Maureen Bradley is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

film director, producer, screenwriter, media artist, professor, and curator. She has produced over fifty short films and her work has been recognized internationally. Through her work, she challenges traditional

gender norms A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cente ...

and opposes the

heteronormativity Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal mode of sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary (i.e., that there are only two distinct, opposite genders) and that sexual and marital relations are most ...

that dominates the television and film industry. Her focus is to bring more nontraditional representations of sex, gender, and sexuality to the forefront of film. Her work predominantly features

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

characters and themes, including her most recent work and first feature film, ''

Two 4 One ''Two 4 One'' is a 2014 Canadian comedy-drama film"Two 4 On ...

''. Bradley currently works as an

Associate Professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

at the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...

in the Writing Department.

Early life and education

Bradley was born and raised in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

. She grew up with a love of music and sound, and in her early years, she pursued this love as a

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

in the underground music scene in Montréal, in the band "Sons of the Desert". It wasn't until later on that she discovered her interest in editing, film, and media art. Since then, she has played an active role in the Canadian independent film community. Her work has been featured in major venues, including the New Gallery and the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

. Bradley attended

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

for Communications and Media Studies. Upon her relocation to

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, she furthered her education at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

. There, she received a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

degree in Film Production.

Career

During her career as a Montréal-based bassist, Bradley first became interested in the media industry when she was awarded a VideoFACT production grant to create a music video. From there, she became an assistant professor of film production at the

University of Regina The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchew ...

. During her time in Regina, she became the Saskatchewan District Council of the Directors Guild of Canada's first female director in 2002. She then returned to British Columbia and became an associate professor at the University of Victoria's Writing Department, where she continues to teach film and video. Using a grant she received from the

Canada Foundation for Innovation The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI; french: Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation, ''FCI'') is an independent not-for-profit organization that invests in research facilities and equipment in Canada's universities, colleges, research hospital ...

, Bradley brought the Hi-Def Story Incubator Lab to life at the University of Victoria. Bradley has been active in the film community across

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

since 1988. Her work in the Canadian film scene has been focused on challenging typical gender norms and

binaries A binary file is a computer file that is not a text file. The term "binary file" is often used as a term meaning "non-text file". Many binary file formats contain parts that can be interpreted as text; for example, some computer document file ...

. While directing and appearing in the series ''Road Movies'' in 1992, which reached an audience of fifteen million viewers, she became the first person to publicly come out on a network Canadian television series. Bradley has contributed to various film associations within Canada, including Queer City Cinema, Video In, and the Independent Media Arts Alliance of Canada. She is also the former president of the Board of Directors of CineVic Society of Independent Filmmakers.

''Two 4 One''

Her most notable work to date is her debut feature film, ''Two 4 One''. The idea for the film was inspired when she and her partner were reading a guide for lesbians interested in pregnancy. It tells the story of

transgender man A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that inclu ...

, Adam, his ex-girlfriend Miriam, and how they both end up—half accidentally, half intentionally—pregnant. The film stars Canadian actors

Gavin Crawford Gavin Crawford (born 2 April 1971) is a Canadian comedian and actor, best known for ''The Gavin Crawford Show'' and ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''. He currently hosts the panel show, '' Because News'', on CBC Radio One. Early life Crawford was b ...

Naomi Snieckus Naomi Snieckus is a Canadian actress and comedian, best known for her regular television role as Bobbi in ''Mr. D'' and her appearance as Nina in ''Saw 3D''."As seen on TV, a lot". ''The Globe and Mail'', June 29, 2012. She is also a podcast host. ...

and Gabrielle Rose. Bradley has stated that she is working towards creating a broader representation of family planning in film, branching out from traditional heterosexual conception. ''Two 4 One'' has received a great deal of positive feedback, including favourable reviews from ''The National Post'' and ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

''.

Personal life

Bradley is an out lesbian. She resides in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

with her partner, Stacey Horton, and their daughter, Ruby.

Filmography

Additional works

* ''Burning Down My House'' (2013) * ''Waylaid'' (2013) * ''Beyond the Pale'' (2010) * ''Pants on Fire'' (2009) * ''Gullible'' (2008) * ''Self-storage'' (2006) * ''sisyphus'' (2005) * ''Stranded'' (2004) * ''My Heart the Historian'' (2001) * ''Birthday Suit Management: a 21C Homage to Lisa Steele'' (2001) * ''Erased'' (1999) * ''Go Dyke! Go!'' (1998) * ''What I Remember'' (1998) * ''Tainted: Christopher Lefler and the Queer Censorship Chill'' (1997) * ''Forever'' (1997) * ''HER'' (1996) * ''Forever'' (1996) * ''Reframing the Montreal Massacre: A Media Interrogation'' (1995) * ''Losing It'' (1995) * ''Not Like That'' (1994) * ''The Weight of Women's Eyes'' (1994) * ''Defiance'' (1993) * ''Queer Across Canada'' (1993) * ''She Thrills Me'' (1993) * ''Road Movies'' (1992) * ''Safe Sex is Hot Sex'' (1991) * ''We're Here, We're Queer, We're Fabulous'' (1990) * ''Briser lâisolement: le SIA et les femmes au Québec'' (1990)

Awards and nominations

Bradley has received recognition for her work in the film industry in numerous film festivals. Her web series, ''Freshman's Wharf'', received a

Leo Award The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...

in 2011. Her short film, ''Pants on Fire'', was featured at the Worldfest/Houston International Film Festival and received a Golden Remi Award for Short Film Directing. Bradley has also been recognized at the

Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Reelings Festival, Chicago, and the

Santa Barbara Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

. Her latest film ''Two 4 One'' has received numerous awards and nominations. Bradley was personally nominated for three Leo Awards for this film, including Best Motion Picture, Best Direction in a Motion Picture, and Best Screenwriting in a Motion Picture. She was also nominated for two awards at the

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Fest ...

. Lead actor Gavin Crawford received the

ACTRA Award The ACTRA Awards were first presented in 1972 to celebrate excellence in Canada's television and radio industries.

for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor, and Gabrielle Rose won a Leo Award for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture. Additionally, artistic

retrospective A retrospective (from Latin ''retrospectare'', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in medicine, software development, popu ...

s based on Bradley's work have been created in cities across Canada. These retrospectives include ''Making Scenes (1999)'' and ''Out on Screen (1998)'', hosted respectively by

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and Vancouver's Queer Film and Video Festival.

References

External links

Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bradley, Maureen Living people 21st-century Canadian women writers Canadian women film directors Canadian women screenwriters LGBT film directors Canadian LGBT screenwriters Film directors from Montreal Writers from Montreal Canadian lesbian writers Concordia University alumni University of British Columbia alumni Academic staff of the University of Victoria Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Canadian screenwriters Lesbian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian LGBT people Canadian lesbian artists