Silent Dinner, 2015. Photo Henry Chan.
Canada
Catherine MacKinnon is a Toronto-based producer, filmmaker and actor. She graduated with a BFA in Film Studies from Ryerson University, School of Image Arts. She is a co-founder and has been the Festival Director of Toronto International Deaf Film and Arts Festival (TIDFAF) since its inception.
She is internationally known for her work in television, film, and documentaries. At the 2003 World Film Festival in Montréal Catherine was nominated for the Kodak’s Best Canadian Student Director Award for her short film, I’m Not From Hear. The film went on to win 5 awards and was screened in several of Canadian Festivals, as well as in United Kingdom, Finland, Russia, and the US. In the fall of 2009, Catherine co-produced her biggest career project to date, entitled The Hammer, based on the biopic of UFC Fighter, Matt “Hammer” Hamill. The Hammer has won 8 festival awards and is currently featured on Netflix.
As a performer, Catherine has appeared in Toronto and LA productions of The Vagina Monologues (in Toronto with Vanessa Vaughan, Rachel McAdams, and Shirley Douglas; and in LA as a fundraiser benefit for the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafnes). She has contributed “atmospheric vocals” to the horror flick, Silent Hill and can be seen in Season 5 of Kenny Vs Spenny. Recently, she played the role of ASL Teacher in 7 episodes of Season 1 of Fargo which aired on FX Network and FXX Canada in 2014. Fargo won the an Emmy for Best Outstanding Mini Series and a Golden Globe for Best TV Mini Series or Film.
