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 含羞草研究社榠含羞草研究社檒l tell you when i含羞草研究社檓 ready含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 LGBTQIA2S+ festival titled BFI Flare.

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

含羞草研究社淚t was really shocking,含羞草研究社� she said of her award. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝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.含羞草研究社�

Such wasn含羞草研究社檛 the case with the film about simpson.

含羞草研究社淲ith jaye含羞草研究社檚 project, it really felt like a passion project from the beginning,含羞草研究社� Morin said. 含羞草研究社淚 didn含羞草研究社檛 really know who the audience was going to be. I didn含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檚 a bit more experimental at times, you don含羞草研究社檛 know how they含羞草研究社檙e going to be received by the bigger audiences, especially at film festivals. It含羞草研究社檚 kind of a big lottery every time you go to a screening.含羞草研究社�

Morin, 28, said she originally thought she含羞草研究社檇 have an opportunity to work with simpson long before she did.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 actually a really interesting story and it含羞草研究社檚 not how I含羞草研究社檝e done any other film before,含羞草研究社� Morin said. 含羞草研究社淚 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.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淎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.含羞草研究社�

But as it didn含羞草研究社檛 out, that project did not materialize.

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

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

含羞草研究社淭here really wasn含羞草研究社檛 any pre-conceived notion that I had of her,含羞草研究社� Morin said. 含羞草研究社淩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.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淲e were getting to know each other, building this trust, and making a film, all at the same time,含羞草研究社� Morin said. 含羞草研究社淚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.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淭here was a lot of emotional moments,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淏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.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淏ut also I hope that they take away from this that this is my life experience, it含羞草研究社檚 my singular experience,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not every Indigenous person含羞草研究社檚 experience.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淔or me, it含羞草研究社檚 always been about making sure that my story is as authentic as it can be,含羞草研究社� simpson said. 含羞草研究社淎nd when I got approached I thought that this was a unique opportunity.含羞草研究社�

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

(This story has been updated to reflect how jaye simpson and the title of the film prefer the use of lower case.)