Biographie
Heather, born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, is the owner of The XY Company. A 1999 graduate of the Confederation College Film Production program, her films have been showcased at festivals worldwide, including Sundance (2009), the Toronto International Film Festival (2010, 2013), and the Cannes Short Corner (2011, out of competition).
An alumna of the Canadian Film Centre's Short Dramatic Film Program (2010), Heather was uniquely invited to produce for the program without paying fees, rather than applying like most participants.
In 2011, she was nominated for Ontario's Premier Award as an Outstanding College Graduate in Creative Arts & Design.
On July 7, 2012, Heather survived being trapped between two cars on the set of the BravoFACT short film 'The Golden Ticket' in Mississauga, Ontario. She is registered as disabled at both provincial and federal levels in Canada.
In September 2012, Heather was selected for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Talent Lab, joining artistic governors Stephen Woolley, Jennifer Baichwal, Scott McGehee, David Siegel, and special guests including Ed Burns, Jason Reitman, and James Schamus.
Peter Stebbings highly recommended Heather for TIFF's Talent Lab, impressed by her directing skills as a producer. After working with her on 'Empire of Dirt' as co-producer (prepped September 2011 to September 2012, filmed Fall 2012), he praised her clarity: "You actually know what you want; I have worked with many who do not."
In 2013, Heather co-produced and helped supervise post-production on the feature film 'Empire of Dirt' (RedCloud Studios/Mongrel Media, directed by Peter Stebbings), which premiered at TIFF 2013. She also produced the comedy web series 'Microwave Porn' for Cancelproof and YouTube, which garnered over two million views. She relocated to Sudbury, Ontario, to continue working within the Northern Ontario film industry.
In 2014, 'Empire of Dirt' received five Canadian Screen Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, and Best Picture Editing. 'The Golden Ticket' won Best Short at the Canadian Film Festival and the Director's Guild of Canada Awards; it was also nominated for Best Comedy at the Golden Sheaf Awards and Best Short Film at the Canadian Comedy Awards. Heather worked full-time as the Film Outreach Officer at CION, providing liaison and consulting services to emerging and established filmmakers in Northern Ontario.
From 2017 onward, after witnessing years of industry abuse—including widespread provincial and federal tax credit fraud—and experiencing stalking by a local Sudbury filmmaker, Heather left her position at CION and returned to freelance work.
She serves as Lead PR for The Whisper Network Canada, a role that emerged from the AfterMeToo conference in December 2017 (Toronto), and consults on reform within the Canadian Film, TV, and Digital Media industries.
Alongside producing and mentoring, Heather is an accomplished visual artist and photographer, known for her extensive gardening and exceptional cooking. She also performs a notable Guns N' Roses cover in the style of Axl Rose and spends considerable time with other Buddhist filmmakers.
