Michael Del Monte is a Canadian

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

maker best known for writing and directing the 2017 film ''

Transformer In electrical engineering, a transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple Electrical network, circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces ...

''.

Life and career

Del Monte received a B.A. in

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

from the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

. He completed his master's in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

. While on a training camp for the 2012 Olympic Trials, Del Monte got injured. A teammate had a DSLR camera, so Del Monte began making short profile pieces for the popular running website ''Flotrack''. He decided to give

filmmaking Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

a shot and at a race in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

, Del Monte approached 2012 Boston Marathon champion

Wesley Korir Wesley Kipchumba Korir (15 November 1982) is a Kenyan athlete who specializes in long distance running competitions, as well as a politician who served as an elected member of Parliament for Cherangany Constituency. On 16 April 2012, he won the ...

, and asked if he could do a documentary on him. He met who would become his longtime producer and collaborator, Tad Munnings. The documentary, ''Transcend'', was executive produced by Frank Marshall/ The Kennedy Marshall Company and was acquired by

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

and

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

. Del Monte's second feature documentary, ''Transformer'', followed competitive bodybuilder

Janae Kroc Janae Marie Kroczaleski (born Matthew Raymond Kroczaleski) is an American who previously competed as a professional powerlifting, powerlifter and competitive bodybuilding, bodybuilder. In combined (squat, bench press, and deadlift) equipped pow ...

as she coped with the process of gender transition. The film won several awards at film festivals, including the Hot Docs Audience Award at the 2018

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and Jun ...

. Del Monte received the Canadian Emerging Filmmaker award that year as well. The documentary was acquired by Netflix in 2018. In 2019 he directed the television documentary '' Village of the Missing'', an examination of the 2010–2017 Toronto serial homicides by Bruce McArthur in Toronto's

Church and Wellesley Church and Wellesley is an gay village, LGBT-oriented enclave in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is roughly bounded by Gerrard Street (Toronto), Gerrard Street to the south, Yonge Street to the west, Charles Street to the north, and Jarvis Street ...

gay village, for the

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

documentary series '' CBC Docs POV''."Doc on Bruce McArthur case, 'Village of the Missing,' to debut on CBC"
''

CityNews City''News'' is the title of news and current affairs programming on Rogers Sports & Media's Citytv network in Canada. The newscast division was founded on September 28, 1975 as City''Pulse'' as a standalone local newscast on the network's CITY- ...

'', March 5, 2019. Del Monte's third feature documentary, '' His Name Is Ray'', follows a homeless heroin addict on the streets of Toronto, as he tries to get back on his sailboat.Pat Mullen
"His Name Is Ray Review: Seen from the Other Side"
''

Point of View Point of View or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronoun used in narration * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or ...

'', May 19, 2021. The film premiered at Hot Docs in 2021. It later played at the TIFF Lightbox in November 2022. It went on to win Best International Documentary and Special Jury Prize at Melbourne Documentary Festival.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Del Monte, Michael Living people Canadian documentary film directors Film directors from Ontario University of Western Ontario alumni University of Toronto alumni Year of birth missing (living people)