Fiona Rayher

Fiona is the Artistic Director of Gen Why Media - a production group working to innovate civic engagement using media, events and public art.

With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Communications from Simon Fraser University and a Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation, Fiona has been involved with social justice initiatives for years, getting her start with Development and Peace (CCODP) in Toronto and the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) in Vancouver.

In 2010, Fiona switched gears into event planning, film making and speaking out for social change using creative mediums. She has been a speaker at TEDxVancouver, TEDxMileZero, and was a core organizer for TEDxGeorgiaStrait. Fiona’s past films include Generation Why (2010) and Most Livable City (2010), included in numerous short film festivals.

She is currently directing and producing a feature documentary entitled Fractured Land. The film follows the story of Caleb Behn (Dene Za / Echo Dene), a First Nations law student, exposing the natural gas industry in his home territories in northeast BC. As a symbol of the growing global movement of interconnected indigenous young people, the film follows Caleb all around the world, charting his development through law school, deep community division, sharing knowledge with other indigenous communities - like the Maori, speaking to increasingly large and prestigious audiences, honing his skills, building a movement.

Fiona is also on the board of DOC BC, the BC chapter of the Documentary Organization of Canada. She frequently speaks at schools and events, including UBC and Yale, about engagement through media production and documentary film.