Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- Andy Appelle’s Strip Mall blends humor and horror, drawing from a true story to critique corporate greed and societal margins.
- The film’s authentic “found footage” style, especially the voyeuristic security camera shots, reflects Appelle’s unique visual signature.
- Independent filmmaking’s flexibility and time afford Appelle the creative freedom to explore unconventional storytelling approaches, including a future CCTV-based feature.
Andy Appelle, a Canadian filmmaker from Thunder Bay now based in Toronto, brings a darkly comedic and unsettling tale to FilmQuest 2025 with his film Strip Mall.
Known for his work as a cinematographer and writer on acclaimed projects like Nirvanna the Band the Show and PG: Psycho Goreman, Appelle uses his signature blend of humor and realism to explore the margins of society.
Collaborating closely with producer and co-writer Robert Hyland, Strip Mall tells the story of Nate, who gets caught shoplifting—an incident rooted in real life but filtered through a lens of absurdity and unease.
What drew you to make Strip Mall? Why this story, and why now?
I gravitate toward stories about people who exist on the fringes of society; trying to survive within a system where corporate interests are paramount and greed is rewarded. I also think real life is outrageous and very silly, which is why I chose to make a film about a story that really happened.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?
I think I am consistently shocked at how people perceive the film. When we wrote it, we thought it was hilarious. Even though it was a true story, or elements of it are, we were shocked at how funny it came out on the page. Then when we shot it, it became genuinely horrifying, then in the edit I learned to laugh at it again. The true story is horrifying but I’m not allowed to say more.
“My first short film almost 13 years ago was accepted in FilmQuest’s inaugural year. This festival is near and dear to me as they were the first people ever to accept my work and say 'hey, this is worth showing to people.'”
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
Honestly, the voyeuristic security camera shots in the first half of the film. For a large part of my career I prided myself with making things look authentically found footage, there’s a certain injection of "weird" to make a shot feel real. I think the security camera footage looks like it was ripped from an active store, and I don’t think many directors could pull that off.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
Deciding how to end it, I had two drastically different endings, I wish I could have them both.
“I think the security camera footage looks like it was ripped from an active store, and I don’t think many directors could pull that off.”
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
Uneasy feelings and a drive to shoplift from big box stores to stop them from doing things like this!
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
I am incredibly interested in making a feature film entirely told through CCTV cameras. Making this film inspired that.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
Working with my co-writer and editor, Rob. My cinematographer Nick Tiringiner, we all instantly understood what we were doing and spoke the same language of filmmaking from start to finish. My partner and producer Katie McQueston is also an incredibly valuable human and asset to everything I make. She's a master artist and can reel me in when I’m being an idiot or a baby about something.
Independent filmmakers often rewrite the rules out of necessity. What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project?
Time is the greatest strength and curse of independent filmmaking, you actually have all the time in the world if you don’t have a producer breathing down your neck about delivery dates.
“When we wrote it, we thought it was hilarious... then when we shot it, it became genuinely horrifying, then in the edit I learned to laugh at it again.”
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for FilmQuest, one of the world’s top reviewed genre film festivals?
It means the world to be included at FilmQuest. My first short film almost 13 years ago was accepted in FilmQuest’s inaugural year. This festival is near and dear to me as they were the first people ever to accept my work and say "hey, this is worth showing to people." Truly beautiful feeling.
FilmQuest celebrates the majesty and might of genre filmmaking across fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action, thriller, western, kung-fu, and beyond. How does your film fit within—or push the boundaries of—genre storytelling?
Strip Mall is violent, extreme and hopefully a bit shocking ... I hope it makes people ask questions about loss prevention and the motives of big corporations.
Where do you see this film going next?
No clue! I hope it has a nice online life!
“At the core of all my work is a desire to Entertain."
Cast & Crew
- Nick Tiringiner — Cinematographer; contributed to the film’s authentic found footage aesthetic.
- Katie McQueston — Producer and Partner; artist and creative collaborator providing critical support throughout production.
