August Kyss Actress Author Producer

August Kyss. Could you share a story that everyone should know about you getting into producing, or acting and writing?

 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13528831/ 

"I think that if you want to make it in the film business, you really should be a master at networking. Most of my film work has come from networking alone. I cannot express how important it is to be friendly and genuinely interested in other people's art.

In terms of producing, I think it’s a really nice gesture to help out your friends monetarily with their projects if you have the means to do so. That said, you should never feel obligated to invest money in every single project because you will get people constantly coming to you for money. I’d say invest in projects you believe in. Remember the people that I’ve done favors for you out of the kindness of their hearts. If you can’t do something like that, you can help by sharing posts, liking, and talking about their films. There is nothing wrong with sharing the success of others. There is more than enough pie for all of us.

I wrote a Canadian bestseller for young adults when I was 22 years old. The book, “Inner City Girl Like Me,” isn’t about my life, although many people think it is. It’s fiction based on facts, so to speak. It’s things I’ve seen, stories I’ve heard, and characters I imagined to protect me in a world where I felt very alone. I would say that writing should really come from your core experiences. The wonderful thing about that is you can turn your experiences into anything! You can pull from childhood experiences and use that on a Sci-Fi spaceship. You can use your first breakup experience and intertwine it in a lair of vampires. Be creative with the cards you’re dealt and watch sparks fly!

Again, I feel like acting has a lot to do with networking, but it isn’t everything. You really have to be comfortable with making yourself vulnerable on camera. You have to do the work. Last but not least, you really have to want it because there is so much rejection in this business. So get used to hearing the word no or not getting any callbacks on that audition. I take classes which can be pricey, but if that means cutting back on things like Uber car rides or Starbucks, I got to do it. Even if I do everything right and I don’t “make it,” I want to be on my deathbed knowing that I gave it my all and I don’t want to have any regrets that I should have tried harder.

Could you talk about any ongoing project or a movie?

I am a brand ambassador for NYX TV and will be running the horror hosting segment. It originated in the UK and expanded to Canada in June 2023. We are ambitious to cast over into the US by spring 2024.

Can you share your most enjoyable project and a memorable story related to it?

I’d love to say that every single movie set that I’ve been on is my favorite because I haven’t had any bad experiences on set. I don’t really have a favorite per se, but I had a restoring "faith in humanity" experience on my latest film, “One Night in Lethargia,” with an actor that books a lot of work consistently, and he has been very helpful to me. He’s been giving me tips I never even dreamed of, such as what type of backgrounds work best for auditions and motivational speeches when I get in a "mood."

Ms. Kyss, could you tell us about anything interesting you're doing when not acting?

I will be part of a judging panel on Nov. 27th for a festival called Minute Madness in Toronto for 60-second films! I'm excited for this because I think as a whole, most of our brains have adapted to a shorter attention span spurred on by social media channels. I enjoy micro-short works of art.

Who or what serves as your inspiration?

My love for the '80s definitely coincides with my love for Scream Queen actress, Linnea Quigley. She starred in my favorite film, “Return of the Living Dead.” I also grew up watching a lot of Cecil B. DeMille movies. That particular time era of cinema and the grandeur scale of elaborate sets are super delightful to me.

What do you have planned for the future?

I plan to continue with my acting and learning about the craft as I go along. I’ll continue to take classes, continue to audition, and scream into a pillow at night. LOL I'm writing a screenplay and I hope to get a shot at directing and perhaps be the next Jim Wynorski.

Is there anybody you would like to work with in the future?

I would love to work with anyone who was a big star in the '80s. Linnea Quigley, Mickey Rourke, Chris Sarandon. Yes, I know I’m aiming high.