ALEXA BLYAN
ALEXA BLYAN is a 22-year-old emerging film director, writer, and producer currently working in Canada. Born and raised in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, and a member of Sucker Creek First Nation, Alexa’s work centers around storytelling as a tool for social impact, with a focus on empowerment, intergenerational healing, and cultural reclamation.
She got her start in the film industry by featuring in a TELUS Originals series called Out There. Her episode, Nisihkason Lex, directed by Kaayla Whachell, premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film Festival in Toronto in October 2023, was an official selection at the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival (2023), GEMFest (2024), and featured in partnership with Air Canada x imagineNATIVE, screening on flights across Canada. The episode highlighted Alexa’s previous activism work, which focused on mental health, intergenerational trauma, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), as well as her debut media project, Digital Voices.
Released in 2020 and launched on CBC Edmonton, Digital Voices is a web series that encourages individuals to reclaim and share their stories. The series aims to break stigmas, create connections through lived experience, and spark dialogue around identity and healing. The project has been featured by multiple news outlets and is being used as a teaching resource in classrooms within Alexa’s home community of Lloydminster.
Alexa is a passionate advocate and has spoken publicly at events such as Pecha Kucha, Sisters in Spirit vigils, the Western Canadian Tobacco Reduction Forum, and at the Alberta Legislature. Her voice has reached wider audiences through features on APTN News, CKUW Radio, CBC News, PTL News, and CityNews. Internationally, she has made appearances on Fishbowl Radio (Texas), Authors on the Air (Florida), and with author VS Holmes (New Hampshire). She has also worked with APTN and Narrative Research on research projects addressing the voices and realities of Indigenous youth across Canada.
In June 2024, Alexa was selected for the Empowered Filmmakers program in Cranbrook, BC, where she directed Interlude, an abstract short film about life’s “in between” moments. Created alongside her brother Ethan Blyan, the film earned them the Dedicated Filmmaker Award and released on TELUS Optik TV in Fall of 2024.
Currently, Alexa is writing, producing and directing, Matriarch’s, a documentary series supported by TELUS Storyhive. Set for release in Summer 2025, the series highlights individuals making intergenerational impact within their families and communities. Season Two is now underway, shifting its focus to the community of High Prairie, AB—near Alexa’s home territory of Sucker Creek First Nation. This season deepens its exploration of cultural tradition, family, and the guiding forces shaping future generations, while honouring the histories rooted in the land and the resilience of the people who continue to carry those stories forward.
In addition to her documentary work, Alexa is also in development as a producer, director, and co-writer on her first feature film, Family Under Nothing—a story rooted in themes of identity, trauma, and resistance, continuing her commitment to bold, emotionally resonant storytelling.
Beyond filmmaking, Alexa is deeply committed to youth mentorship. She has facilitated workshops, led storytelling circles, and mentored Indigenous youth. Through her work, she creates safe and culturally grounded spaces where youth can explore their voices, identities, and dreams. Whether through digital media, spoken word, or one-on-one mentorship, Alexa empowers youth to reclaim their narratives, embrace their creativity, and become changemakers in their own right. Her approach is rooted in lived experience and a belief in the transformative power of representation and connection.
LEE LOCKE
LEE LOCKE is a 20-year-old writer currently based in Victoria, BC. Their storytelling journey began in Grade 7 while living in Calgary, AB, where they began crafting short stories in the drama and romance genres. After graduating high school, Lee relocated to Vancouver to pursue film and scriptwriting in a more focused and immersive environment.
During their year-long intensive Film Production program at InFocus Film School, Lee wrote four original screenplays, including Live, Laugh, Leprechaun, The Owler Chronicles, and Luxurious Life. Three of these were produced, highlighting Lee’s signature comedic voice—defined by surreal scenarios, camp-infused characters, and sharp, ironic plot devices that straddle the line between absurdity and emotional insight.
After completing their diploma, Lee participated in an additional intensive film program, during which they completed another original script, currently in development. Beyond writing, Lee has directed narrative films and music videos, edited their own work as well as a seven-episode documentary series, and acted in several leading roles. Notably, Lee served as assistant director and editor for season one of Matriarch’s, a documentary series exploring intergenerational stories and healing. Across all formats, their passion remains rooted in character-driven storytelling and immersive world-building.
Lee’s upcoming projects include continuing with Matriarch’s as an Assistant Director for season two in High Prairie, AB, and Notice Me, a working title for a new film about a mysterious entity haunting a small town. They are also in development as a co-writer on Family Under Nothing, another feature currently in the writing phase. Both films—Notice Me and Family Under Nothing—reflect Lee’s evolving exploration of suspense, identity, and unconventional narrative structure, marking a bold progression in their creative vision and storytelling range.
JAMES SUMMER
JAMES SUMMER is a 22-year-old filmmaker and poet based in Victoria, BC. His creative journey began in middle school, where he started developing film concepts. Throughout high school, he honed his writing skills, producing multiple short stories and a play titled Revel, which was performed at Victoria High School’s 2019 Fringe Festival. During this time, James was invited to join the school’s slam poetry club by then–Youth Poet Laureate Neko Smart, sparking his involvement in spoken word. He went on to compete in and win several poetry slam competitions, including Victoria’s Voices, Hullabaloo, and Tongues of Fire.
Following his high school graduation, James was appointed Youth Poet Laureate for the City of Victoria in 2021. Over the course of that year, he composed approximately 50 original poems, which he shared with city council, performed at local poetry events, and exhibited at the Greater Victoria Art Gallery.
After completing his term as Poet Laureate, James returned to his passion for filmmaking by enrolling in a one-year intensive program at InFocus Film School. There, he directed two short films and one music video. His filmmaking is characterized by its focus on mental illness, explored through a lens of vibrant color, abstract nostalgia, and emotionally grounded narratives. Rather than emphasizing healing or resolution, James’s stories center on coping and living with trauma and disorder.
Since graduating with a diploma in film production, James has continued to produce music videos and has worked as a production designer on several short films. Most recently, he served as Assistant Director on season one of the documentary series Matriarch’s, and is continuing with the project as part of Matriarchs: Season Two, set in High Prairie, AB.
He is currently in pre-production for Lonely Poets Club—a stylized series that highlights poets in Victoria and Vancouver through an abstract, retro-infused visual world. James is also working as a producer on his debut feature film, Family Under Nothing, a project that deepens his exploration of identity, memory, and the complexities of living with unseen struggles.