Burlington filmmaker tapped as ‘rising star’ by influential Toronto publication

Chandler Levack has already conquered Burlington now it’s Toronto’s turn and maybe even the rest of the world.

Levack, who has received glowing reviews for her film I Like Movies, has just been named a “rising star” as determined by Toronto Life magazine to compliment its annual list of the 50 most influential Torontonians.

The list praises Levack’s work on the film which was a fan favourite at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2022 and has gone on to charm audiences around the world.

Although a Toronto resident now, the 37-year-old Levack turned her experiences growing up in Aldershot into a coming-of-age film that explores her love of cinema.

“As a teenage cinephile working behind the counter at a Blockbuster in Burlington, Levack dreamed of one day contributing to the cinematic canon herself,” her profile in the magazine reads. “More than a decade later, the writer-director mined those formative years for her debut feature film, I Like Movies. A quirky, nostalgic love letter to celluloid.”

Toronto Life produced the list of 25 to showcase those who are “shaping” life in Toronto and are ready to make an impact on the world.

The list includes entrepreneurs, actors, fashion designers, social media influencers and politicians, among others.

“We are tracking 25 up-and-comers in a variety of fields, celebrating what sets them apart and raises them up. Whether they’re building careers on the runway or on the ice, in the boardroom or in their communities, behind the camera or in front of it, they’re all making the city a better place—their way,” the magazine states in its introduction to the list.

Back in March Levack told halton.insauga.com that she hasn’t forgotten her roots and that Burlington was the perfect backdrop for I Like Movies.

“The suburban landscape is universal. Most films are not found in Burlington, but most of Canada actually looks like Burlington. People can identify with that, they can see themselves doing the things they see in the movie like waiting for your mom to pick you up in the parking lot after work.”

In I Like Movies Burlington audiences will recognize familiar landmarks such as LaSalle Park, the Skyway Bridge, Maple Skatepark, Tansley Woods and even Aldershot High School which Levack attended as does the movie’s protagonist.

Levack is currently working on her follow-up Anglophone, inspired by her time spent living in Montreal.