Gwen Haworth facts for kids

Gwen Haworth (born December 9, 1972) is a Canadian filmmaker, editor, and social worker. She is known for making documentaries that tell important stories. Her most famous film is She's a Boy I Knew, which came out in 2007.

Gwen is also a transgender person, which means she was born with the body of a boy but knew she was a girl. She shares her story to help others understand what it's like to be transgender. Because of her important work, she was named one of Vancouver's 12 Remarkable Women in 2014.

Early Life and School

Gwen Haworth grew up in Vancouver, Canada. After getting a degree in psychology in 1995, she decided to study filmmaking. She earned degrees in Film Production from the University of British Columbia.

She also helped organize Vancouver's Queer Film Festival. This showed her love for sharing stories from different points of view through movies.

Filmmaking Career

Gwen Haworth uses her films to explore personal journeys and help people understand each other better. Her documentaries have won awards and are shown in schools.

She's a Boy I Knew (2007)

Gwen's most well-known film is the documentary She's a Boy I Knew. This film tells the story of her own gender transition. A gender transition is the process a person goes through to live as the gender they know they are inside.

The film is unique because Gwen tells her own story. Instead of just talking about herself, she lets her family and friends share their feelings. They talk about how they felt when she told them she was transgender. At the time, her name was Steven.

• Gwen's mother remembered her as a "regular Vancouver boy" who played hockey.
• Gwen's father felt like he had lost his son when she legally changed her name to Gwen.

The film shows how her family's love for her helped them understand and support her journey. Gwen said, "I realized I could now approach things that were personal in life... this film had the chance to have an impact on other people's lives and other families going through a similar process."

The film has been shown at over 100 film festivals around the world. It is also used in colleges to teach students about gender.

A Woman With a Past (2014)

In 2014, Gwen made another documentary called A Woman With a Past. It was part of a collection of short films called ... Different XXY.

This film tells the story of Antonette Rea, a transgender poet. It shows the difficult challenges Antonette faced in her life. The film highlights how she used her humor and poetry to overcome these hardships and express herself. Critics have said that Gwen's films help people better understand the lives of transgender people.

Helping the Community

Besides being a filmmaker, Gwen Haworth is also a social worker. She helps other transgender people get the support they need. She offers counseling to help them with their health and well-being.

Gwen has said, "I love giving back to the community and am truly blessed to help these individuals". Her work has helped raise awareness and create more understanding for transgender people.

Awards

• People's Choice Award for the Most Popular Canadian Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival (2007, for She's A Boy I Knew)
• Women in Film & Television Vancouver Artistic Merit Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival (2007, for She's A Boy I Knew)
• Vancouver's 12 Remarkable Women

Filmography