Daniela Pagliarello – Director, Actor, Writer

Trauma Bonding

2024

Limited Series

10 mins

Psychologist Dr. Day may have lost her license to practice - but that doesn't stop her from conducting sessions in her self-driving car.

Credits

Directed, Written, and Starring
Daniela Pagliarello

Produced by
‍Elizabeth Yake
Daniela Pagliarello

Director of Photography
Graham Beasley

Funded by
Independent Production Fund
Canada Media Fund
Ontario Creates

The Drop – Series

2023

Series

4 Episodes

68 mins

Zara and Polly #werk in Toronto as "professional line-waiters" - hired by the rich and lazy to wait in line for exclusive products the day they DROP.

Credits

Directed, Written, and Starring
Daniela Pagliarello
Aisha Evelyna

Also Directed by
Jordan Canning

Distributed by
Narcity Media

Produced by
True West Films

Executive Producers
Elizabeth Yake
Liz Whitmere

Producers
Elizabeth Yake
Daniela Pagliarello
Aisha Evelyna

Director of Photography
Graham Beasley

Funded by
Ontario Creates
Independent Production Fund
Canada Media Fund

Recognition
The Drop has received nominations for 5 Canadian Screen Awards and has competed in 15 festivals to date. Notable achievements include winning Best Toronto Series at T.O. Webfest and securing the Best Comedy Director awards for Dani and Jordan at Rio Webfest for their respective directed episodes. The series premiered at Hollyshorts, an Oscar Qualifying Film Festival, as the only Canadian series in its lineup. Additionally, The Drop was a finalist in the JFL Beyond the Box pitch competition.

The Drop – V1

2021

Proof of Concept

1 Scene

4 mins

Proof of concept scene for The Drop series development phase.

Scene

Credits

Series Concept and Produced by
Daniela Pagliarello
Aisha Evelyna

Written and Directed by
Daniela Pagliarello

Director of Photography
Gabriella Osio Vanden
‍
Funded by
Independent Production Fund
Canada Media Fund

Shitty Roommate

2020

Series

5 Episodes

75 mins

A rich and lonely rageholic finds a roommate and maybe, her first friend ever.

Credits

Directed, Written, and Starring
Daniela Pagliarello

Produced by
Food n' Money Productions

Producers
Daniela Pagliarello
Kristina Ruddick
Jacq Andrade

Director of Photography
Jacq Andrade
Zachary Duchin

What are we going to do about Denise?

2019

Short Film

5 mins

A secretive high school couple contemplates the end of their relationship. An ode to love and the thrashing feeling in our young hearts.

Short Film

Credits

Written and Directed by
Daniela Pagliarello
‍
Starring
Seamus Patterson
Eva Link

Produced by
Elizabeth Yake
Daniela Pagliarello

Director of Photography
John Marsonet

Golden Light, Gentle Eyes

2022

Music Video

3 mins

Music video for Kyle Stephens debut album Considering Every Change

Credits

Directed by
Daniela Pagliarello

Song by
Kyle Stephens

ACED IT

2024

Proof of Concept

5 mins

A newly outed asexual navigates a sex-obsessed world while their anxiety, personified as a furry puppet, lurks in every corner.

Credits

Directed by
Dani Pagliarello

Series Created by
Hools Kay Wyder

Written by
Hools Kay Wyder
Ashley Comeau

Produced by
Natasha Advani Thangkhiew

Director of Photography
Allen Lui

Funded by
Independent Production Fund
Canada Media Fund

Award-winning director and actor Dani Pagliarello has written, directed, produced, and starred in four comedy series: Food n' Money, Shitty Roommate, THE DROP, and Trauma Bonding (upcoming), all of which she also served as showrunner. THE DROP earned her five Canadian Screen Award nominations, including Best Series and Best Lead Performance in Web Program or Series, and the title of Best Comedy Director at Rio WebFest.

A performer her entire life, Dani was a dancer for 15 years before honing her skills as a theatre-trained actor at York University’s Acting Conservatory. Transitioning to work both in front of and behind the camera, she has appeared in numerous television series and feature films, including appearances in The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) and Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix).

An alumna of the Women in the Director’s Chair program, Dani's showrunning reflects her passion for seeing women direct high-quality comedy. Apart from her comedy projects in development, she enjoys shooting music videos with her friends and rewatching Veep as many times as humanly possible. She lives in Turrono.

