Joseph Amenta

Joseph is a genderqueer filmmaker based in Toronto, Canada who focuses on post-genre stories immersed in the underbelly and subcultures of the LGBTQ community. They have produced, written, and directed short films screening at festivals internationally in addition to being broadcast across Canada, Europe, and Africa through Canal+ and CBC amongst other platforms. They have received Telefilm Talent To Watch funding for their first feature film ‘Soft’ (2022), for which they received the Toronto Screenwriting Conference Breakthrough Artist Award for their script. ‘Soft’ made its world premiere as an Official Selection at Toronto International Film Festival 2022. Their short ‘Haus’ (2018) was selected for the International Competition at Clermont-Ferrand International 2019, and their most recent short ‘Flood’ (2019) premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2019. Joseph was selected for the TIFF Talent Lab in 2019 after recently completing their residency at the Canadian Film Centre Directors’ Lab in 2018. They have an honours degree from Toronto Metropolitan University (Previously Ryerson University) in Film Studies for which they graduated Summa Cum Laude. They currently work as a professor at Toronto Film School, teaching students in the Film Production Program.


  • Nordic International Film Festival - Best International Feature Film 2023 (Soft)

  • Lovers Film Festival - Gio Stajano Award - Jury Prize 2023 (Soft)

  • Translations Seattle Film Festival - Best Feature Film 2023 (Soft)

  • Chilliwack Independent Film Festival - Best Film of the Festival 2022 (Soft)

  • Frameline Voices - Framline Film Festival 2020 (Flood)

  • Canadian Screen Awards - Shortlist Best Narrative Short Film 2020 (Flood)

  • TIFF Talent Lab - Toronto International Film Festival 2019

  • Breakthrough Artist Award - Toronto Screenwriting Conference 2019 (Soft)

  • Telefilm Talent To Watch Recipient - Telefilm Canada (Soft)

  • Avrich Fund - Toronto International Film Festival 2018 (HAUS)

  • Peter Garretsen Award - Ryerson University 2013