AXT: Behind the Screen – Subjects of Desire (Private Event)

Friday, October 24, 2025 | 6:00 PM Eastern | Private Location, Downtown Toronto

What Is AXT Behind the Screen?

AXT Behind the Screen isn’t your typical screening and Q&A. It brings together industry leaders and brilliant emerging creatives for open exchange. Designed as both an experience and a dialogue, it briefly dissolves the distance among creatives, industry, and the audience, offering an immersive, interactive approach to learning while celebrating our shared love of film.

Each AXT Behind the Screen event blends:

• The engagement of a Q&A
• The intimacy of a fireside chat
• The collaborative spark of a roundtable
• A unique screening experience and moderated dialogue shaped around a specific industry perspective

Our Inaugural Event: The Producer’s Perspective

For our inaugural AXT Behind the Screen, we’re exploring the producer’s perspective with guest speaker and award-winning producer Jennifer Holness, alongside a screening of her acclaimed film SUBJECTS OF DESIRE.

A festival hit that played at SXSW, TIFF, and Hot Docs in 2021, among a slew of other festivals, Holness’ SUBJECTS OF DESIRE captures the complex relationship that North American culture has with Black women and beauty.

Told from the POV of women who aren’t afraid to challenge conventional beauty standards, the film is partially set at the 50th Anniversary of the Miss Black America Pageant, a beauty pageant that was created as a political protest. Subjects of Desire is a culturally significant, provocative film that deconstructs what we understand about race and the power behind beauty.

Why You Should Attend AXT Behind the Screen

AXT Behind the Screen is more than a screening. It’s a space where real conversations happen, where emerging creatives get direct access to industry veterans, and where the love of film becomes a catalyst for connection and growth.

Whether you’re an emerging creative looking for insight into the producing side of the industry or an industry professional eager to engage in meaningful dialogue, AXT Behind the Screen was designed with you in mind.

Join us for a night of inspiration, connection, and real talk with industry veteran and trailblazing PoGMI producer Jennifer Holness, as we continue to work together to transform the Canadian film industry.

Our Community Sponsor

Access Threshold is proud to have Black Canadian Film, a platform dedicated to celebrating and amplifying Black cinema and filmmakers from Canada, as our community sponsor for this inaugural event.

Event Details

• Date: Friday, October 24, 2025
• Time: 6:00 PM Eastern
• Location: Private Location, Downtown Toronto

We look forward to seeing you there!