David Secter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1943 (age 82–83) Canada |
| Occupations | Film director Film producer Screenwriter |
| Years active | 1965–present |
David Secter is a Canadian film director. He is best known for the 1965 filmWinter Kept Us Warm, the first English Canadian film ever screened at theCannes Film Festival.[1] Widely considered a key milestone in the development ofCanadian film,Winter Kept Us Warm was a gay-themed independent film written, directed and funded entirely by Secter, who is gay,[2] while he was a student at theUniversity of Toronto.
Secter released a second film in Canada, titledThe Offering, in 1966;[3] however, the film was more poorly received thanWinter Kept Us Warm, and because Secter had largely worked with non-union crew, theInternational Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees intervened to prevent the film from being screened theatrically anywhere outside of Toronto.[4]
At the time ofThe Offering's premiere, other projects Secter reportedly had in development included a drama series forCBC Television, a thriller film to be shot inHaliburton County, and a documentary film about the history of IATSE.[4] However, none of the other projects came to fruition, and instead he moved to New York City to pursue opportunities in the much larger American film and theatre industry. He initially was slated to directCher's 1969 filmChastity, but dropped out of the project.[1] In New York, he lived with several other experimental filmmakers in a clothing-optional, drug- and sex-friendlycommune, and worked as a theatre director. He released the low-budget sex comedyGetting Together (also titledFeelin' Up in some releases) in 1976, and later moved to Los Angeles. He did not work on another film untilCyberdorm in 1997.
In the early 1990s, Secter's nephewJoel Secter rentedGetting Together from his local video store in Winnipeg, not knowing that his uncle had directed films. After discovering his uncle's name in the credits, Joel contacted David to discuss his career in film. These discussions culminated in Joel Secter's debut as a filmmaker with the 2005 documentaryThe Best of Secter and the Rest of Secter. In the film, David revealed that he isHIV-positive.[2]
Also in 2005, David Secter directed and released a documentary film on theGay Games, titledTake the Flame! Gay Games: Grace, Grit, and Glory.[5]
He is interviewed inMatthew Hays'Lambda Literary Award-winning 2007 bookThe View from Here: Conversations with Gay and Lesbian Filmmakers.