WHO WE ARE

We tell stories that centre the experiences of people whose voices and bodies are still under-represented in the mainstream media landscape.

Laughing Cat Productions was founded to create bold and forward-thinking social impact-generating original stories – as lensed through a highly-inclusive, women-focused, intersectional feminist viewpoint.

We have written and (co-)produced award-winning short and feature films, documentary content, digital shorts, and theatre shows… plus several comedic sketches, webseries, and even some live events. You can check out some of our existing titles and co-created projects via our IMDB listing.

We believe that everyone deserves a seat at the table, that all bodies deserve to be substantially represented in media, and that all voices deserve to be heard. Period.

AUTHENTIC diversity and inclusion is what we’re here for… that, and satisfying our insatiable curiosity and sense of play that infuses every production from tip to tail. (You know what they say about cats, curiosity, and satisfaction, right?)

We also believe in creating sustainably – infusing our work with an ethos of care, integrity, and personal/professional/social accountability, along with boundless creativity, inclusive working environments, and our unique brand of magic.

Most importantly, we’ve devoted at least several of our nine lives to championing the underdog, challenging outdated and harmful mainstream media norms and practices, and telling stories to inspire all the rebels and outcasts out there. We’re changemakers who believe an equitable film industry is not only achievable, but incredibly necessary, in order to build a sucessful future.

We work with a roster of incredibly talented creatives in all areas of production, and we’re always open to making new connections.

Laughing Cat Productions is here to sustainably create bold, intelligent, and entertaining original women-led media content that reaches and inspires a worldwide audience.

We are proudly the first (and so far only) known production company in Canada who has made body diversity and intersectional inclusion an integral part of our casting and hiring processes for EVERY project we undertake.

We’re also currently one of a small handful of globally-minded production companies “working 20 years in the future” – those who acknowledge that true equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives must go beyond tokenism or single-issue focus. Instead, we use the lens of intersecional inclusion: considering how a mosaic of one’s gender, age, ethnicity, disabilitites, sexuality, economic status, body size, and many other relevant factors all contribute to how an individual is generally perceived, valued, and treated within in our larger society.

We believe that how we see people represented in media is how we learn to respond to them in the real world, and that is a power that must be used for the right reasons.

For actors and other industry professionals who also believe in authentic representation on-screen, we’ve founded two online casting groups:

image to the left is of Emily Schooley, directing on location at Digital Canaries

Founder and Mama Cat Emily Schooley is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and wearer of many hats who hasn’t had time to be bored since the late ’90s.

She has worked extensively in both stage and screen media, with projects ranging from small, intimate sets to large-scale feature productions. Emily has played numerous roles on all sides of production, from sultry leading lady to hapless production manager slash toilet unclogger*.
(*Yes, that’s a real and at least somewhat hilarious story. Buy her a shot of tequila and she’ll tell you all about it.)

Within Canada and in the United States, Emily has led several guest workshops and lectures on the practices of independent filmmaking and performance. She has also appeared as an on-camera expert in several documentaries, including A Big Set of Lungs (examining the horror genre) and MeAfterToo (discussing the MeToo movement).

In 2020, Emily was selected as one of only 100 women across Canada to be part of Banff Spark, a development accelerator for women in media.

Emily strongly supports gender equality and women escaping abusive situations, is an avid watchdog against police misconduct, and frequently speaks out for LGBTQ rights and equal representation in media. She fosters with Team Cat Rescue, an organization that focuses on saving cats from high-kill shelters.

In the rare moments when she’s not working, Emily is probably nerding out to horror or sci-fi films.

You can get exclusive updates and help support our original film projects by becoming one of Emily’s Cats over on Patreon.