An Introvert’s Guide to High School is a lot of things: a dark comedy; a study in teen culture and the pressures that parents and society place on teens as they near the end of high school; a manifesto for introverts; and a lot of fun. Woven into this feature film about a group of high school students in an SAT prep class and all of the internal and external pressures they face are puppets, street interviews, objectively bonkers short films, and a visual effect shot worthy of a big budget blockbuster (which is wholly astounding considering the budget for the film was only $5000).

Beginning December 15, introverts and extroverts across Canada can stream An Introvert’s Guide to High School as part of the 2020 Whistler Film Festival. In this special interview, four of the creative forces behind this wildly inventive and deeply moving feature film – director Sophie Harvey, producers K.C. Novak and Laura Good, and executive producer Rachel Talalay (who, besides being the celebrated director of Tank Girl and beloved episodes of Doctor Who, Riverdale, and Sherlock, happens to be Sophie’s mom) – reflect on the heart and heartache that went into creating their darkly comic manifesto for introverted teens (and the extroverts who love them). Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment