is Empty

Feeling inadequate as a father, Naim starts to notice unsettling changes in his wife's behaviour and the increasing visits from his best friend Javed. With his son Talha also sensing that something is wrong, they quietly navigate their suspicions and the complexities of their family relationships.
What's Mine is Yours

Fifteen-year-old twins Liam and Kiki discuss the correlation between sexuality and self-confidence.
Liam & Kiki

Accompanied by his young cub, an orphaned stray roams industrial landscapes, longing for the return of his one true companion.