Editor’s Note: Supporting women should not be limited to a month. So at Reel 360, we have decided to amplify and promote dynamic women’s voices all year long. Today, let us introduce you to a very talented woman from Canada – Writer, Director and Actress, August Kyss.
August Kyss is an accomplished writer, producer, and actress making waves in independent horror and action films. In 2024 alone, she starred in twelve films, earning multiple Best Supporting Actress awards for her performance in Flesh of The Unforgiven alongside horror legend Debbie Rochon.
She also led Massage Parlour Massacre, featuring a star-studded cast including Bret Hart, Robert Mukes, and Felissa Rose, and took on the title role in Death Bitch, an action-packed homage to Death Wish, which won Film Threat’s Best Indie Award for films under $100K. Her contributions to the industry were recognized with an induction into The Tattness Entertainment Hall of Fame and the Madden Taylor Award.
Expanding beyond acting, August is producing and writing Dark Rewind, a horror-centric series on Scream TV, where she revisits classic ‘80s horror films. The show launched with Sleepaway Camp, featuring Karen Fields, and will soon spotlight Chopping Mall with director Jim Wynorski. She also stars in Jesus Cop, an action-comedy directed by Grammy nominee Rob Gabriele, alongside Kasey Bowling, Lynn Lowry, and Bam Margera.
From horror to action, comedy, and beyond, Kyss continues to push creative boundaries, delivering standout performances and unique storytelling. With a packed slate of projects, her passion for genre filmmaking remains at the heart of her rapidly rising career.
Let’s meet August!
What’s your origin story?
I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I am an only child of Portuguese immigrant parents and come from a family of railway workers. I guess when it comes to troubles it was typical of any teenager, but I found comfort in pop culture and bonding with my father over our mutual love of horror movies. The best memories for me were in the eighties. The happiest times of my life playing with neighbors and watching the adults in movies do cool eighties things. Linnea Quigley (Return of The Living Dead) was my idol in many ways.
How did you break into your industry?
I started acting in 2000 but had an unpleasant experience and gave it up for a long time. It wasn’t until COVID-19 that I got back into it. During COVID, I spent some time in Newfoundland and got acquainted with producer David Bond. He encouraged me to get back into acting and I have been going strong ever since.
Who were your mentors, and how did they influence your journey?
My mentors are of course, producer, David Bond, and my manager Joesph Williamson. My manager keeps me on my toes and gives me endless examples of the rights and wrongs in showbiz daily. He believes in me and it feels good to have someone believe in you.
What fuels your creativity?
The thing that fuels my creativity the most is the word, can’t. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I couldn’t do something, I would be extremely wealthy. I love hearing I can’t. It inspires me to prove that I can and if I can so can others.
What’s the biggest myth about women in your field?
The most absurd thing I heard recently is that some women flirt their way to the top. As a Canadian woman, I can tell you that Canadians are typically very friendly and maybe it comes across as flirting to some. I just think it’s ridiculous that good manners and a genuine interest in people’s projects count as flirting these days.
Name a creative risk you took that paid off.
I would say that doing nudity roles could be risky to some especially since some people told me I would never get hired in anything prominent if I did nude scenes in movies. It hasn’t hindered me yet.
What’s a piece of advice from another woman you carry with you?
I’ll never forget when I was on the set of a film working with a very prominent person in the horror industry and I respectfully called her a “Scream Queen” ( she has been called this many times in the media) she politely turned to me and said that even though people like to use the word Scream Queen, that she personally didn’t like the word. I have been calling people of her status horror icons or legends ever since.
August Kyss’ social media:
Instagram: @AugustKyss
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