Gloria Mercer is an award-winning director and editor from East Vancouver, BC on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She is a proud alumna of the Simon Fraser University film program and Women in the Director’s Chair.
In 2016, Gloria directed Bombing, her thesis film at SFU. Bombing went on to screen at over 30 film festivals worldwide, and won best student film at the Whistler Film Festival. In 2020, Gloria directed Hekademia, which was funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Film Board. Hekademia went on to screen at numerous festivals, winning Best Sci-Fi at the Oscar-Qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival. It was later released on CBC Gem.
In 2021, Gloria was one of three teams selected for the prestigious Harold Greenberg Shorts to Features award for her film Smoke Eater. Smoke Eater screened at festivals all over the world, including the Whistler Film Festival and the San Luis Obispo Film Festival. Smoke Eater was released on Crave Canada. Gloria was also one of the five selected participants in the 2023 MPPIA Short FIlm Pitch at Whistler.
Gloria’s 2021 short film A Safe Distance screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival. The following year, Gloria was invited to pitch the feature film of the same name at the Film London Production Finance Market. A Safe Distance the feature received production funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and Creative BC. Gloria went on to A Safe Distance in 2024, and is excited to bring it to festivals in 2025.
Gloria is passionate about featuring complex women on screen and challenging the idea of a “strong female character”.