Laura Marie Wayne’s short films have been featured in festivals across Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. In 2015 her lyrical memoir film “Most of Us Don’t Live There” premiered in competition at DOK Leipzig.

“Love, Scott” will premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival on April 28.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

LMW: In October 2013, my best friend Scott was targeted as a gay man, attacked, and left paralyzed from the waist down. I see the film as a window into Scott’s life — a portal into his inner world, documenting and emoting his journey of loss, resilience, and transformation.

A year after Scott was attacked and was finally able to leave the hospital, we began spending time together, driving through the countryside of Nova Scotia with Sigur Rós playing in the background, parking the car on the beach, and conversing long into the night about what Scott was experiencing. Filmed over three years, “Love, Scott” is a collection of the most poignant moments we captured on our journey, woven together like a tapestry — a portrait of love, loss, and loneliness, and an important meditation on queer experience.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

LMW: This film is born of friendship, grief, and love. I think when something of this magnitude happens, we are moved in ways we can never imagine, and for me, my sadness and rage at what had happened and my deep love for Scott took the form of a film.

Days after Scott was attacked, I flew from Cuba to Canada to be with him, and I somehow knew to bring my camera. While I never could have imagined we would make a feature film, I had an immediate sense that the camera was somehow important and that it was linked with both justice and catharsis.

What became immediately apparent was that an important part of Scott’s truth, the reason he was attacked, was being written out of the story by the police. Scott knew he had been targeted as a gay man, but this was not being heard. Sitting next to Scott in his hospital bed, I made a commitment that I would listen, learn, and be an ally warrior for Scott’s truth.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

LMW: I hope the film pushes people to contemplate the ways in which homophobia still persists in our culture and also to consider that the laws governing our society are written by a select group of people and not reflective of queer experiences. There is a terrible gap between what the queer community is experiencing and what is written in the formal record, and we, as a society, can do better to close this gap.

I also hope that people are reminded of the little person that lives inside each one of us, so that we may be kinder to each other and kinder to ourselves.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

LMW: I think the biggest challenge in making the film was finding the appropriate distance in the edit suite to make the best choices for the film. There was so much that was meaningful for Scott and myself, and I had to work really hard to filter what would be most important for a mainstream audience. I was working with very intimate footage and [facing the challenge of bringing] people into this private world and translating the material into a film that a stranger could relate to.

Initially, it was also very difficult as a “first-time” director to maintain trust in myself when my vision and skills were questioned by people who had been in the industry for much longer. I knew that I needed to shoot the film myself in order to preserve the intimate environment that let Scott really be vulnerable on camera. But along the way, I had to “prove myself” and also stay strong in my choice when I was told there were “pros,” mostly older men, who could apparently do it better.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

LMW: Because this film truly needed to be made, the financing just fell into place. I started the film with a two-person crew and a budget of $11,000, and on the plane to Nova Scotia for our first shoot, I sat next to a man who volunteered to gift more funds as soon as he heard the story.

Two months later, I met Annette Clarke, an executive producer for the National Film Board of Canada. She asked all the right questions and within a month, we had decided to work together for the remainder of the production, and she worked tirelessly to source everything we needed to make this film.

I have learned that it is so important to have a producer who truly champions your vision — otherwise, no matter the funding they can bring, the compromises are simply too great. For me, a good compass is how I feel when I walk away from my meetings with the producer: Am I empowered or am I discouraged? The key is someone who brings out the best in you as a director, and I was so lucky to find this in Annette.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Hot Docs?

LMW: Having my film play at Hot Docs somehow means it’s real — I made it!

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

LMW: I remember when I was in film school, another student who I admired very much told me, “There will be so many people along the way who will try to stop you from making the film you want to make.” I have never forgotten her words and in fact, they come to mind often. While making “Love, Scott,” I encountered so many people with their own ideas about the story I should be telling and how I should be telling it.

Directing a feature-length documentary is something akin to climbing a mountain — it is a monumental feat with so many hurdles along the way — and it demands resilience and a very particular inner strength. I think back to those words as a roadmap, foreshadowing the dark corners but also reminding me to trust my instincts and stay loyal to my vision along the way.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

LMW: Trust that there is a reason you are telling the story and that nobody can tell the story like you.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

LMW: Undoubtedly “Elena,” by Petra Costa. This film is crafted with such clarity and artistry, and I appreciate the very personal touch Petra brings and the authenticity of her storytelling.

W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women — and some men — in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What are your thoughts on the #TimesUp movement and the push for equality in the film business?

LMW: I think we have to work really hard to ensure that this push for equality is actually carried out in a meaningful way.

In my case, I am working with the National Film Board of Canada, an institution that reached gender parity among its documentary directors this year. This is wonderful, but, in my experience, the tech teams were comprised almost uniquely of men. It really bothered me that we could pride ourselves on gender parity when the workplace and process is clearly still so dominated by men.

I think we are making great headway but still have a long way to go.