By Sarah Brewer
How has your background outside of film, especially in international development and languages, shaped your values as a filmmaker?
In 2010, I was selected for a Students Without Borders 3-month internship in Burkina Faso, West Africa, where I directed a local Youth Theatre Troupe and introduced them to puppetry. We toured a dozen elementary schools with educational puppet shows, performing for excited audiences of over 700 children! This experience really confirmed that I could have a career outside the box.
I went on to study International Development at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia on a full scholarship from Rotary International. At the time, I was motivated to start my own non-profit organization to support children in developing countries, using my special tool to connect with kids in ways that adults cannot, puppets!
In 2014, I founded The Puppeteaching Project, performing puppet shows for schools, festivals, libraries and events all over New Brunswick. This led to the rise of a second business, It’s OK to be Awesome, which offered mental wellness programming and mindset coaching for kids.
In 2018, my team and I received TELUS Fund financing to create a puppet pilot episode for television. Bringing our ideas to life on set was such an amazing experience, and it inspired me to transition into acting and making my own films.
I also have a background in Divine Feminine Coaching and Compassionate Inquiry (a form of psychotherapy), and my interest in supporting and empowering people has informed a lot of the themes of my film work. It has also influenced the type of collaborative ecosystem I cultivate on set, prioritizing kindness and respectful communication, and ensuring that cast and crew members feel cared for, heard, and that their contribution matters.
I have many stories stemming from my time spent abroad (44 countries so far), and I am manifesting an international co-production in my future!
How has being an actor influenced the kind of producer or filmmaker you are becoming?
I fell in love with theatre and performance as a child and acted in every school play throughout middle and high school. My first on-screen role was for a CBC movie called The Dance when I was 12 years old. I reconnected with my love of acting after having my first child in my early thirties. Experiencing birth and becoming a mom changes you, and awakens you to your purpose. I could no longer ignore my passion! I’ve booked some really fun roles since my humble beginnings, with the most recent being an RCMP Officer in the Crave series, Bon Cop Bad Cop.
My years of acting in films, television shows and over 30 commercials have given me a lot of experience on some very large, professional sets, which has contributed to my knowledge and skillset as a director and producer. As an actor turned filmmaker, I have insight on how to direct and best support actors on set and in their scenes, and a well-supported actor who feels safe to authentically express themselves elevates the whole production.
What does the name Elmire Films mean to you, and how does it reflect the kind of work you want to create?
Elmire is my middle name. It was my Québécois great-grandmother’s name on my father’s side. It means illustrious, she shines. It’s a feminine name that reflects the women-centered work I create.
When I first founded my production company, I named it By Odin’s Beard Pictures after my son, who starred in my first grant-awarded short film, Good Mom, with me. I operated under that name for 3 years, but as my body of artistic work grew, I decided I wanted a name that better represented the kinds of stories I tell, which are stories about women’s lived experience, including themes such as the grief of losing a child, surviving sexual violence, and navigating postpartum depression. Elmire Films felt like the right fit!
What makes a project feel like the right fit for Elmire Films?
First of all — does it pass the Bechdel Test?
The Bechdel Test is a measure used to evaluate the representation and visibility of women in fiction. In order to pass, a work must meet three simple rules:
It has to feature at least two women.
Those women must have a conversation with each other.
Their discussion must be about something other than a man.
Women continue to be underrepresented in the film industry, with studies indicating that at current rates, gender parity for directors will not be reached until 2047.
Including more women in crew roles is a very needed step here in New Brunswick, where the vast majority of film, television and commercial teams are made up of predominantly men. This affects the stories being told and the audiences being reached.
According to a 2026 study conducted by researchers at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB, out of 188 films nominated for best picture and best animated feature at the Academy Awards between 2001 and 2023, most of the films sexualized women, portrayed them only as caregivers, and female characters lacked their own changing and complex storylines.
Women bring powerful perspectives to film, and it’s important not only to include them, but to elevate and integrate their voices into stories told on-screen.
Elmire Films’ mission is to champion women both behind and in front of the camera by creating opportunities for underrepresented creatives, and by telling stories that reflect the complexity and emotional truth of women’s lived experience. Elmire Films strives to contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate film industry where authentic representation is prioritized.
Projects that feel like a fit for Elmire Films are ones that demonstrate depth, emotional intelligence, and have bold themes. Preferred genres include drama, psychological thriller, comedy and dark comedy.
What are a few of the barriers you’ve encountered while running Elmire Films, and what have been the successes?
Barriers: Getting the momentum going. I was awarded two grants in 2022 to make Good Mom and HUM, and finding the right crew was challenging at first. Now that I’ve been working in the industry for a few years, I know more film folks and have a better sense of who is a fit and who I love to collaborate with! I also got pregnant and had a baby in 2024, so that put a substantial pause on my filmmaking trajectory. I’m back at it now and excited to be working on a multitude of projects, including a comedy series, a psychological drama feature film, and two new shorts; an experimental film about the romanticization of motherhood, and a comedy that tells the story of a spirited francophone Mémère and her darling grandson who share a unique bond through their competitive chess matches.
Successes: Receiving grants for professional development and for the creation of film projects! It’s so encouraging! I was awarded my first Canada Council for the Arts artistic creation grant in 2025 after applying frequently over many years. I’ve gotten my fair share of “Nos,” and I think it’s important to share that too, so that emerging filmmakers know it’s normal. Rejection is part of this industry – Keep going!
What do you think the New Brunswick film industry needs the most right now to help filmmakers build sustainable careers?
- More professionally paid work, more funding for local projects.
- Ensuring more diverse representation and gender parity in film and television projects, not just on screen but behind the camera too.
- More financed women-led projects.
- Our own awards ceremony, ‘Screen New Brunswick Awards Gala’ so that deserving artists and creatives can be recognized and celebrated.
- Opportunities for emerging filmmakers to have paid mentorships with established directors and producers within New Brunswick. Especially in hands-on roles on set.
- For filmmakers to expand beyond their “tried and true” friend groups when building their teams, and invite new crew members to work on their productions.
- NB Filmmaker Labs and Screenwriting Labs
- Did I mention more financed women-led projects?
