Toni Morgan Haye

Toni Morgan Haye was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica on January 17th, 1989. At the age of four, she was adopted by her paternal grandmother. In 1994, shortly after the adoption was finalized, they relocated to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the United States. After turning 5 years old, Toni began her education at Banyan Elementary school and enjoyed studying math and science. A keen reader, when she was not at school, Toni would spend much of her free time getting lost in books at the Broward County Library. Though characteristically quiet, she enjoyed taking part in the "Sunshine Show, 2 a daily assembly presented by honor students. Her love of film began at around the age of 7 after watching 'The X Files' on T.V when the rest of her family were sleeping. Little did she know this would be the tinder for her career. After finishing Banyan Elementary at 10 years old, Toni visited Jamaica and began her studies at Merl Grove High School. Subjects she enjoyed were literature, the sciences and drama. Toni flourished in high school and was a key member of several extra-curricular activities. Titles she boasted were 'French Captain of the Modern Languages Club,' 'prefect,' and 'peer counselor.' When she wasn't working hard on her studies or carrying out her extra-curricular duties, Toni enjoyed letting of steam on the soccer pitch, and found solace in reading. Some of her favorite books during this period were "God Don't Like Ugly," "100 Years of Solitude" and 'The 12th Planet' which sparked her interest in other worlds. Perhaps surprisingly, one of Toni's favorite past times was helping other people. She would often frequent local orphanages and read to the children as well as donating her belongings. This desire to help others is an integral part of Toni's core being and continues to this very day, where she often mentors other industry professionals. After completing high school in 2006, Toni continued her education at Quality Academics. As there weren't any specifically designed courses, this is where she picked up the camera and taught herself photography and cinema. This was the beginning of a lifelong love affair. Alongside her studies, Toni took every opportunity she could to implement her skills. After Quality Academics, she focused her energy on utilizing her talents. This included filming and working on music videos with popular artists. Notable mentions include Sean Paul, Rihanna and Tessanne Chin who later went on to win season 5 of NBC's "The Voice." Working on set sparked joy in Toni and she decided to apply for film school in Canada, the U.S and New Zealand, all of which accepted her. As most students around the world will echo, it is expensive to further your education. Many students rely on scholarships and outside financial contribution. Toni was no exception. Previously approved financial support was withdrawn and she was forced to return to Jamaica. On her return in 2008, Toni was more determined than ever to carve a career in film. She worked with and was briefly mentored by executive producer, Lennie Little White on "Royal Palm Estates," a popular Jamaican soap opera at that time. Beside TV shows, Toni also spent time with Green Gables theatre as a production assistant. During this period in Jamaica, she was free of responsibility and chose to dedicate her time to writing her own scripts. Many artists can pinpoint a single catalyst to fuel their desire to be successful. For this aspiring film maker, she drew inspiration from the very life she was living and everything around her. It was at this time, Toni herself said that she became 'obsessed with film.' Short film "Deadliest Sin" was Toni's film debut in 2012. It centers on the historical dangers of being LGBT in Jamaica. Back then LGBT issues were poorly addressed, and this was something she was passionate about. "Deadliest Sin" was followed by documentaries, music videos, feature films and mystery SCI-FI series "Syn "(2017). Syn aired on Amazon Prime Video, with actresses Christina Robinson from Showtime's "Dexter" and Anastasia Baranova from SyFy's "Znation". Syn revolves around central character, Jess and her surrounding environment. The cerebral thriller lead Toni to become the first LGBT Jamaican filmmaker to debut on one of the world's largest networks. "Asgaya" was the next project that Toni poured her time into as director. "Asgaya" is a three-part movie that focuses on protagonist Max's journey through a nonlinear, perplexing aftermath of a world that was lead to destruction by a company that promised humans immortality. The cast includes, past favorite, Christina Robinson and Violet McGraw from Netflix's "The Haunting of Hill House." Due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, production has slowed but "Asgaya" part one is projected to be released at the end of 2021. Part two will begin production in 2022. Toni's love for film is what contributes to her hard work. A lover of being busy, she has a myriad of other projects in the pipe line such as "1990" and "I'm Tired of Watching." She is also producing a children's animation series "Nim: The Last Red Witch." Her latest project demonstrates Toni's creative diversity in the film and TV industry, as it is a departure from her usual past, somewhat darker themes. Keen on not being a one trick pony, Toni has placed her feet firmly in the entrepreneurial world. She founded Otsvo in 2018 and it was later launched in 2020. Otsvo is a networking platform and film company that provides an online community for industry pros from all over the world. Toni also regularly consults on other movie projects. When filming, Toni enjoys creating a world where viewers are placed in the character's shoes. To the audience, characters are revealed as just a pawn in their story hence the use of POV's and God's POV. Her use of tilt shifts shows viewers that seeing is deceiving and nothing is quite as it seems. Toni uses a very descriptive, narrative style of writing which makes it easy for readers and viewers to get lost in the beauty of her language. Toni's main goal is to help upcoming filmmakers. She is actively working with top professionals to provide distribution for those who truly deserve it. Working in the film and TV industry is enjoyable but can be a roller coaster with plenty of highs and lows. Toni remains grounded but wouldn't have been able to get through some of the lows without the support of her aunt and cousin. As of April 2021, she is working on the development of 11 projects.