To be named one of TIFF’s Rising Stars is a huge deal—and a potential game-changer. It’s a way that the film festival honours the next generation of leading talent, actors they believe are primed for international success. 

Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs was born in Kahnawà:ke Mohawk territory and is an actor/filmmaker. Jacobs is mainly known for her award-winning leading performances in features, Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013) and the Sun at Midnight (2017). Her upcoming work includes playing Sam Duchene in season 3 of CTV’s Cardinal (2018), Lilith in the Netflix Original The Order (2019), and Sam Black Crow in season 2 of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods (2019).

Jacobs has also explored the other side of the camera, and her recent short film as a writer/director, Rae, was an official selection of the 2018 Palm Springs Shortfest, and won Best Youth Work at 2017 ImagineNATIVE Film Fest. The feature film This Place (2019), co-written by Jacobs, was recently named a recipient of the Talent to Watch fund from Telefilm Canada.

In our TIFF Rising Stars series, we’re asking the women honoured this year about their professional journeys so far. We love Devery’s ability to remain grounded in a fast-paced (and sometimes heart-breaking) industry, as well as her commitment to representing her Indigenous culture.

SDTC: What piece of advice do you think has helped you in your career most? Or maybe something that you refer to often?

DJ: “High hopes, low expectations.” You don’t want to get your heart broken every time a production chooses another actor over you, but you also want to audition with optimism, feeling that you’ll land the job. Sometimes this industry can make you feel like you’re in an abusive relationship with your career, but this advice has helped protect me from my own expectations. 

What goals (personal or professional), are you currently working on? 

My current goal is to find balance: balancing my acting, writing, producing, directing, personal life, health, connection to my culture and time for myself. 

What’s a lesson you recently learned?

Listen to your gut feelings, and maintain your integrity. I worked on a project that I felt didn’t exemplify Indigenous culture properly, and I (respectfully) voiced my feelings. Not only did the production thank me for ensuring their project was culturally appropriate, but I was able to represent my community confidently. 

What aspect of your professional life fulfills you most?

The part of this job that fulfills me most are the ungodly 4 a.m. call times, when you’re exhausted, travelling to set, and about to come together and collaborate with dozens of people to tell this one story. I’m by no means a morning person, but it’s a peaceful, fulfilling feeling, knowing you’re about to bust your ass on set. 

How are you defining success these days?

The fact that I’m working on projects I love, that I’m able to pay my bills and can stand behind my work makes me feel pretty damn successful. 

What excites you about the film industry right now?

What most excites me about the film industry is that more than ever, audiences have a voice, a vote, and can determine who can represent their community. #BlackTwitter, #NativeTwitter, #LGBTQTwitter can help a box-office flourish or bomb a movie to smithereens. You have to admit, that’s really exciting. 

What are you most looking forward to at TIFF 2018?

I’m looking forward to watching the film I worked on, The Lie, for the first time, and meeting tons of creatives.