In the wise words of Kim Petras “You’re more than just anybody. Don’t give up, the future starts now.”
Imagine the future of queer cinema. The one that we actually want. Stronger networks, abundant opportunities, sustainable careers, and creative spaces where we actively shape the future of the industry.
What becomes possible when we start thinking collectively? What can we create together that we can’t create alone?
Hosted by UBCP/ACTRA, this panel gathers queer members from the Director’s Guild of Canada, the Writers Guild of Canada, and UBCP/ACTRA to discuss where we want to go next as creators of 2SLGBTQIA+ film and television, and how to leverage our collective talent, resources, and energies in service of queer storytelling.
What do we want to build? How can we start building it?
Let’s create the future we’ve been dreaming of, together.
The Future Starts Now panelists include:
Brianne Nord-Stewart
Corey Liu
Jason Sakaki
Jess McLeod
Moderated by Aryn Mott
Aryn Mott (Moderator)
Aryn Mott (they/them) is an Intimacy Coordinator, Mental Health Coordinator, counsellor, educator, and author working across film, television, and the performing arts. Recent screen credits include TIFF 2026’s The Liberation of Rita Cooper, queer slasher Camp Miasma, and In the Garden Where the Flowers Bloom with the NFB of Canada. They are the author of Performing with Resilience.
Brianne Nord-Stewart
Brianne Nord-Stewart is an award-winning queer director, writer, and intimacy coordinator based in Vancouver. Her work spans film, television, comedy, documentary, and digital series, often exploring identity, sexuality, mental health, and the messy ways people connect. She is passionate about character-driven stories that find humour in difficult places and make space for voices that deserve to be heard.
Corey Liu
Corey Liu is a writer based in Vancouver. He has written for shows like Family Law, Davey and Jonesie’s Locker, Gangnam Project, and Private Eyes: West Coast. He is the 2026 winner of the Writers Guild of Canada Award for Best Dramatic Writing and his debut horror novel He’s So Possessed with Me is a Stonewall Honor and a LAMBDA nominee.
Jason Sakaki
Jason Sakaki is a Japanese-Canadian actor, writer, and director based in Vancouver. On screen, Sakaki stars in the Disney feature Prom Pact, recurring roles on Netflix’s Devil in Ohio, AMC’s comedy series Lucky Hank and drama The Audacity, and Prime Video’s Sterling Point. Next, he appears in the feature film The Best is Yet to Come, and in the final season of Yellowjackets.
Jess McLeod
Jess McLeod is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and actor. Their first short as director/co-writer, DTF? Won VQFF last year, and their second short, She’s Nonbinary, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, with the feature version at Tribeca Creator’s Market and Gotham Week Project Market in 2026. Jess can be seen this year in AMC’s The Audacity, Bob Odenkirk’s action film Normal, and Jane Schoenbrun’s newest.
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