Joslyn Rose Nominated for Best Director at the Montreal Independent Film Festival for The Listeners

Following the Light: Emmy-Nominated Director Joslyn Rose’s The Listeners Heads to Montreal Independent Film Festival Amid International Recognition!

The Listeners, selected for the October 2026 edition of the Montreal Independent Film Festival, has earned filmmaker Joslyn Rose a Best Director nomination. This marks a significant milestone in Canada for the award-winning director, who is expanding her film and television projects with new representation and increasing international festival momentum. OCTOBER 2026 | FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT | CANADIAN FILM FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT For Emmy-nominated director and award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer Joslyn Rose, storytelling transcends what appears on screen.

It delves into the humanity beneath the surface, challenges conventional perspectives, and harnesses the power of cinema to illuminate stories that might otherwise remain untold. Now, with a Best Director nomination at the Montreal Independent Film Festival for her narrative short film The Listeners, new representation secured over the summer, several projects in development across film and television, and a new film slated for release this fall, Rose is entering an exciting phase of her career. Her expanding body of work reflects an artist whose creative instincts fluidly navigate between documentary and narrative filmmaking, emphasizing character, emotional truth, and cultural impact.

A Career Built on Purpose

Rose’s feature-length studio directorial debut, Stand, released through Showtime and Paramount+, brought the extraordinary story of NBA prodigy and activist Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf to the screen. Featuring appearances from Steph Curry, Mahershala Ali, and Ice Cube, the documentary explores Abdul-Rauf’s remarkable basketball career, his personal convictions, and the consequences of standing by his beliefs. The film earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Feature Length Documentary, marking a significant milestone in Rose’s career and establishing her as a compelling voice in nonfiction filmmaking. But Rose’s work extends well beyond documentary. Her credits span scripted films, documentaries, and digital series, with projects featured across Showtime, Paramount+, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Starz, and Lionsgate. Her films have screened at festivals including Sundance, Essence, and Urbanworld. She was also named a finalist for the Academy Gold Women’s Fellowship through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, further recognizing her creative promise and contributions to the industry.

The Listeners and the Power of Independent Cinema

As Rose continues developing new work, her narrative short film The Listeners has been gaining momentum on the international festival circuit. Starring acclaimed actor Blair Underwood, Super Bowl champion turned actor Vernon Davis, Bechir Sylvain (Jurassic World), Simone Leanora, and Cindy Herron (En Vogue), and featuring original music by No I.D. and Jon Batiste, the film reflects Rose’s interest in intimate, emotionally resonant storytelling. Following a successful summer festival run and multiple awards, The Listeners was officially selected for the Montreal Independent Film Festival’s October 2026 edition, where Rose received a nomination for Best Director. The recognition marks another significant achievement for the filmmaker and extends the film’s international reach into Canada. The Montreal nomination adds to a growing collection of festival honors for The Listeners, including a Best Director award at the LA Independent Filmmaker Showcase. For Rose, independent cinema remains an essential creative space, offering filmmakers the freedom to explore unconventional narratives, take artistic risks, and tell stories with an intimacy that larger productions don’t always allow. Her earlier narrative work has also received international recognition, including a premiere at Sundance London and honors such as Best Short at the American Film Awards, Best Female Director from Top Shorts, and Best Director at the LA Independent Women Film Awards. With its latest recognition in Montreal, The Listeners continues to build on the momentum of Rose’s evolving career, bringing her distinct storytelling perspective to audiences beyond the United States.

Following the Light

At the heart of Rose’s filmmaking philosophy is an interest in stories that reveal something meaningful about the human experience. That sensibility informs the creative direction of her evolving slate, which spans scripted and unscripted projects. As Rose puts it: “I’ve always believed in following the light. It’s what leads me to the stories that matter.” The sentiment reflects the creative throughline connecting Rose’s projects: a belief that the most powerful stories can emerge from unexpected places, and that the filmmaker’s responsibility is to recognize them. Her work frequently explores identity, resilience, cultural influence, and the complexity of human connection. Whether examining the convictions of a celebrated athlete or exploring the emotional landscape of a fictional character, Rose approaches filmmaking through the lens of empathy and discovery.

Expanding Her Creative Universe

Rose’s career has also taken her into music, sports, and cultural storytelling, directing projects that bring together some of the most recognizable figures in entertainment and professional athletics. Among her recent credits is Off-Season, a project featuring NFL stars George Kittle and Vernon Davis, directed by Rose and available to stream on Tubi. The project adds to her growing portfolio of sports-centered storytelling, a space in which she has consistently demonstrated an ability to capture the personalities, experiences, and humanity behind celebrated athletes. For Uninterrupted and SpringHill, she directed and executive produced Same Energy, featuring Marshawn Lynch and 2 Chainz. She also served as a producer on the documentary Tale of the Tape, featuring J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. The range of these projects speaks to Rose’s ability to navigate different creative environments while maintaining a recognizable interest in the intersection of artists, athletes, and the impact of storytelling. Beyond the screen, Rose has contributed to the creative community through guest lectures at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and Stanford University’s Institute for Diversity in the Arts. She has also served as a judge for both the Emmy Awards and the Webby Awards, participated in the Academy’s Gold Rising program, and is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. These experiences reflect Rose’s continued engagement with the broader filmmaking community and her interest in the next generation of storytelling.

A New Chapter

With a Best Director nomination in Montreal, new representation, and an expanding development slate, Rose is building on her momentum across film and television. Several projects are currently in development, while an upcoming film release is expected to offer audiences another dimension of her creative vision. Details remain under wraps, but the next phase reflects her continued evolution as a filmmaker working across genres, formats, and platforms. The international recognition surrounding The Listeners represents more than another festival milestone. It underscores the continued growth of a filmmaker whose work bridges independent cinema, studio documentaries, music, sports, and culturally driven narratives. For Rose, the throughline remains a commitment to stories that resonate beyond the screen. As her slate grows and new opportunities take shape, she continues to follow the instinct that has guided her work from the beginning: finding the light in unexpected places and bringing those stories to audiences.

About Joslyn Rose

Joslyn Rose is an Emmy-nominated director, award-winning filmmaker, producer, and writer whose work spans narrative film, documentaries, television, and culturally driven storytelling. Her feature documentary Stand earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Feature Length Documentary, while her narrative short film The Listeners received a Best Director nomination at the Montreal Independent Film Festival’s October 2026 edition, adding to her growing international festival recognition. An Academy Gold Women’s Fellowship finalist, Rose has collaborated on projects spanning entertainment, music, and professional sports. She has served as a judge for the Emmy and Webby Awards, contributed to creative programs at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and Stanford University’s Institute for Diversity in the Arts, and is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. With new representation and multiple projects in development, Rose continues to expand her creative footprint across film and television.