Ariel Smith is an award-winning filmmaker and video artist who has been creating independent works since 2001. She has shown at festivals and galleries both in Canada and Internationally including; ImagineNative Film+ Media Arts Festival (Toronto, Ontario), Images (Toronto, Ontario), Mix Experimental Film Festival (NYC), Cinémathèque québécoise (Montreal, Québec), WARC Gallery (Toronto, Ontario), Galerie SAW Gallery (Ottawa, Ontario), MAI Gallery (Montreal, Québec), Cold Creation Gallery (Barcelona, Spain).

She is largely self taught but also learned her craft by becoming heavily involved in various artist run centers and film/video coops across the country from a young age. Ariel’s socialization as a girl and as a survivor of abuse, as well as her experiences with difference and marginalization has formed the basis for much of her film and video work. She is inspired by what she sees as the “everyday horrors” of being a girl. As an artist Ariel is compelled to use both surrealism and expressionist aesthetics reminiscent of classic horror genre to explore the often-terrifying reality of growing up female. Her work is disturbing, darkly humorous, visceral and unapologetically feminist.

Ariel currently sits as an Ontario Regional Director of the Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA).

Artist Code: 934