Meet Jaime Leigh Gianopoulos, a Vancouver-based creative powerhouse dedicated to championing women’s empowerment and advocating for social and environmental justice. Jaime Leigh’s diverse heritage spans small villages in Laconia, Greece, as well as England, Ireland, and Bratislava, Slovakia. She passionately explores her roots through storytelling, forging a profound connection with her ancestral land and waters.
Her notable work includes ‘Our Grandmother the Inlet,’ where she serves as co-executive producer, co-director, and editor. Premiering at the Vancouver International Film Festival, this film portrays a young indigenous woman’s deep love for the water and her Grandmother.
Jaime Leigh’s co-direction, production, and editing of “What About Our Future?” garnered global acclaim through ‘Hollywood Suite’ and earned ‘The Nigel Moore Youth Programming Award’ at DOXA 2021. The film has inspired over 500 classrooms to seek creative solutions for social and environmental justice.
Stay tuned for Jaime Leigh’s upcoming projects ‘Our Grandmother the Inlet’ and ‘Ask the Plantain’ in 2023. Her passion and talent promise a lasting impact in the world of creativity and advocacy.
-Written by Jane Puchniak, Jaime’s publicist
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Which hood are you in?
Kitsilano, Vancouver
What do you do?
I am a Greek Canadian filmmaker and lover of the earth and storytelling. As a director, producer, and editor, I am dedicated to honing my craft and sharing perspectives and visions with the world. My goal is to ignite healing, transformation, and inspiration in those who experience my work. While I may not have all the answers, I am driven by an insatiable curiosity and a multitude of questions that guide my creative exploration and direction.
One of the aspects I cherish most about filmmaking is the opportunity to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds, spanning different ages and perspectives. Through the medium of film, I can seamlessly weave together various art forms, reclaiming my voice on behalf of the countless women in my ancestral lineage who were silenced. I am fervently committed to utilizing art as a catalyst for creating impactful change and steering our collective future toward a world that prioritizes well-being, justice, and community. LETS GO!!!
What are you currently working on?
I have the world premiere of a short film I co-directed with Kayah George called “Our Grandmother the Inlet,” which will play at the 42nd annual Vancouver International Film Festival! We are super excited to share this film with the world! I just released a music video for Juno-nominated artist Desiree Dawson for her remarkable song ‘Mountain Tops’. We experimented with music video and documentary interviews within the piece, creating a really beautiful work. We wanted the dancers in the video to speak to the themes the song is about. I feel that it touches on some feelings that many can relate to regarding stepping forward and becoming our unapologetic selves. I just completed another short film that is just being sent to film festivals called ‘Ask the Plantain.” It explores the idea of not belonging to the lands I was born on and also not belonging to the lands my ancestors once came from. We shot the film with an all-female crew in Greece in May 2022. My producer Shelby Manton of Boldly and I have been working hard to bring the piece forward. I am also in the development of a documentary series about the cycles and transitions of a woman’s life span. This next one feels like a massive part of my work’s purpose.
Where can we find your work?
