Rylan Friday (Saulteaux Ojibway/Plains Cree) is an award-winning director, curator, writer, and producer from Cote First Nation, Saskatchewan. He is dedicated to bringing honest LGBTQ2+ and Indigenous representation to the big screen, staying true to their own experiences.

Rylan produced Trevor Mack’s “Portraits From a Fire” and launched a mentorship program for Indigenous youth. He received the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award and the Leo Award for Best Motion Picture for their work on Mack’s debut feature. Rylan’s film “Terror/Forming” has been highly acclaimed and won Best Short Horror Film at the 2023 London Independent Film Festival.

Through his background in radio broadcasting, Rylan understands the importance of storytelling from an indigenous perspective. He infuses his work with surrealism inspired by art-house cinema while maintaining grounded realism for authentic performances.

“Terror/Forming” has screened at renowned festivals such as VIFF, Māoriland Film Festival, and imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Rylan made history as the first openly gay, Indigenous, and person of color to lead the Vancouver International Film Festival’s Catalyst
Mentorship Program. He also founded and curated the successful #Indigeneity series for Reel Causes and served as the lead curator for the Who We Are Indigenous Film Series.