Meet Maddy Falle: Producer behind the viral short film turned web series Gay Mean Girls

Pride month might be over but LGBT+ visibility is needed all year round. Meet LGBT Ally Maddy Falle, producer and the Development Manager at Gearshift Films, before taking on this role she worked on television shows like Hockey Wives, NHL Revealed, and Workin’ Moms. In 2015 she was a producer on the viral short film Gay Mean Girls, that earned over 3.5 million hits on YouTube. After the success of the film, they went on to launch a queer coming-of-age web series bearing the same name.

My first job was… Managing the pet’s corner booth at African Lion Safari. 

My proudest accomplishment is… Probably finishing Gay Mean Girls and delivering it when we said we would! 

My boldest move to date was… Thinking I belong anywhere near a column called ‘meet a role model’

I would tell my 16-year-old self …  To start channelling all that frenetic energy into more productive things so you’re not in as much trouble at age 15. 

If I had five extra hours a day I would spend it… Can I break it up? I would work for 2, read for one, workout for one and spend one with my sisters. 

My greatest advice from a mentor was… That when it comes to Producing a lot can happen in a 12 hour day so not to panic and you’re going to have bigger issues come your way so appreciate the ones you have now. 

“I let personal things affect professional ones sometimes and I need to work on that.”

My biggest setback was… I don’t have a biggest but I think I let personal things affect professional ones sometimes and I need to work on that. 

I overcame it by… Setting boundaries and being careful with who I hire. 

If I were to pick one thing that has helped me succeed, it would be…  The example of consistent work ethic that I was raised around. 

My favourite thing about our new series Gay Mean Girls is … That it is trying to say something in addition to being entertaining; there is a purpose to the project and supporting a creator who has something to say is all I seek to do as a Producer. 

The future excites me because… I don’t know what is going to happen and I’m okay with that.