by Kierston Drier

We live in the era of reboots, resurgences, and remakes- and while they promise excitement and nostalgia, the hidden gems of our industry are waiting to be discovered. A few weeks ago, I found one.

In a gorgeous cafe hidden at the back of Lavish and Squalor on Toronto’s trendy Queen Street, I met with Diane Carol Harder, an up-and-coming writer, and director, to talk about her new short film Penny Foster. Harder has a strong and well-earned eye when it comes to cinema. After graduating with a B.A from Columbia in film studies and creative writing, she obtained her M.F.A in writing for stage and screen from Northwestern. Harder wrote and directed several shorts throughout her studies, and when she made the decision to direct a short film after graduating, she sent out a request for shorts scripts. Former classmate and friend America Michele Palacios responded…