Hi, I’m Vanessa

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Filmmaking & Performance

My short documentaries have played at festivals internationally and my film CUP U. was featured on Jezebel.com, where it received over 35K views and was described as “The Best Documentary on Menstrual Cups” by Dodai Stewart.  

My fiction short film Foot Trouble (2022) is award winning and has played such festivals as: The Santa Fe Film Festival (2023), Chattanooga Film Festival (2023), Geneva Downtown Film Festival (2024), and Nitehawk Shorts Festival (2024). It is currently available for streaming on NoBudge.

In 2024, I co-starred in the short film The Joint (Dir. by Joshua Strauch) and have performed multiple short one woman shows at The Brick and Brick Aux. Most notably, my show Little Scream that I wrote and directed, was a part of The Brick’s ?!:New Works showcase in August of 2023.

Film Programming & Creative Development

Within the independent film landscape, I grew up in the genre space as Programming Director for Frontières International Co-Production Market - an international development market for genre film. I remain a project mentor for the market. 

Within the documentary space, I was Head of Development for Hard Working Movies, an award winning documentary production company based in Brooklyn, NY. There, I had the privilege of working with brilliant filmmakers to help develop groundbreaking and cinematic storytelling.

I have programmed for Brooklyn Horror Film Festival and Reel Love Film Festival. I have been an invited jury member for Ithaca Fantastik Fest, North Bend Film Festival, WIFTV’s From Our Dark Side screenwriting competition, Warner Media Canada’s Global Access screenwriters program, Fantastic Fest, GEMFest (previously VIWFF), and The Philadelphia Film Festival.

I’m currently the Program Director for GEMS’ Genre Film Lab - a development incubator for emerging female and gender diverse genre filmmakers from across Canada.

Photo Credit: Abi Lieff

Doctorate in Communication Studies

Parallel to my professional experience in the film industry I completed a PhD in Communications from Concordia University in Montreal, QC (2020). My research is practice based with a critical focus on matrilineal narratives in histories of feminist and queer autoethnographic film and video making. I have taught at the undergraduate level and am passionate about supporting people to think critically about media representation and to use personal storytelling as a means of understanding who they are and the world that they live in. 

Some kind words about Vanessa and her work

  • Vanessa Meyer has heart. She sees people deeply and cares for them through her work. This comes through from her professionalism and near-psychic tact while handling talent, to her adept and searching depiction of humanity on the page. She’s an asset to the performing arts, in all the ways she engages with them.

    Tracy Hurren, Senior Editor/Drawn & Quarterly

  • Vanessa is extremely reliable and smart in all aspects of working on film - from narrative development to production. She helped me find the perfect editor for a film which set the stage for one of my most successful projects. She also is creative and hard-working in spades. She is able to easily grasp the most unusual projects, which is rare.

    Rachel Mason, Filmmaker/Performer

  • Vanessa was described as a "wild and talented new voice".

    Chattanooga Film Festival.

  • Dodai Stewart, from the late but great Jezebel.com, described Vanessa's short film CUP U. as "the best documentary about menstrual cups."

    Dodai Stewart, Writer NYT

  • Vanessa brings a gift of empathy and openness to any conversation, and it is a superpower. She is the first person I send a draft of a script and/or a cut of a film to. She is trustworthy, and she can see the work for what it is, dissect the good and the bad, and help carve a path forward regardless of the project’s scope. She is also an artist in every sense of the word. I hope to work with Vanessa in any way that I can, and I hope other creatives can be as lucky as I am to have met her.

    Jeff Ryan, Filmmaker/Actor

  • Vanessa doesn't give you shallow, nit-picky feedback on your work-- she dives deep into the soul and heart of your story. She asks the questions that others don't. She helps you find purpose in your work. Long story short, Vanessa has improved me as a writer, as a director, and most importantly, as a storyteller. I will continue seeking Vanessa's advice as both a mentor and artist moving forward.

    Shannon Walsh, Filmmaker/Actor