Scott Jones (filmmaker) explained

Scott Jones is a Canadian writer and filmmaker. He is most noted for his theatrical play I Forgive You, a collaboration with Robert Chafe which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language drama at the 2024 Governor General's Awards.^[1]

Background

On October 12, 2013, Jones, a gay resident of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, was stabbed by a knife-wielding man after leaving the Acro Lounge.^[2] The attack left Jones paraplegic.^[2]

During his recovery, Jones participated in the creation of Don't Be Afraid, a province-wide campaign to combat homophobia,^[3] and was selected as the grand marshal of the 2014 Halifax Pride parade.

His attacker, Shane Matheson, was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison in June 2014.^[4]

Career

In 2018, he was the subject of Laura Marie Wayne's documentary film Love, Scott.^[5] At the time, he was a music student in Toronto, whose stated goals included creating something positive out of his experience by using choral music as a tool of healing and social change education;^[6] he subsequently launched Vox, a community choir dedicated to social change through artistic performance in Halifax.^[5]

In 2022, Jones released his own short film, Coin Slot, about the impending anniversary of his 2013 attack.^[7] It was the winner of the Best Atlantic Short Film award at the 2022 Atlantic International Film Festival.^[8] He previously won the festival's RBC Script Development Award in 2020 for a feature screenplay titled It's the Fear That Keeps Me Awake.^[9]

His second short film, Freedom, was screened at the 2024 Atlantic International Film Festival.

I Forgive You premiered in 2022, in a production by the Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland theatre company in St. John's.^[10] It was subsequently staged at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 2023, in a production directed by Jillian Keiley.^[11]

Notes and References

1. Cassandra Drudi, "Canisia Lubrin, Danny Ramadan among 2024 Governor General’s Literary Award finalists". Quill & Quire, October 8, 2024.
2. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/scott-jones-says-he-was-attacked-for-being-gay-1.2459289 "Scott Jones said he was attacked for being gay"
3. http://dailyxtra.com/canada/news/halifax-pride-names-scott-jones-grand-marshal "Halifax Pride names Scott Jones grand marshal"
4. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/scott-jones-says-he-forgives-his-attacker-shane-edward-matheson-1.2673052 "Scott Jones says he forgives his attacker, Shane Edward Matheson"
5. http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-27-2018-1.4637146/after-surviving-attack-scott-jones-chronicles-the-lifelong-process-of-forgiveness-1.4637282 "After surviving attack, Scott Jones chronicles the 'lifelong process' of forgiveness"
6. https://nowtoronto.com/movies/features/inside-out-2018-scott-jones/ "Inside Out 2018: Love, Scott captures the personal toll of police failure"
7. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/community/fin-atlantic-international-film-festival-2022-1.6575513 "'Together Again' at the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival"
8. Stephen Cooke, "Queens of the Qing Dynasty, Bernie Langille among Atlantic International Film Festival award winners". SaltWire Network, September 22, 2022.
9. Stephen Cooke, "Bone Cage strikes a chord with FIN Stream audiences, earns four awards". SaltWire Network, September 28, 2020.
10. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/scott-jones-i-forgive-you-1.6556526 "After finding a way to forgive his attacker, this man helped create a play about it"
11. Carly Maga, "Nearly 10 years ago, he publicly forgave his attacker. This play shares his complex journey since". CBC Arts, March 7, 2023.