Nilsson's 'Masc' Premieres At TIFF With Intersectional Story — SkimNews
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- Masc made its world premiere last night in TIFF's Next Wave Selects section, marking Bertil Nilsson's feature directorial debut.
- Joshua Griffin co-wrote the film with Nilsson and stars as Robin, a queer, biracial man on the autism spectrum whose story spans a year of learning how to exist as himself.
- Nilsson said most autistic characters are "portrayed as a stereotype, not a real person," emphasizing Robin "is not intended as a representation of autism" but rather one specific individual.
- Nilsson drew a parallel to how queer characters have historically been portrayed, saying he hopes Masc contributes to richer queer representation while also adding an autistic perspective.
- In a Deadline exclusive clip, Griffin as Robin asks Reece King's character Sky where to get crack cocaine, and Sky steers him toward something more his speed.
Why it matters: Nilsson is deliberately sidestepping the "autistic stereotype" trap that has defined most screen portrayals, insisting Robin is an individual rather than a stand-in for an entire community. By layering that specificity with queer and biracial identity, Masc arrives at TIFF staking a claim for more dimensional portrayals on screen.
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