From Shutter to Screen: Corey Katz’s Jump Cut to Filmmaking
Corey Katz, a visual artist based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, has built an impressive career in photography over the last decade. His work, which can be seen on the pages of The Globe & Mail, Maclean’s, and Forbes, showcases his eye for editorial and commercial photography.
Corey, who turned his passion for photography into a career in 2010, took the leap into filmmaking in 2018 after a life-changing diagnosis made aspects of photography challenging.
“I woke up with my whole left side in paralysis. I later found out that it was due to Multiple Sclerosis,” he shares. “I always wanted to get into filmmaking and I figured if there was a time, now would be the time.”
Corey’s latest film, titled “Here Lies Daniel,” depicts the emotional complexities of the end-of-life experience. The drama-horror film tells the story of a man who journeys into the woods as he prepares for the end of his life.
Inspired by Corey’s own illness, the film portrays his personal reflection on mortality. “I was thinking about what I would want at the end of my life,” he admits. “I found most of the films I watched dealt with how people reacted to someone dying, and were not so much focused on the patient themselves.”
Like most new ventures, the shift from photography to filmmaking was intimidating for Corey at first.
“It was terrifying to put yourself out there as a writer and director—your name is all over it. But it’s been a great experience and I can’t wait to do it again,” he says.
Through programs like Support4Culture and a grant from Telefilm Canada, Corey has been given opportunities that helped bring his vision to life—a benefit he believes reduces obstacles for artists.
“I think fostering arts and culture in our province is important because it removes a barrier of financial burden that a lot of people have,” he says. “It allows them to tell their own stories or create the art that they want to.”
For anyone considering a similar leap, Corey’s advice is encouraging: “You just have to go for it. You really have to make the opportunities yourself,” he says. “And there are people and organizations out there that will support you 100 percent.”