Monica Iyah Mustelier is an award-winning writer, director, and filmmaker working between Vancouver and Toronto. She loves creating female-centered, character-driven stories in the comedy and drama genres. Currently, she is in ReelWorld’s E20 Program developing her feature rom-com Harvest Moon, and recently, she received the Banff Artist Award from the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity for her continued career development as a multidisciplinary filmmaker and storyteller.

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Monica’s short films include Rainbow Baby (2020), which won the Toronto ACTRA Women’s Committee Short Film Creation Lab and is now streaming on Canadian Reflections and CBC GEM. Other shorts include Demonstration Sport, Weeping Willow, God Squad, and Compliant, which have been selected and awarded at several international festivals like Toronto Black Film Festival, Berlin International Arts Film Festival, CineFam, Lift-Off Sessions UK, and New York International Women’s Film Festival.​

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Her short Las Olas (2023) was developed and produced with support from Women in the Director’s Chair, Canada Council for the Arts, Toronto Arts Council, and the Indigenous Screen Office. It was selected by several festivals (CaribbeanTales, Chicago International Indie Film Festival, Oklahoma Black Film Festival, and more), earning several nominations, including Best Female Director and Best Production Design. She is currently working with Floyd Kane to produce a feature-length version titled Kaleah.

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Under Monica’s production company, Clark Park Films, she has a slate of features, TV series, documentaries, and digital projects at various stages of production and development​.

 

Monica intentionally takes on only a limited number of projects each year, allowing her to be completely involved in the creative process. AND she is open to new collaborations and is always looking for bold female lead stories that align with her voice and vision.

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Currently, she is obsessed with Bad Bunny, shoulder pads in sweatshirts, and collecting original art.