Evan Goldberg has big ideas for emerging filmmakers ... and a wild R-rated Canadian cartoon series, too

Writer, producer and director Evan Goldberg is aiming to give back to the Canadian filmmaking community through the Future of Film Showcase.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SXSW

Vancouver’s Evan Goldberg is the biggest Hollywood hit-maker you’ve never heard of. Unless, that is, you pay very careful attention to the credits, in which case you would know that the 38-year-old writer/producer/director is, alongside comedic partner Seth Rogen, responsible for a string of hit movies (Superbad, Pineapple Express, Sausage Party), television shows (Preacher, The Boys, Invincible) and documentaries (Console Wars).

After having a hand in roughly every other big studio comedy of the past decade, Goldberg is aiming to give back to the Canadian filmmaking community through the Future of Film Showcase. The annual short film festival and professional development conference, now in its eighth year, will be available to stream for free on CBC Gem July 9 through 22, and kicks off with an “In Conversation with...” discussion with Goldberg that is co-presented by Reel Start, the charitable organization the filmmaker co-founded with educator Adrienne Slover in 2016. Ahead of the FOFS launch, Goldberg spoke with The Globe and Mail about the business of filmmaking, both in the U.S. and Canada.

How did Reel Start first take shape?

As someone who was raised in Vancouver, and saw all the films and TV series getting made here – The X-Files always seemed to be filming around my high school – that activity gave me the idea that maybe I could make a film, too. Then Seth and I met and the rest is history. But after a few successful films, I realized there are other kids just like me, who don’t even realize the opportunities that they could have because they’re not being presented to them. So let’s make some short films with kids and introduce them to the array of careers – not just an actor or director – that are out there in the film industry. You can’t pursue a job that you don’t know exists.

What’s your take on the current landscape for emerging Canadian filmmakers?

Goldberg directed the film This is the End alongside Seth Rogan.Sony Pictures

I feel that Canada is always pushing its filmmakers in an impressive way. Usually there’s the industry that pushes it, but the actual political forces of Canada push it forward, too. But I feel like it’s going to break through in a bigger way soon. Canada has been known as a great place to produce comedians, but there’s a wave of directors and producers coming up, too. And the opportunities are growing: We have giant corporations and studios setting up shop here.

Do you think that this new generation of Canadian filmmakers have to partner up with those Hollywood entities, though, to get ahead? Is there a strong future for Canadians who want to make Canadian films?

I’m not entirely sure of the structure of Schitt’s Creek or Kim’s Convenience, say, but it feels now like breakthrough Canadian productions are becoming a kind of constant. Canadian producers are realizing that you can create a show like Schitt’s or Kim’s or Anne with an E and you can sell them to the rest of the world.

Do you think that Canadian filmmakers would be well-served to stay here, or should they take a page from you and Seth and head south?

It depends what you’re trying to do. Seth and I knew our sensibility was in making huge in-theatre comedies. But if you’re trying to make a dramatic indie film that’s not specifically designed to be a blockbuster that makes a lot of money, then Canada has an incredible system to help you. There’s opportunity to make things more for art’s sake. It also depends on the job. Now, below-the-line jobs – not the director or star – in Canada, there are so many opportunities. That’s where the jobs are going in Canada, which is a dramatic shift over the past decade.

You co-wrote the hockey comedy Goon, but do you and Seth ever think about making a truly Canadian film?

Oh yeah. We have a very Canadian TV show idea we’re working on right now that we haven’t yet cracked, but we’re always fiddling with different purely Canadian things. The one I’m trying to make happen is an R-rated animated comedy series. We haven’t pitched it yet, but it’s uber-Canadian. I want to do it because there are so many Canadian comedians, and you could get the funniest people on Earth to do a low-commitment animated series.

The Future of Film Showcase runs July 9-22 on CBC Gem (fofs.ca)

Plan your screen time with the weekly What to Watch newsletter. Sign up today.