Alyson M. Richards
Writer/Director/Producer

Alyson Richards is an award-winning director, screenwriter, producer and educator. She wrote THE RETREAT, a queer slasher that sold to Showtime, hit #7 on Hulu, was a Globe & Mail Critics’ Pick and was praised by NBC as a “lesbian slasher that explores queer vulnerability and revenge.” She wrote and is set to direct MOMBIES, a feminist zombie satire for XYZ Films.

As a creative producer, Alyson has spent over a decade shaping projects that have premiered at prestigious festivals including Sundance, TIFF, Sitges, AFI, and Locarno, with television credits including CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING (Roku/CTV/The CW), HOME SWEET ROME (HBO Max) and SMALL ACHIEVABLE GOALS (CBC). She was selected for the prestigious Writer’s Lab supported by Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey and Nicole Kidman. Her passion is to tell and champion bold, inclusive storytelling.

She can also be seen sharing her horror expertise in the Shudder docuseries QUEER FOR FEAR, produced by Bryan Fuller and Steakhouse productions.

Select Awards

I WAS HERE
Winner: BEST SHORT FILM - 23rd Annual Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) Awards
Selected: Inside Out LGBTQ+ Film Festival, North By Northwest Fest, Silverwave Film Festival

MOMBIES
Selected: International Finance Forum at Toronto International Film Festival
Selected: Inside Out LGBTQ+ Finance Forum
Selected: ‘From Our Dark Side’, Women in Genre Lab

HOME SWEET ROME
Nominee: 2024 Canadian Screen Award (CSA) for Best Children’s or Youth Series

DON’T TALK TO IRENE
Winner: 2017 Austin Film Festival Jury & Audience Award for Producing Best Feature
Winner: Best Feature - Canadian Comedy Awards
Winner: People’s Choice Award - Kingston Film Festival

DOCKING
Nominee: 2020 CSA for Producing Best Short Documentary
Winner: Best Short Film - Calgary International Film Festival
TIFF Top Ten

THE RETREAT
Globe & Mail Critic’s Pick
Selected Participant: Meryl Streep/Nicole Kidman/Oprah Winfrey-funded, The Writers Lab
Finalist: Screencraft Horror Competition
Finalist: Slamdance Screenplay Competition (Top 6 in horror category)
Selected: Frontiers Buyers Showcase Works in Progress Cannes

BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND
Winner: 2022 Alberta Film & TV Award for Best Feature

GUIDANCE
New York Times Critic’s Pick
Winner: Oslo International Film Festival: Jury Award for Best Feature 2015
Seattle International Film Festival Jury Award

A BIRTHDAY STORY
Winner: Award of Excellence - One-Reeler Short Film Competition
Winner: Remi Award - Houston Worldfest Film Festival
Nominee: Best Comedy - New Filmmakers Los Angeles)
Winner: Tokyo Cowboys Film Festival

JESSE JAMS
Nominee: 2021 CSA for Producing Best Short Documentary
Best Short Film – Calgary Underground Film Festival
Lodestar Award – Dawson City International Short Film Festival