V.T. Nayani

V.T. NAYANI is a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller, whose work explores how we continuously come of age. She started her journey as a classically trained Bharathanatyam and Indo-contemporary dancer, as well as a writer and performer in theatre, before moving into film, television, commercial, and multimedia work.

Nayani is an alumni of Film Independent's Episodic Directing Intensive (‘25) and Episodic Lab ('24), Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Directors Program for Women (‘22), Canadian Film Centre's Directors' Lab (‘21), as well as BIPOC TV & Film's Showrunner Bootcamp ('22) and Directors’ Masterclass (‘23). She is also a past participant of EFM's Fiction Toolbox Programme, CBC's Workshop for Diverse Creators, HotDocs’ Doc Accelerator Program, Reelworld Film Festival's E20 Program, and BlackStar Film Festival's William & Louise Greaves Filmmaker Seminar. As an artist, Nayani has been championed by platforms including The Gotham, Telefilm Canada, Netflix, L’Oréal Paris, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, AWID, and Women of the World. Notably, she is a recipient of the UN Women Yvonne M. Hebert Award for media artists.

Nayani’s award-winning feature directorial debut, THIS PLACE, had its World Premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival. The film also screened at Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival (International Premiere), Freiburger Lesbenfilmtage (European Premiere), Outfest Fusion QTBIPOC Film Festival (U.S. Premiere), FRAMELINE: San Francisco LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Outfest LA Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival, Vancouver Queer Film Festival (Winner, People’s Choice Award: Canadian Feature), NewFest: The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Seattle Queer Film Festival, and IFFI Goa (Asian Premiere). The film was released theatrically in 2023 and is now available in multiple territories.

In addition to her artistic practice, Nayani remains committed to supporting her creative community. In 2021, she was invited to be a Commissioning Editor for Reel Asian’s 25th anniversary anthology "(re)Rites of Passage: Asian Canada in Motion". She’s also worked as a mentor, facilitator, and juror for various festivals and arts institutions. In 2023, she was an invited Jury Member for the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), helping select the Best Canadian Feature Film Award, as well as the Amplify Voices Awards for Best BIPOC Feature Film and Best BIPOC First Feature Film. In 2024, she also served on the International Jury for the Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival. Presently, she is a Mentor for NewFest and Concord's 2025 Sound & Scene Short Film Initiative.

Outside of her work in production, Nayani is a certified full-spectrum doula and hatha yoga instructor, completing her training with Shafia M. Monroe at the International Center for Traditional Childbearing and Heather Greaves at Body Therapies Yoga Training. She also completed her Bachelor of Journalism (Radio & Television Broadcasting) at Toronto Metropolitan University and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies at York University.

Nayani is a member of the DGC, Film Fatales, WIFT-Toronto, and Brown Girls Doc Mafia. Currently, she is developing a slate of film, television, and multimedia projects, which includes her sophomore feature FORGIVENESS HAS MANY NAMES and the original series SHAME.