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Blake Winston Rice
disc
TIFF50 | 2025
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Blake Winston Rice
All images © Obscured Pictures
SEP, 9, 2025
Jim Cummings and Victoria Ratermanis hit it out of the park in Blake Rice’s singular spin on the hookup trope, in which an intimate crisis involving a feminine hygiene product brings two strangers closer than they ever imagined.
Hi Blake, it’s amazing to get to talk with you ahead of your TIFF50 premiere. How does it feel to be having your World Premiere at the festival?
Premiering at a festival as prestigious as TIFF is an incredible honour. It definitely takes a lot of planning to make sure the film gets the showcase it deserves—but anyone who knows festivals knows the chaos is part of the fun. It feels amazing to be sharing DISC in Toronto, especially alongside our incredible cast and crew who poured themselves into this freaky little short film.
You had a fantastic 2024 with your short film Tea, which picked up several awards and was nominated for the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film?
I’ll be frank: Tea changed my life. Before that film, I still felt like I was knocking on the door of the industry. Cannes opened it. Being selected for the Palme d’Or competition gave me the chance to step into a new level of the business. My biggest takeaway was not just how to manage the whirlwind of a top-tier festival—parties, premieres, red carpets—but how to navigate the business side of things. For me, it’s always about the next job. I went into Cannes with my eyes on building toward my debut feature. And we’ve managed to get that off the ground—hint, hint: keep an eye out for The Empty Lot (Wild Atlantic Pictures).
How did DISC come about? What was it about Victoria Ratermanis’s original story that interested you as a director?
I first knew Tori as an actor—she auditioned for some of my previous projects and I was immediately taken with her work. Tori came to me with this story that had a killer idea, and together we jammed on a draft that is the film you see now. With DISC, what hooked me was the theme of connection: what it can be, and what it can’t. That tension becomes even more charged when you drop two characters into the ticking-time-bomb situation of a medical emergency. That mix of intimacy and danger felt electric to me.
Do you allow your cast flexibility with the text once you start shooting, or do you prefer to stick closely to the script?
No, they’re my pawns and must obey every command—or I throw scalding coffee in their faces. (Kidding!) Absolutely there’s flexibility. We always start by nailing what’s on the page—that’s our foundation. But once we’ve got that, we make space for improv, alternate takes, and those spontaneous “magic” moments that happen in the room.
You have an amazing cast, including award-winning filmmaker Jim Cummings. How early in the process did you start thinking about cast, and was Victoria always going to play Alex?
Yes, Victoria was always going to play Alex - and she absolutely crushes and once I came on board and did a new draft of the script, we opened up casting for the other roles. Jim was already a close friend—he’d been so generous with his time and guidance during my journey with Tea. I was lucky enough to be able to ask him directly. He read the script, said he was in, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the fearlessness, trust, and insight he brought. Jim’s a beast. I do send him way too many cat videos on Instagram—“research” for a future role, of course. He may block me soon, but until then, I’ll keep promoting his brilliance. He’s not just an insanely talented actor and filmmaker—he’s also a beautiful human.
"As a director, you’ve got to understand where an actor is in their process—prep, development, and what they need when they hit the set."
How much has your background as an actor helped inform the way you write and direct?
It’s been huge. As a director, you’ve got to understand where an actor is in their process—prep, development, and what they need when they hit the set. Having been in that space myself helps me support them in a meaningful way. I’m super grateful for my time as an actor; it definitely shaped the way I collaborate now.
And finally, what would you like audiences to take away from DISC?
First and foremost, I want them to enjoy the ride. The film’s been called “unhinged,” which I think fits, but at its core it’s a story about connection. I want you to feel nervous, squeamish, maybe grit your teeth—then laugh, and finally hit those warm and fuzzy notes. IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK?! (sorry, they serve a lot of free coffee at TIFF).