Filmmaker interviews and profiles have become relatively rare on Short of the Week in recent years. With the sheer volume of exceptional short films featured on the platform, deciding which filmmakers deserve a deeper spotlight is no easy task – arguably, every one of them does. As a result, we tend to reserve these pieces for moments when there is something particularly special we want to discuss or celebrate. In this case, we’re celebrating Cailleah Scott-Grimes, the winner of our inaugural Pride Shorts competition.

While yesterday’s article explored the themes, production, and emotional resonance of their short film, Between Us, today we wanted to turn our attention to the filmmaker behind the film. From their influences and approach to storytelling to the ideas that drive their work and their plans for the future, this conversation offers a closer look at one of the most exciting new filmmaking voices we’ve encountered in quite some time.

What first inspired you to become a filmmaker? Was there a particular moment or experience that set you on this path?

I come from a family of creatives. Growing up, I was that kid in the corner who was always drawing, jotting down my dreams, and making home videos. I actually used to write little adaptations of stories I liked – somewhere in my attic, there’s a notebook with “my 10-year-old take” on the Phantom of the Opera and Lord of the Flies. I loved every art form under the sun, but I found it hard to choose just one. So my path to film was long and winding.

I didn’t go to film school. Instead, I studied visual art and moved to rural Japan intending to become an illustrator. But once I arrived, I was bursting with experiences that I couldn’t properly express alone in my room, with a pen and paper. I was dying for a collaborative art form that could combine my love for communication, challenge, and adventure. Aha, film! I thought. But where to begin? I decided to learn by doing. When I returned to Canada, I volunteered on set and honed my craft working on documentaries. Ultimately, I wanted to direct fiction, so I enrolled in my MFA for more in-depth learning, and that’s where I developed Between Us. I’ve been working in narrative ever since.

When we spoke about Between Us, you described wanting to create a “counter-narrative”, explore ideas of belonging, and make “something tender”. Are these recurring principles in your work? How else would you describe your filmmaking approach?

Between Us was a film I felt I had to make, in order to figure out who I was and where I belonged. When I first wrote the script, I was a closeted genderqueer person struggling to feel comfortable in my own skin. At the time of making the film, I desperately needed self-kindness, and I think that compelled me to make something gentle and tender, so that viewers could also take a breath and reflect while they were watching it.

Each time I tell a story, I try to enter that world honestly and completely. I’m very detail oriented, and I strive to immerse the viewers in my characters’ perspective. Because of that, my films intentionally vary in style and tone. My forthcoming short film is actually a dark comedy, but it tackles similar themes. How do we honour and let go of who we were and accept who we’re becoming? That’s the recurring question that my work tries to answer.

On set, I work hard to take care of my cast and crew, so that they can learn, have fun, and be bold in their art making. We ended every shoot day of Between Us with our own dip in the hot springs. Why? Because the work is hard! And because the whole point of filmmaking is to open our eyes to new experiences, places, and people. I like to ask my team the very basic question, “What do you need most right now?” and carry that forward into my productions.

The story of Between Us emerged from your experiences “living in rural Northern Japan and feeling like an adopted family member among trans friends”. Where do you typically find inspiration for your narratives, and what draws you to a story?

I think film has become my vehicle for understanding experiences that are hard to put into words. Each one I make stems from a burning life question or dilemma that grabs me by the horns and won’t let go. I know I’m onto something, when I’m working on a script and literally can’t sleep at night! I love the collaborative challenge of production, because it allows us to process our feelings alongside other people and create a piece of art that is living, tangible proof that we’re not alone.

Maybe it’s my background in visual art, but I tend to see images first – like the final frame of Between Us, with the couple divided by the barrier in the water. Slowly, stories start to form from those images, growing in all directions like thick forests. My writing process is slow, and it takes me a while to find the path. But I get to know my characters’ inner worlds very thoroughly along the way.

Between Us was your first narrative short and has already connected with audiences around the world. What have you learnt from the experience of making and sharing the film, and how has it shaped your plans for future projects?

Making this film was one of the most challenging, humbling and exciting experiences of my life. First and foremost, it taught me to trust in my own capabilities. You don’t need to know everything before you start on a project. If you’re passionate, persistent, and resourceful, you can get your story out into the world. If you don’t know the “conventional” way to approach something, then find your own way of doing things. On a small, independent set, you’re the one setting the tone and building the world. So build one that you want to live in!

Second: remember that you’re not alone. Filmmaking is chock full of self-doubt and road blocks, and we need support. Now, whenever I’m in the early stages of a project, I make sure to lock in a few trusted collaborators, so that I have people who will fiercely, lovingly hold me accountable to following through when I feel like dumping coffee on my hard drive.

Lastly, when it comes to sharing your work with audiences, I would say this: you never know who needs your film. If you’ve said something vulnerable and honest with your work, it has an important place and purpose in the world. Your voice is not too niche to be relevant. Your experiences are not too obscure to be felt and understood by others. Keep trusting, keep creating.

Short films are often viewed as a stepping stone within the film industry. What are your long-term creative and career ambitions as a filmmaker?

After more than a decade directing across a range of formats, I’m pursuing a dual career path as a writer-director of independent features and a director in episodic tv. I think world-building is one of my strengths as a director, and I’ve always loved genre films, especially stories with magical realism and folk horror elements. So my current work has been moving in that direction, with a continued focus on queer and trans narratives. I’m also interested in pursuing international co-productions and working on projects that build on the close relationships I’ve maintained in Japan over the last 15 years.

What are you working on next? Are there any upcoming projects you can tell us about, and what excites you most about them?

Right now, I’m developing two trans-led features. One of them marks my return to rural Japan, in a dark cross-cultural tale that dives into queerness, faith, and Japanese demon lore. The other is a deeply personal coming-of-age ghost story, inspired by a medium’s prediction that I would be born as the reincarnation of my late brother. These are projects which terrify me a little…and that’s what I love most about them! At this stage, I’m looking for collaborators and producing partners who share my “leap-into-the-void” ethos and who want to tell bold, unique queer stories with care.