URevolution Fellow 2018, Director and Editor "Our Stories"
Kelly Paoli is a Canadian film director, writer and editor from Toronto. Her work spans queer drama, comedy and documentary, exploring identity, the ways people present themselves to others, and the experiences of women. She began her career as an actor before moving into writing and filmmaking, and graduated from York University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Screenwriting and a minor in Creative Writing. Official biography
Paoli created, wrote, directed and produced the digital series The Village Green. Her directing credits also include the lesbian comedy series Barbelle and two episodes of the second season of the horror anthology Creepy Bits. Her work has screened internationally, including at Marseille Web Fest, Austin Web Fest and the Diversity in Cannes showcase. FilmFreeway
Her short film I Only Kiss in the Dark, written by Andreas Vatiliotou and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, examines queer identity, family relationships and the ethics of outing someone. It was selected for Toronto’s Inside Out festival in 2024 and Australia’s Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival in 2025. I Only Kiss in the Dark
Her documentary work includes Our Stories, a series about mental health and empathy, and Crossing Space, which follows Canada’s national women’s sitting volleyball team on its journey to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Paoli’s roles on Crossing Space include directing, producing and editing. FilmFreeway
