Note: While we made every effort to clean up the audio from our wireless microphones, there are still a few brief instances of minor static in the interview audio. Thank you for understanding!

On this episode of Sean Kelly on Movies Interviews, I sit down with writer, director, and co-star Mark O'Brien to discuss his new psychological horror film, The Voices of Our Mother.

Mark breaks down how he subverted classic possession tropes to explore the real-world trauma of dementia, the intense (and fractured) dynamics of sibling estrangement, and what it’s really like to balance acting and directing simultaneously on set.

The Voices of Our Mother stars Canadian screen icon Sheila McCarthy and is currently playing in a limited theatrical release. You can catch it on VOD platforms in Canada and streaming internationally on Shudder starting June 19th!

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Episode Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:51 How Mark O'Brien Got the Idea for The Voices of Our Mother01:24 Casting Sheila McCarthy01:52 The Voices of Our Mother Using Possession as an Allegory for Dementia02:24 Mark O'Brien on Balancing Directing and Acting02:56 The Sibling Themes in The Voices of Our Mother03:50 Does Mark O'Brien Consider His Character a Villain04:35 The Use of Colour in The Voices of Our Mother05:24 The Voices of Our Mother's Subversion of Possession06:46 A Quick Comment About the Creature Effects07:10 What Does Mark O'Brien Expect Audiences to Take Away from The Voices of Our Mother07:42 "A Horror-Adjacent Family Drama"08:18 Conclusion

Gabor Pertic talks about becoming the lead programmer of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and what films he is most excited about from the 2026 line-up. ✨ KEY MOMENTS IN THIS VIDEO:

00:00 Introduction

00:24 Gabor Pertic on Becoming Lead Programmer

00:50 Is There Any Film Gabor Pertic is Particularly Proud Of?

01:01 What Gabor Pertic is Really Excited About

01:14 End Screen

"Eyeballs Up!" 👁️👆 We are celebrating a massive milestone: the 20th Anniversary of the Canadian Film Fest!

I caught up with Founder & Executive Director Bern Euler and Festival Director Ashleigh Rains right on the Opening Night red carpet. Amidst the premiere buzz at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, we discussed this year's incredible lineup and the meaning behind the "Eyeballs Up" slogan.The Highlight: I surprised them both on the carpet by revealing that my pull-quote from last year’s coverage made it onto the official physical release of Vampire Zombies from Space! 🛸🧛‍♂️Chapters:0:00 Intro0:28 Bern Euler on 20 Years of the Canadian Film Fest1:03 Ashleigh Rains on This Year's Line-Up1:30 Bern Euler on the Challenges of Choosing Films2:16 Ashleigh Rains on "Eyeballs Up"2:56 Thanking CFF for my Vampire Zombies from Space! Blu-ray Quote4:16 Eyeballs Up End Screen