By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative reporter, Windspeaker.com

Hayley Morin has already received an accolade and praise for her latest film.

And now the filmmaker from Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta will get some more attention for her latest work titled 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檒l tell you when i害羞草研究所檓 ready害羞草研究所� will be shown on Sept. 11, the opening night of the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

The film is about Jaye Simpson, an Indigiqueer writer, poet, activist and drag queen. It includes scenes of Simpson talking about losing her mother as well as experiences in the Canadian child care system.

The film had its world premiere this past March overseas at London害羞草研究所檚 LGBTQIA2S+ festival titled BFI Flare.

It was also screened at Toronto害羞草研究所檚 Inside Out Festival, held in late May and early June where Morin was awarded the Emerging Canadian Artist award at that festival.

害羞草研究所淚t was really shocking,害羞草研究所� she said of her award. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e been producing indie documentaries for about seven years now. You do a lot of projects and there are some projects where I go into and think this is going to be a really big commercial hit. Or this is going to be really successful among these audiences.害羞草研究所�

Such wasn害羞草研究所檛 the case with the film about Simpson.

害羞草研究所淲ith Jaye害羞草研究所檚 project, it really felt like a passion project from the beginning,害羞草研究所� Morin said. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 really know who the audience was going to be. I didn害羞草研究所檛 necessarily know what story we were telling until we were telling it. By the time we had finished the edit and we had seen the final cuts and everything, it was a piece of work that I was so proud of. You just never know how films, especially like this where it害羞草研究所檚 a bit more experimental at times, you don害羞草研究所檛 know how they害羞草研究所檙e going to be received by the bigger audiences, especially at film festivals. It害羞草研究所檚 kind of a big lottery every time you go to a screening.害羞草研究所�

Morin, 28, said she originally thought she害羞草研究所檇 have an opportunity to work with Simpson long before she did.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 actually a really interesting story and it害羞草研究所檚 not how I害羞草研究所檝e done any other film before,害羞草研究所� Morin said. 害羞草研究所淚 got approached about two-and-a-half years ago by a production company, Salazar, based out of Vancouver. And they were pitching this second season to a webseries they had done for TELUS. They wanted to feature Jaye in an episode of that documentary series that they were doing.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎t that point I had never met Jaye. We had run in a lot of similar circles and I had always heard her name come up. But at that point I had only been in Vancouver for about a year. I was super fresh to the scene out there and we kind of got paired up through this TELUS project.害羞草研究所�

But as it didn害羞草研究所檛 out, that project did not materialize.

害羞草研究所淎nd then we ended up pitching that as a short film independently, sort of a one off,害羞草研究所� Morin said. 害羞草研究所淥ur first prep meeting is the first day I met Jaye, which is a very different way to do a documentary about someone.害羞草研究所�

Morin said the film was indeed challenging to make at times, in part as she was learning about Simpson along the way.

害羞草研究所淭here really wasn害羞草研究所檛 any pre-conceived notion that I had of her,害羞草研究所� Morin said. 害羞草研究所淩eally all I knew was her poetry and doing some research of her online and her persona and doing a little bit of backchecking on some of the interviews she had done.害羞草研究所�

The scenes where Simpson goes through foster care files had to be handled delicately.

害羞草研究所淲e were getting to know each other, building this trust, and making a film, all at the same time,害羞草研究所� Morin said. 害羞草研究所淚t really just allowed for there to be a lot of authenticity in the story I felt. I felt like I was learning things about her. It just felt so natural to chase parts of her story rather than having my own narrative going into the film.害羞草研究所�

Morin added there were plenty of tears shed by Simpson and crew during filming.

害羞草研究所淭here was a lot of emotional moments,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淏ut I think in that sort of process we were able to create this really safe space where Jaye was sharing herself on camera, we would take a break and we would talk about our lives. And we would have lunch and we would take a coffee break. So, it was really like building a friendship while building a film while building a working relationship with each other.害羞草研究所�

Meanwhile, Simpson is hoping viewers get a small window into her life.

害羞草研究所淏ut also I hope that they take away from this that this is my life experience, it害羞草研究所檚 my singular experience,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not every Indigenous person害羞草研究所檚 experience.害羞草研究所�

And Simpson is glad that life story has been made into a film.

害羞草研究所淔or me, it害羞草研究所檚 always been about making sure that my story is as authentic as it can be,害羞草研究所� Simpson said. 害羞草研究所淎nd when I got approached I thought that this was a unique opportunity.害羞草研究所�

Viewers across the country will have an opportunity to see the film on the TELUS originals site starting on Sept. 16.