Hidden Gems: Meet Michael DeSanto of FilmToledo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael DeSanto.

Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My name is Michael DeSanto, executive director of FilmToledo. I started my career by creating independent film projects – writing, directing, producing, and editing short films and videos. We don’t have a huge film industry here in Northwest Ohio and we created FilmToledo to help grow the film scene here and bring jobs to us.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle for anyone trying to make it in the film industry is fundraising. For my own film projects, I have self-funded, crowdfunded, and had investors for various productions. For FilmToledo, we’re competing for attention and funding with other non-profits and creative organizations. We have had a lot of support from local filmmakers and businesses but it’s a constant challenge.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
FilmToledo is a regional non-profit film commission that covers Toledo and the Northwest Ohio region. We have two main goals – to grow our local film scene and attract outside film productions to the area.

We host and sponsor events that help connect, educate and train aspiring film talent and crew. There is no shortage of talent in our area and we want to connect that talent to good-paying jobs in the film industry. Productions that film here spend money here, boosting our local economy.

Our region has a unique skyline, historical buildings, and venues, a world-class park system, and is located centrally among a number of film industry hubs such as Chicago, Cleveland, and Detroit. We want to showcase our unique locations and attract film productions to our area.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Toledo has been my home for most of my life, so I have seen a lot of the ups and downs. It has been really amazing to see the recent growth and development and I feel really positive about its future.

We are well aware of our underdog status, and I think that gives us a unique perspective. Toledo has a lot to offer in terms of locations and talent, and what we need most is a chance to share what we have and showcase our potential.

Contact Info:

• Website: filmtoledo.com
• Instagram: @filmtoledo
• Facebook: reelfilmtoledo
• Twitter: @filmtoledo

Image Credits
Doug Hinebaugh, Michael DeSanto, Charles Wetzel Jr., Zak Kolhoff, Doug Hinebaugh, Marissa Muniz, and Grant Beachy