Heather Perluzzo is a film director originally from Montreal, Quebec. Her desire to tell female-driven narratives and reimagine traumatic life experiences through sci-fi brought her to Vancouver Film School in 2017. Since then, she has directed multiple short films, including Girl in the Galactic Sun, which received Best Sci-Fi Short from Women in Horror and was an official selection at Whistler Film Festival.
Late last year, Heather was awarded the MPPIA Short Film Award, presented by Whistler Film Festival and Creative BC in partnership to assist emerging talent to develop their career. Heather is now currently working on the short, Wildflower, which follows a woman who creates an AI version of herself to escape an abusive relationship.
Heather is an advocate for balanced gender representation on and off the screen and prides herself on reinventing her struggles as a woman into strange yet meaningful films.
Tell us about yourself and your work
I am a female-forward director and writer from Montreal, though I have moved around quite a bit. I was bullied for being weird as a kid, a true victim of the classic stereotype of pre-pubescent “mean girls”. I’ve never stopped being a weirdo though, and now surprisingly it’s been embraced here in the indie film scene. My work up to this point have been trials and errors of communicating my imagination and mashing it with a dose of personal trauma.
What were the early days of your career like? How did you get to where you are now?
Well, honestly, I still believe I’m in my early days. I have a lot of passion and as someone who has worked hard for everything in my life, I value how important these opportunities are. I don’t want to make another version of a film everyone’s already seen, I want to put myself, my true vision on the screen and I want to talk about the hard things. Even if it doesn’t turn out to be my calling card, I feel happy that I tried something different. And I think that’s why I am where I am now, by stepping out of the box and being real about it.
What inspires you as a creator?
Thus far, most of the inspirations for my films have come from personal experiences. I am rather anti-social and introverted, and most of my life I’ve kept all the bad things that have happened to me in my head. I never really figured out how to communicate and grow from them until I started filmmaking. Film has given me a way to express myself and, in some ways, “free” myself from those negative moments in my life. I’m also very influenced by music; artists like Banks, Allie X and Grimes inspire me to push boundaries and not be afraid to let my freak flag fly.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in the industry?
Surround yourself with an environment that allows you to focus. Don’t be afraid to explore yourself and say yes to your gut, remember this is your perspective. And just put the work in, no one is going to hand you a career. That being said, you’ll do your best work when you make time getting to know yourself, so set time aside every now and then to reconnect with who you are and what you want. And on top of that, unfortunately for us introverts, networking! I know it can be hard when you’re socially awkward, but they’re good people I promise. Vancouver has a wonderful indie scene and we all want to succeed together!
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
My student film, Girl in the Galactic Sun, is one of my biggest accomplishments. I know that’s strange to say, most people want their student films to go away forever. But for the first time in my life, I was in an environment that encouraged me to be creative and in turn, I made something entirely unique, powerful and proved to myself that I’m worth something. Since film school, I’ve been a part of two Crazy 8s films and just won the MPPIA Short Film Award. I feel so humbled but also proud of myself. I never thought anyone would ever really see value in me, and this community in Vancouver has really helped me grow.
What milestones have you achieved or are you focusing on now?
After Wildflower, my sights are set on a feature. While I love short films, I know the large, gated doors will only truly open once I dive into that new territory. That is the biggest, scariest milestone ahead. I’ve also found an amazing production company, Aimer Films, that have taken me under their wing and are pushing me to better not only my career but myself. I’d always wanted to have that core film family here, and I feel that I’ve found that in them. But yeah, just keep going until I can maybe make a living off of doing what I love.
Are there any upcoming projects we should know about that we can promote for you?
Well my upcoming MPPIA short film Wildflower is something I’ve been waiting to make for a while now. It’s about a woman who creates an AI replica in her image and the two form a romantic relationship, reflecting on how romance is something we can feel for ourselves. I’ve been saying, “This is the one, the last short that I need to make before I make a feature”. And we are making it this year. My feature, New Places to Hide, is in the script stages. So, if anyone has any advice for someone starting out in the big bad feature-length woods, I’d love to hear it.
