As part of our celebration of queer joy, EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society is thrilled to host How to tell your authentic story? Workshop with filmmaker Sandralynn Trent on Saturday, September 5 at 12PM, for Calgary Culture Days.
We hope this workshop inspires and helps emerging 2SLGBTQ+BIPOC creatives to tell an empowering queer story, and how to pitch yourself to future collaborators, funders and audiences.
Participants will discuss what authenticity means in today’s world and reflect on the importance of authentic representation, while unpacking harmful stereotypes and tropes. Through personal storytelling and practical exercises, participants will explore how to confidently communicate who they are and what stories they want to tell.
About your instructor
Sandralynn Trent is an out-and-proud Filipino-Black creative who is passionate about storytelling that challenges audiences to embrace the unconventional. Born and raised in Calgary, Sandralynn has extensive experience in various departments in Alberta’s film & television industry, including production, accounting, and set building. Her credits include CBC’s Heartland, FX’s Fargo, and HBO’s The Last of Us. Her 17+ years of diverse industry experience help her bring a pragmatic approach to producing and writing scripted and unscripted projects.
Her first feature-length producing credit, Roger’s Pass, premiered at the 2010 Calgary International Film Festival and screened at the 2010 Austin Film Festival.
Her most recent producing/writing credit is the two-time Rosie Award-nominated TELUS STORYHIVE & Alberta Foundation for the Arts-funded video podcast, Albertans in Space – a campy educational series featuring passionate Albertans making waves in the Canadian and global space industry. In 2025, Albertans in Space received Spotify’s FanFave, Instant Hit Show and Most Shared Show awards. Season Three is currently in production and will premiere next Spring 2027 on TELUS Optik TV, Stream+, YouTube, ACast and wherever you listen to podcasts.
This past May, Sandralynn completed the Alberta Media Production Industries Association’s (AMPIA) Round 6 Producer BeSpoke Mentorship Program under the mentorship of Jessalyn Dennis, former VP Scripted and Creative Producer at SEVEN24 Films. In June, Sandralynn completed the Impact Producer Program through the Telefilm-sponsored Story Money Impact (SMI) Program under Tamo Campos. She was sponsored to attend the 2026 Prime Time in Ottawa with the support of Shivani Saini of Creatives Empowered and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA). With the support of the Director’s Guild of Canada (DGC) Alberta District and the Canada Council for the Arts, Sandralynn was awarded the opportunity to attend the 2026 Banff World Media Festival for Artistic Career and Network Development goals.
Together with her producing/writing partner Meghan Westelmajer, under their newly incorporated company, Sort of Sweet Productions Inc, Sandralynn is committed to pursuing projects that positively reshape how the rest of Canada – and the world – sees Alberta. Representation matters, and as the need for diversity is being questioned, audiences are ready to hear stories from Sandralynn and the underrepresented voices she actively uplifts.
Proudly supported by Calgary Culture Days, City of Calgary, Calgary Arts Development, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and Canada Council for the Arts.