VIOLET was the winner of BEST MUSIC at the January 2020 LGBT Film Festival in Toronto.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Madeline Graham & Christopher Whiteside: Same sex marriage has only recently become legal in Northern Ireland and we felt that it was important to give voice to the people who have overcome (or may still face) a difficult journey towards equal rights. Violet’s message is about how important it is to have self-acceptance and it’s a universal one.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this short?

The script was written all the way back in 2013 by our good friend Ross Johnston, who received script development from Film 4 (a UK based television channel) as a reward for a short film competition. We embarked upon the project in 2018 as the film’s context was…