The Director
Cayman started her filmmaking career about 10 years ago. Since then, she has capitalized on every moment: writing, producing, directing, and starring in her first film Leap of Fate, which debuted in 2006 at recognized film festivals across North America. Since then, she has completed several more projects. Soup Ladle, which was completed in July 2007, met tremendous success as it has been short listed as “Best Short Film” at several film festivals and has won the title as “Best Film from Away” from the Silver Wave Film Festival in New Brunswick, Canada. Her most recent project His Good Will has garnered tremendous success. It has and continues to play at prestigious film festivals worldwide including Festival de Cannes, LA Shorts Fest and the Chicago International Film Festival where she was awarded the "Best Film by an Emerging Director." His Good Will has also recently been qualified and submitted for 2009 Academy® Award consideration under the “Live Action Short Film” category. She recently has been awarded "Best Producer" at the West Hollywood Film Festival 2008 as well as the winner of "The Gold Kahuna Award" from the Honolulu International Film Festival 2009 and “Most Inspirational Film Award” from the Reel 2 Reel International Film Festival in Vancouver, BC Canada. His Good Will has also picked up the "Best Cinematography Award" at the 5th Annual NYC Downtown Short Film Festival 2009 and the "Best Film Overall - Honorable Mention" at the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival 2009. Recently nominated for Best Cinematography at the Feel Good Film Festival – Hollywood CA.
As a director, Cayman has had her hand in a number of other projects. She is currently writing her first feature film Keepers of Echowah to be shot in Sprng 2014. In the meanwhile, Cayman is working on two documentaries The Boston College Fix & The Bertie Bowman Story.
: AWARDS :
* Qualified & submitted for 2009 Academy® Award consideration under the "Live Action Short Film" category. (His Good Will)
* Winner - "MOST INSPIRATIONAL SHORT FILM AWARD" at the Reel 2 Reel International Film Festival For Youth in Vancouver, BC. Canada 2009. (His Good Will)
* Best Film by an Emerging Director - Chicago International Children's Film Festival 2008. An Academy® qualifying film festival. (His Good Will)
* Winner - Gold Kahuna Award - Honolulu International Film Festival 2009. (His Good Will)
* Best Producer - West Hollywood Independent Film Festival 2008. (His Good Will)
* Best Cinematography - NYC Downtown Short Film Festival 2009. (His Good Will)
* Best Film Overall - Honorable Mention - 5th NYC Downtown Short Film Festival 2009. (His Good Will)
* Best Short From Away – Silver Wave Film Festival 2009. (His Good Will)
* Best Live Action Short Film at the El Festival Internacional de Cine para Niños (...y no tan Niños) 2009. (His Good Will)
* Nominated for Best Cinematography at the Feel Good Film Festival 2009. (His Good Will)
*Best Short Film – Silver Wave Film Festival 2007. (Soup Ladle)
*Best Comedy – 2nd place – Macon Film Festival 2008. (Soup Ladle)
*Best Short Film – Finalist – Rockport Film Festival 2008. (Soup Ladle)
Interview at the Feel Good Film Festival - http://www.actorsreporter.com/2009/columnists/feel-good-film-festival-his-good-will/
“Cayman understands and sees the big picture. Her vision captures the true life of the story she’s telling. She is creative and easy to work with because she knows what she wants and she has the vision and determination to see it through.”
Scott Smith
Editor – Leap of Fate
"Cayman is such a dream to work with. She has a clear vision; is a smart writer and treats her audiences as such; and she has a way of directing that keeps it fun and brings out the best. Thanks for bringing me into your work, Cayman!"
Arita Trahan
Actor – Soup Ladle
“Cayman is a director with vision. She has an astonishing ability to bring people together and see a project through.”
Kris Deskins
2nd AD, His Good Will
"The great thing about working with Cayman is she knows exactly what she wants from her actors and will undoubtedly always get it: She is professional, diligent and precise whilst being gentle, accommodating and caring. I look forward to working with her again (if she'll have me!) - hopefully in the not too distant future."
Henrietta Meire
Actor – Soup Ladle
"I have been in the music business for 25 years now and have never
come across anyone like Cayman. She has been the artistic and creative
director for all aspects of my new record. From fasion direction,
overall imaging and especially; the photography direction and video aspect of things. She's brilliant, personable, focused and I will be including her in all projects to come as our key decision maker in visual and artistic direction.
Kenny Munshaw
Artist and label owner
Cayman’s production company, KIAP Films, reflects her life-long belief and practice of hard work and focused intensity. In the sport of Tae Kwon Do, “KIAP” is the sound/word a person makes/uses when exerting force during fighting/sparring. Her all-encompassing life experiences, beliefs, passions and work ethic are what make Cayman Grant an outstanding actor and director.
“Cayman is easy to work with because her passion and dedication inspire those around her…people believe in her and the vision she brings.”
Cale Finot
Director of Photography – His Good Will, Soup Ladle, Leap of Fate
The Person
Cayman’s road to her filmmaking career has been a very meaningful meander. Her early life was spent near a rocky beach in the fishing village of St. Martin’s, New Brunswick, Canada. Being the only girl among four kids, she grew up tough, strong willed, and a little bit of a tomboy.
After her family moved into the city of Saint John - a gritty, ambitious, medium-sized metropolitan area with a lot of heart – Cayman was in her element. With high school came opportunities to expose Cayman to her love of acting, where she played a number of leading roles in classic musical productions. She didn’t follow her friends to college, but instead, chose to travel the world. Her acting career was temporarily put aside but not for too long.
Having temporarily satisfied her curiosities of world cultures and people, Cayman settled back in Saint John for her university career in business and political science. As in every other aspect of her young life, she demonstrated her unstoppable will to succeed. She became the university’s first female student union president, instituted the sports team’s first campus mascot “Seamore”, worked on the institution’s most successful fundraising event, won numerous leadership recognitions and culminated her university years by being chosen Class Valedictorian.
"Cayman Grant is one of those students you encounter only once or twice in a career. Beautiful, talented and highly intelligent, she’s a natural leader who can and does accomplish anything she puts her mind to. I know her success will continue and she will go on to even greater things."
Don Desserud
Screenwriter, Professor – University of New Brunswick
After a stint as marketing director for Canada’s renowned East Coast Music Awards, she headed to Nashville, where she began her pursuit as an actor and film director.
“Cayman Grant is one of those rare individuals who sees life as a gift and strives every day to live it to the fullest. Her excitement is contagious and her determination inspiring. I’m glad to know Cayman and consider myself fortunate to be called her friend.”
Mr. Tracy Thayne
Director – Laughdance Comedy & Film Festival
Executive Producer
“Cayman has always been determined…even as a child, she had a strong will and could always find a way to get things done. She never ceases to amaze us all. She has been an absolute inspiration.”
Betty MacMillan
Mother
"Cayman is an amazing person, full of talent and dedication. She completes what she shoots for, no matter what the endeavor."
Morgan Graham
Manager, Graham Entertainment
SHORT BIO
Cayman Grant was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. She graduated from the University of New Brunswick in May 2001 where she studied marketing and political science. She is an award winning writer/director/producer/actor who has worked in various capacities in both the film and television industries in Atlantic Canada, Nashville, TN, and Los Angeles, CA.