Avalon Fast & Zola Grimmer on The Spooky Bible Camp That Inspired CAMP | TIFF

In this interview from the TIFF 2026 Next Wave committee, director Avalon Fast and actress Zola Grimmer discuss their film Camp. The discussion opens with their shared, albeit separate, childhood experiences at a summer Bible camp in British Columbia, which inspired the film's layout and unique blend of summer fun with an underlying religious and spooky energy. They explore the subtle, witchy "coven" dynamic among female friends and delve into the character of Emily, whose grief manifests as a volatile, suppressed anger—a trait Avalon drew from a real-life friend. The filmmakers share that their production timeline was pushed back by a year after initially falling apart, giving them a valuable bonding period filled with long emails to develop the project. Zola also reveals her background in textile work, noting that she actually made Emily's vintage-patterned finale dress out of marketplace lace. The interview concludes with a fun lightning round covering the characters' hypothetical favorite movies, camp preferences, and a lighthearted unanimous agreement on "Team Edward". For more about the Toronto International Film Festival and our year-round programming at TIFF Lightbox, visit http://tiff.net. Subscribe to watch more from TIFF:    / tiff   Want more TIFF? Find us here:   / tiff_net     / tiff_net     / tiff_net     / tiffnet