Rylan Friday (Saulteaux Ojibway/Plains Cree/Métis) is a multidisciplinary award-winning director, curator, writer, and producer from Cote First Nation, Saskatchewan. With a passion for honest discourse surrounding LGBTQ2+ and Indigenous representation, Rylan strives to bring these narratives to the big screen while remaining true to their own experiences.

In 2019, Rylan produced Trevor Mack's feature film, "Portraits From a Fire," and played a pivotal role in implementing a peer-to-peer mentorship program for Indigenous youth associated with the film. Rylan's efforts on Mack's debut feature earned them the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award at the CMPA Indie Screen Awards during Prime Time Ottawa 2022, as well as the Leo Award for Best Motion Picture.

Rylan's career in storytelling began in radio broadcasting, where hey gained valuable experience at 94.2 The Edge FM in Auckland (Tamaki Makaurau), New Zealand (Aotearoa). This experience emphasized the significance of indigenous perspectives in storytelling. Drawing inspiration from art-house cinema, Rylan infuses a sense of surrealism into their work while maintaining grounded realism to deliver authentic performances.

"Terror/Forming," Rylan's short film, has not only received critical acclaim but has also been showcased at prestigious events such as the VIFF, Māoriland Film Festival, and imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Additionally, it secured the Best Short Horror Film award at the 2023 London Independent Film Festival.

Rylan became the first openly gay, Indigenous, and person of color to spearhead the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival's Catalyst Mentorship Program. Rylan has established and curated the highly successful #Indigeneity series for Reel Causes. Rylan also served as the lead curator for the Who We Are Indigenous Film Series, a collaboration between VIFF and the Museum of Vancouver.

Currently, Rylan is in post-production for their short-form projects, "Musk." and "The Sound of You Collapsing," which are slated to be part of a gallery exhibition in Summer 2023 in Vancouver, BC. Additionally, He recently completed "Terror/Forming," which is currently being screened at festivals, with hopes of transforming the project into their debut feature film, "Terror/Rising."