Graydon Sheppard (Canada)

After earning his B.F.A. in Photography, Graydon Sheppard pivoted to directing, quickly becoming a sought-after and award-winning music video and commercial director in Canada and abroad. A desire to create personal work brought Graydon to Columbia University’s M.F.A. Film Program in New York City. After leaving the program, Graydon co-wrote, directed, and starred in the viral phenomenon Shit Girls Say, which sparked a global discourse about the representation and stereotyping of gender, sexuality, race, and culture. The success of these videos gave him the opportunity to write for studios and producers such as 20th Century Fox, Ryan Murphy, and Sofia Vergara. Graydon’s work has been exhibited in festivals, galleries, and museums, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. He also co-created, co-wrote, and directed Coming In, a 10-episode web series for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Muya A lonely gay teenager in rural Canada befriends and eventually dates a foreign exchange student from Switzerland to help cover up his homosexuality.