An Inspired Chat with Stefan Kuchar of Toronto

Stefan Kuchar shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Stefan, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Working in film there is no such thing as a normal day, schedules are last minute, workdays are long, and breaks are hard to enjoy because of the anxiety you will never work again. For the past few years, I have spent at least a couple of months a year camera operating on travel documentaries such as Dark Side of the Ring, Dark Side of Comedy, The Pink Pill and Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance. The downside is, at the moment, I’m living from hotel to hotel, across the United States and missing the comforts of my own home back in Toronto and my loved ones. The upside is getting to travel on someone else’s dollar and getting to hear real world stories and meet real world noteworthy people . Sitting through hours upon hours of someone share their knowledge and experience is such a rewarding position to be in, often hearing ten times more content then what makes it to the screen.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Stefan Kuchar and I’m a filmmaker based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I started exploring filmmaking very young age, pursued a film studies degree from Brock University and majored in Directing and Cinematography at Sheridan College. From acting, to behind the scenes, I love working in film. I’ve been head of lighting on films such as North of Normal, The Office Movers tv series, commercials for MAC and Disney, and I’ve worked on music videos with artists like Drake and The Weeknd. I’ve been a camera operator at Ubisoft Toronto off and on for 15 years, I’ve operated on docudramas like Black Watch Snipers, series like Dark Side of the Ring and Dark Side of Comedy, and reality shows including Renovation Resort and the largest reality show of all time, Beast Games. I also run my own company, Sudden Impulse Inc. where I write, produce and direct. One of many ongoing projects I’m excited about is co-creating an animated series with Determination Pictures, called Suburpia.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I have my parents to thank for helping me down this path. From buying me my first video camera in grade six, to my mother driving me and my brother to Toronto to act during the next three summers, all the while taking us to acting classes at both Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton and Second City in Toronto. Both my parents, Andrea and Walter Kuchar, are very creative, writing short stories, poetry, drawing, painting and doing woodwork. They have attended most, if not all, of my theatre and film premieres, and were regularly in attendance when I hosted the Sudden Impulse Film Festival which I ran annually from 2012 – 2022. I am deeply blessed to have such great parents in my life and cannot think of any two people who have shaped me more.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Growing up closeted maybe part of the reason why I’m so interested in performance. While my main medium is film, I also love and have participated in many theatre productions, both as an actor and director. The idea of putting on different metaphorical or literal masks to fit in with the crowd, or masks you wear to entertain, fascinates me. I grew up in a working-class town in Ontario during the nineties, with no internet and very little exposure to gay culture. Film was one of the few mediums that broke through to me with depictions of gay culture, films like To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Priscilla Queen of The Desert and Paris is Burning. My own struggle with personal acceptance has strengthened my understanding of what it is to be judged vs. loved, while Queer cinema continues to inspire and educate me.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
I believe anything is possible.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope when I’m gone people will remember me for spreading laughter, love and for speaking up for what I believe is unjust. I try to be kind and make people laugh as we struggle through this often cruel world. Comedy has always been my favourite genre, whether parodying a current trend or disarming viewers with humour while addressing hot button issues, comedy evokes laughter and laughter releases endorphins, and when my audiences leaves feeling good, so do I.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://suddenimpulse.ca/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefankuchar/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefan.kuchar
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SuddenImpulse

Image Credits
Nichala Cutts, Christina Ienna, Charlie Lindsay