GEMS Mentee Sarah Kelley to bring Indigenous Teen Sci-Fi to Market at Whistler Film Festival + Content Summit
Vancouver, BC (October 24, 2024) – Gender Equity in Media Society Vancouver (GEMS), in partnership with the Whistler Film Festival + Content Summit (WFF), proudly announces Sarah Kelley as the 2024 recipient of the GEMS x Whistler Film Festival Market Preparation Mentorship. Kelley earned this honour for her compelling fantasy feature film concept, Dream Walker, which follows a gifted Indigenous teenager on her quest to find her long-lost mother while being pursued by a sinister organization intent on weaponizing teens. The film tackles profound themes of identity loss, empowerment, family, and the struggle against cultural assimilation, weaving a narrative rich with belonging, acceptance, and unexpected friendships.
Sarah will be paired with mentor, Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin (WaaPaKe), an award-winning filmmaker, writer, performance artist, and academic, known for her films Broken Angel and Angela’s Shadow, and for her dedication to empowering emerging Indigenous filmmakers. As part of the mentorship program, Kelley will receive an industry pass to attend the Whistler Film Festival + Content Summit from December 4-8, along with personalized coaching sessions with Koostachin to prepare her for project pitches during the WFF Content Summit.
“As a filmmaker from a culture steeped in history and traditional stories, I aim to create worlds featuring dynamic Indigenous heroines with unique fantasy narratives. What I hope to gain from this fabulous mentorship program is hands-on experience and knowledge in how to properly market my film and how to get my materials together to pitch it,” says Kelley. “I would love to know what marketable elements I need to add to my project and how to build an audience so I can market it appropriately and to the right funders and buyers. This opportunity would help hone my skills as a filmmaker and allow me to create a strategic and successful package for my project to bring it to the Canadian market.”
Dream Walkers is a gripping tale of courage, belonging, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship as Finley Green embarks on a perilous journey to find her mother, navigating the turbulence of foster care and betrayal. Arriving in the misty town of Oceanside, Oregon, she forms a fragile bond with her roommate Charlotte, and is drawn to the charming but deceptive Jude. Just as she begins to hope for a brighter future, Jude’s betrayal shatters her world—he drugs her and delivers her to The Foundation, where teens with extraordinary abilities are held against their will. As Finley discovers her own rare blood type and dream-walking powers, she must unite with fellow captives to orchestrate an escape. As she connects with the others, the sense of belonging she craves ignites a fierce determination to break out. But when Jude re-enters her life, torn between loyalty and desperation to save his sister, he reveals a shocking secret—Finley’s mother is imprisoned alongside them. With stakes rising and danger lurking at every turn, Finley must summon her strength and resilience to reclaim her identity and fight against the dark forces that threaten to destroy her family.
Sarah Kelley is a proud member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation in Golden Lake, ON. She’s an actress and an award-winning filmmaker and writer with 15 years’ experience in the film industry. In 2021, she graduated from the Pacific Screenwriting Program where she worked with showrunner, Will Pascoe. Sarah has worked in the room as an intern with Susin Nielsen and Family Law and as a Writer’s Assistant with the new FOX show, Murder in a Small Town with Ian Weir. She recently completed development on two pilot projects with the Bell Fund Development Slate; is a student with the Filmmakers in Indigenous Leadership & Management Business Affairs (FILMBA) program at Capilano University and is a participant in the first cohort of the Indigenous Screenwriters Lab with the Pacific Screenwriting Program working with her mentor, Daegan Fryklind on her sci-fi series.
Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin brings a wealth of experience in community work and storytelling that highlights social justice themes. Honouring her Cree-speaking grandparents and her mother, a residential school survivor, Jules has pursued both academic and artistic excellence, including a Ph.D. in Indigenous documentary practices from the University of British Columbia.
This year, the mentorship program received 40 submissions, which were evaluated by a distinguished jury: Andy Alvarez, Sasha Duncan, and Mary Galloway.
Andy Alvarez, an award-winning storyteller, is the co-founder of Studio 104 Entertainment Inc. She has received accolades for her films, including La Mariposa and Our Home, which have been recognized at multiple film festivals.
Sasha Duncan is a versatile filmmaker known for her work in various mediums. She has directed and produced numerous short films and is dedicated to uplifting artistic voices as co-director of the Run N Gun Film Festival.
Mary Galloway is an award-winning mixed Cowichan filmmaker and actor, recognized for her work in Indigiqueer content creation. She is a TIFF Rising Star and recently launched her own production company, Bright Shadow Productions Inc.
The Whistler Film Festival Society is a charitable organization dedicated to promoting new talent and fostering the art and business of film through its annual festival and Content Summit. Committed to gender parity, inclusivity, and diversity, WFF operates on the unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation and Lil̓wat7úl (Lil’wat) Nation. Tickets and industry passes for the 2024 Whistler Film Festival are available at whistlerfilmfestival.com
Gender Equity in Media Society Vancouver (GEMS) is a member-based organization committed to creating an equitable screen-based industry for women and gender-diverse people. By addressing systemic barriers, we strive for inclusivity and representation in media.
We advocate for equity in funding, employment, and promotional opportunities for women and gender-diverse people in the film and TV industry. Our low-barrier, accessible programming includes mentorship and educational events to boost participation in screen-based media. Our signature event, GEMFest, celebrates women and gender-diverse creators through film screenings, discussions, professional development, and networking opportunities.
Women (trans and cisgender), Two Spirit, non-binary, and gender-diverse people are welcome to become members of GEMS, with men encouraged to join as allies. GEMS, formerly known as Women in Film and Television Vancouver (WIFTV), was incorporated in 1989 as a not-for-profit society in British Columbia. Our offices are located on the unceded traditional and ancestral homelands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
