RYAN MCGLADE

Writer, Director, Editor

Ryan McGlade is a writer, director, and editor. His films have screened at festivals worldwide including Palm Springs International ShortFest, Montclair Film Festival, Maryland Film Festival, and the Bushwick Film Festival, where his short HOSS was awarded the Programmer's Choice Award for Best Narrative Short in 2020.

Additionally, his film BUDDYMOVIE was awarded Best U.S. Narrative at the 2022 Drunken Film Fest Oakland and Best Lo-Budget Film at the 2023 London Short Film Festival.

His work has also been featured online on NoBudge, Filmmaker Magazine, Eternal Family, Talkhouse, The Film Stage, and Bloody Disgusting.

WEBSITE: RYAN MCGLADE/VIMEO
SOCIAL MEDIA: INSTAGRAM

A Q&A WITH FILMSHOP BREAKTHROUGH SERIES 2019 FEATURED ARTIST Ryan MCglade...

What was the inspiration for your project?
I'd been interested for a number of years in making a film in Harrison City, Pennsylvania, which is the town where my mother grew up and where my grandparents lived. I found out in December of 2018 that their old house was going to be sold, so I decided that I was finally going to make the film since it would be my last chance. I wanted to make something that captured the unique way that the town makes me feel, and that motivation provided the starting point.

How has the Filmshop community contributed to the development of your project?
I presented a cut of the film to my Filmshop chapter, and they provided quite a bit of helpful feedback at a critical point in the post-production process. The Taco Tuesday crew was the first group of people not involved with the making of the film to see any version of it, and it was extremely useful to get their reactions. That screening really helped me feel confident in finishing the project and sending it out into the world.

What do you feel is your greatest challenge moving forward?

Making new films will always just keep getting more difficult from a financial and industrial standpoint, so trying to navigate financing – whether through grants or other sources – and figuring out things like seeking representation will be significant but exciting challenges. In addition, I've been trying to explore unconventional ways of getting a film out there and seen online, which is always mysterious and unpredictable.

What are you most looking forward to getting out of your Breakthrough experience?
I'm super excited to share Hoss with the Breakthrough audience, and I'm curious to hear their thoughts about the film and possible next steps with it. I'm also really looking forward to seeing new work from filmmakers in the Filmshop community who I admire a lot – I think it'll be a great motivator to be around so many supremely talented folks for a whole day.