Awards

Best Comedy Director
Winner · Rio Webfest
(The Drop)

Best Toronto Series
Winner · TO Webfest
(The Drop)

Best Lead Actress
Winner · IndieFest Award of Recognition
(The Drop)

Best Cinematography
Winner · Miami Web Fest
(The Drop)

Best Ensemble
Winner · IndieFest Award of Recognition
(The Drop)

Best Lead Performance in Web Program or Series, Fiction
Nominee · Canadian Screen Award
(The Drop)

Best Web Program or Series, Fiction
Nominee · Canadian Screen Award
(The Drop)

Showcase Script Competition
Quarterfinalist
(Trauma Bonding)

ScreenCraft Comedy Competition
Quarterfinalist
(Trauma Bonding)

International Screenwriters Association
2nd Round Finalist · Fast Track Fellowship
(Trauma Bonding)

Best Lead Actress
Nominee · Rio Webfest
(The Drop)

Best Comedy Series
Nominee · Rio Webfest
(The Drop)

Best International Series
Nominee · Rio Webfest
(The Drop)

Best Cast
Nominee · Rio Webfest
(The Drop)

Best Production Design
Nominee · T.O. Webfest
(The Drop)

Women Empowerment Award
Nominee · Apulia WebFest
(The Drop)

Best Ensemble Cast
Nominee · Bilbao Seriesland Web Fest Festival
(The Drop)

Best Series
Nominee · Bilbao Seriesland Web Festival
(The Drop)

Best Satire Series
Nominee · Minnesota Webfest
(The Drop)

Best Comedy Sketch Series
Nominee · New Jersey Web Festival
(The Drop)

Best Editing
Nominee · Sydney Web Fest
(The Drop)

Best Ensemble
Nominee · Sydney Web Fest
(The Drop)

LA Web Fest
Best Series
(The Drop)

LA Web Fest
Best Editing
(The Drop)

Acting Credits

The Handmaid's Tale (S6)
HULU

The Italian's (Short Film)
Dir. Fab Filippo

Trauma Bonding
Dir. Daniela Pagliarello

Birthday Boy (Short Film)
Dir. Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll

THE DROP
True West Films

Luckiest Girl Alive
Netflix

Sort Of
CBC / Max

Love’s Match
W Network

Mrs. America
HULU / FX

Shitty Roommate
Food n’ Money Productions

The Handmaid’s Tale (S3)
HULU

Starring (Short Film)
Dir. Lief Ramsaran

I am Marguerite
Alumna Theatre

Hot Kitchen/SECOND SHIFT
Raw Matter Theatre Collective

Food n’ Money
Food n’ Money Productions

The Importance of Being Earnest
The Guild Theatre

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Red Light Theatre Company

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Theatre @York University

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Theatre @York University

Wounds to the Face
Theatre @York University

With Honour and Grace
Ottawa Little Theatre Company‍

Press

2024   Yahoo News
(The Drop)

‍ 2024   CTV News
(The Drop)
‍
‍ 2024 View the Vibe
(The Drop)

2024 Exclaim Magazine
(The Drop)

2024 Narcity Media
(The Drop)

2024   CBC News
(The Drop)

2023 The Hollywood Reporter
(Trauma Bonding)

2023 Canada Media Fund
(Trauma Bonding)

2023 Playback
(Trauma Bonding)

2023 The Breakdown Sirius XM
(The Drop)‍

2023 She Does The City
(The Drop)

2023 Google Canada
(The Drop)

2023 The Movie Podcast
(The Drop)

2023 The Liquid Courage Podcast
(The Drop)

2023 Global News
(The Drop)

2023 Kron 4
(The Drop)

2023 Rogers TV Live
(The Drop)

2023 Narcity
(The Drop)

2023 Narcity Media
(The Drop)

2023 The Guardian
(Daniela Pagliarello)‍

2022 Playback
(The Drop)

2021 Playback
(Daniela Pagliarello)

2020 Occhi Mag
(The Drop)

Directing Inquiries

From Film/TV to Music Videos, let’s bring your vision to the screen.

Series & Grant Consulting

Have a great concept? Let’s fine-tune and get it funded!

Connect

dani.pagliarello[at]gmail.com
IMDB
Instagram