Mississauga Director Launches Gritty and Exciting New Web Series

Some people like their entertainment fantastical (Westworld, Game of Thrones), others like it relatable (Girls, Insecure).

And those who really dig slice of life stories will probably like a brand new web series helmed by a Mississauga native who’s looking to explore complex relationships and the joys–and sadnesses–they bring.

Director/writer Mazi Khalighi has created what he’s calling a “sexy, Toronto-centric web series.”

The series, which premiered online (and is available for free on YouTube and Facebook) on Oct. 16, 2018, is appropriately titled Clusterfuck (which is truly the best way to describe any relationship that’s “complicated”).

The series is already representing Toronto at web series festivals worldwide, including Sicily, Melbourne, Seoul, New Zealand and NYC.

So, what’s it about?

According to the creators, the eight episode series takes an undiluted look at life in downtown Toronto and revolves around the raw, fast-paced relationships twenty-somethings engage in regularly, fuelled by alcoholism, sex and self-doubt.

Sound familiar? Maybe a little bit like your life (or the life you lived in your 20s)?

Clusterfuck features a wealth of Canadian actors, including Kjartan Hewitt (Scott Pilgrim vs The World, The Strain), Tommie Amber-Pirie (Killjoys, Bitten), Glenda MacInnis (12 Monkeys, Lost Girl) and Andy McQueen (Fahrenheit 451, The Girlfriend Experience).

It also has a strong Mississauga connection, as Khalighi is a proud ‘Sauga native. The series also features an appearance by Mississauga-based UFC fighter Elias Theodorou, as well as music by a local musician who goes by the moniker Musician BA.

Kjartan Hewitt (who won a Best Actor award at the Sicily Web Festival for his leading role in Clusterfuck) stars alongside Glenda MacInnis.

According to the creators, both have been on board since the series began as an Indiegogo campaign where it tripled its funding goal from 10K to 30K USD.

“The results of the massive crowdfunding blitz are clear; Canadians are seeking gritty, homegrown content that resonates with them. Having a digital release allows Clusterfuck to be boundary pushing and truly represent the voice of the Toronto millennial without the corporate restrictions that moderate Canadian television,” the creators said in a news release.

The series also features a soundtrack full Canadian musicians.

“It was vital to me during the whole process from casting to editing that everyone watching the show had a character that they could relate to. I really wanted to frame each of the four main leads as a mirror to the various members of the audience,” says Khalighi.

“Everyone will be able to see a bit of themselves on screen. If I’m able to create that kind of relation, then I’ve done my job as a storyteller.”  

The first three episodes of premiered online on Facebook and YouTube.

Additional episodes will launch Oct. 23 and lead up to the two final episodes on Oct. 30; after that, the series will be available for binging in its entirety.