Closet Monster (film)

Closet Monster
Directed by	Stephen Dunn
Produced by	Kevin Krikst Fraser Ash Edward J. Martin
Written by	Stephen Dunn
Starring	Connor Jessup Aaron Abrams Joanne Kelly Aliocha Schneider Jack Fulton Sofia Banzhaf Mary Walsh Isabella Rossellini
Music by	Maya Postepski Todor Kobakov
Cinematography	Bobby Shore
Edited by	Bryan Atkinson
Production companies	Rhombus Media Best Boy Entertainment
Distributed by	Elevation Pictures
Release date	September 13, 2015 (2015-09-13) (TIFF)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	Canada
Language	English
Box office	$42,166 (Domestic only)

Closet Monster is a 2015 Canadian drama film written and directed by Stephen Dunn and starring Connor Jessup, released in 2015. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Canadian Feature. Dunn was subsequently chosen for the Len Blum TIFF screenwriting residency.

The film went into general theatrical release across Canada in July 2016.

The film stars Connor Jessup as Oscar Madly, a creative and sexually confused teenager who retreats into a fantasy world to deal with his sense of isolation. The film's cast also includes Joanne Kelly and Aaron Abrams as Oscar's parents, and Isabella Rossellini as the voice of his talking pet hamster.

Closet Monster is Dunn's debut feature film. The film is inspired by Dunn's experiences growing up as a gay teenager in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Dunn said a series of gay hate crimes in St. John's when he was growing up had a strong impact on him, his coming out and dealings with internalized homophobia.

The film was shot primarily in St. John's, with an additional scene shot on Fogo Island, and is a Rhombus Media and Best Boy Entertainment production. The film was funded and produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Newfoundland & Labrador Film Development Corporation, The Harold Greenberg Fund and Rogers Telefund. The film will be distributed by Elevation Pictures in Canada, with Fortissimo Films handling international sales.