We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful J Stevens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with J below.
J, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
As a trans, non-binary person I am constantly in rooms/on sets where I’m the ‘only’ gender-diverse (or at least openly so) person there. While this can feel daunting at times, I try to look at it as an advantage- I have a perspective no one else in that room does. So rather than seeing it as a reason I don’t belong,I try to make it known that that’s precisely why I should stay in that room and have my voice heard. I think that belief in the importance of my perspective has allowed me to be effective and successful because that confidence shows others they should have the same confidence in my abilities. And I hope to open doors for others so that I’m not the only person that looks like me in that room for long…
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m happy to say these days I split my time between creating and directing film/TV and running a non-profit organization called Spindle Films Foundation. I’ve been in the film industry for over a decade now, I’ve created my own digital series, including Slo Pitch (AMC+), and recently finished my directorial debut feature film, Really Happy Someday which will begin its festival run soon. In the past couple of years, I’ve gotten into television directing which has been an exciting new aspect of my career, directing on shows like Astrid & Lilly Save the World (Crave), and Sort Of (CBC/HBO Max).
I feel incredibly lucky that I get to tell stories for a living. It’s something that makes me excited about what I do every day. As someone who realized they were queer while watching the film Rent, I understand the importance of representation in the media we consume. So it’s a goal of mine to keep telling nuanced, exciting, diverse 2SLGBTQI+ stories and I’m happy to say I’ve gotten to do that in most of the work I’ve been a part of.
As I’ve gotten on to bigger projects where I have less hiring power, I’ve realized how few gender-diverse folks are in positions of power on the biggest shows/films. It was because of that I founded the Spindle Films Foundation. Our mandate is to support transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, and gender-diverse Canadian filmmakers. We are currently running our first six-month mentorship program for writers and directors, and it’s been one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. Seeing these incredible filmmakers, in a room where they are not ‘the only’ gender-diverse person, learning and creating amazing work, is a dream come true- I’m also learning a lot from them! I’m excited to see how the Foundation can expand its programs and support more filmmakers.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
It’s hard to know for sure how to distill it down to three…but I think they’d have to be:
-A willingness to do things ‘I wasn’t ready for’. It can be so easy to say no to opportunities because you don’t feel ready. But I’m the type of person that learns by doing and because of that I’ve said yes to a lot of things that scare me, or that I questioned if I was ready for. But these have turned out to be the best opportunities of my career and have helped me get to where I am today. You have to believe in yourself or else you will stay where you are.
-A belief that the process is as important as the work. Film is a stressful environment, when you are on set it feels like you never have enough time to do the amount of work in a day that needs to get done. But it’s important to me to keep the vibe of the set enjoyable and treat folks with respect. If you’re not enjoying the process, what are you doing?
-Knowing that even if I wasn’t doing my ‘dream job’ on set I could be learning and working toward it. It’s hard to get directing opportunities in film. Because of that, I’ve done a lot of other jobs on set, jobs that weren’t my passion. But if I were giving advice to someone early in their journey, it would be, to pay attention to how the person that’s doing the job you want to be doing is doing it. I felt like I was getting paid to be at film school. I learned a lot of the tools/tricks that I use when directing today by observing the directors on all of the projects I worked on. so don’t get discouraged if you’re not in the exact position you want, see it as a stepping stone to the job you want.
If you’re early in your career, know you are your biggest advocate and you know what you’re capable of. Believe in that and keep going. Be curious, be excited, and be the type of person people want to spend 14 hours a day with. I know people say ‘If there isn’t a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.’ But I kind of believe, ‘if there isn’t a seat at the table, build a better table.’ There’s space for you and your stories in this industry. We need diverse perspectives.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
With the Spindle Films Foundation, we’re always looking for folks to partner, collaborate, and dream with. We’re currently in our first year of programming and we have big dreams for the impact we can make. I have an amazing team working with me, but we can’t do it by ourselves.
We’re looking for folks to help financially support our work to make future iterations of our mentorship program possible and to create new programs and opportunities for gender-diverse filmmakers. But we’re also always looking for folks who are willing to share their time, space, expertise, etc with us. We are working on launching a series of networking events across Canada and we’re looking for spaces to partner with to host them. We love finding creative ways to partner with organizations or people to expand our reach and network. Please reach out if this is of interest at all! The best way to reach us is through our ‘Get Involved’ page on our website – www.spindlefilms.ca/get-involved
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spindlefilms.ca/about-foundation
- Instagram: @the_j_stevens & @spindlefilmsfoundation
Image Credits
Sam Coyle Wynne Neilly
