Creator Spotlight: Heather McQuillan, Founder of Families in Film

"I was nominated for an Emmy the same year I was fired for being pregnant."

Heather McQuillan never planned to start a movement. With a thriving career in film and television – working primarily in set decoration and props on major productions like Disney/ABC – she and her husband were committed, respected professionals in the industry. But in 2018, everything changed when she announced her first pregnancy.

“My boss told me it was time to go home, get the nursery ready, and support my husband’s career,” Heather recalls. Days later, she was fired. When she reached out to her union, she was met with indifference. “They said that’s just how it is.”

That pivotal moment exposed a stark truth: the film industry remains systemically challenging for parents, especially mothers.

So she founded Families in Film, a Canadian-based advocacy organization tackling systemic inequities in the screen industries – focusing especially on pregnancy discrimination, childcare access, and union accountability. What began as a personal reckoning has grown into a movement that's already changing policy.

What Families in Film Does

Rather than focusing solely on individual cases, Families in Film works at the policy and systems level, developing long-term solutions for parents in production.

Their work includes:

• Collaborating with government: They helped introduce 24-hour licensing for childcare and are lobbying for non-standard-hour childcare policies nationwide.

• Developing workplace tools: They’ve created a rapid-response childcare coordination system tied to production call sheets.

• Changing union and production norms: From advocating for safer conditions for pregnant workers to influencing manual guidelines for producers, they’re pushing for structural accountability.

• Research & Reporting: Their studies revealed that nearly 30% of film workers who announced a pregnancy were fired – an alarming statistic for an industry that should legally protect them.

Heather McQuillan with her family

Industry Reception

Heather notes that production companies and studios have been largely supportive, especially when it comes to building community-based childcare models. But the biggest roadblocks? Government policies and persistent cultural attitudes.

“The most difficult part has been navigating the layers of government and business policy that got us here – municipal, provincial, and federal policies all contribute to a system that makes it incredibly difficult to access childcare during the hours we actually need it,” she explains.

She also points to a lingering cultural resistance: “There’s still a belief that children shouldn’t be in care outside of 9–5 hours. But the reality is, parents work outside that schedule. The care is still happening – it’s just not always affordable or high-quality. We need to build enough good, accessible care to support the families who need it.”

Heather adds that while studios like Warner Bros. are beginning to engage seriously with these issues, systemic change will require shifting both policy and perception.

"Things are slowly moving. But it’s a long game."

The Bigger Picture

When asked how long it took her to realize the gravity of her own experience, Heather admits, “At first, I didn’t even tell my husband. I was embarrassed. I thought maybe I was at fault for wanting a career and a baby.”

That shame turned into purpose when she began talking to other women. “I realized it wasn’t just me. It was happening everywhere.”

Studies show that in Canada, women – particularly mothers and racialized women – remain vastly underrepresented in key creative roles. At the current rate of progress, gender parity in Canadian media workplaces won’t be achieved for over 200 years if no new interventions are made.

These numbers aren’t just statistics – they reflect a systemic problem that continues to push women out of the industry, particularly once they become parents.

Yet despite these harsh realities, Heather’s story is one of resilience and hope.

“We’re still in the middle of the journey,” Heather says. “But I hope that in ten years, I’ll be able to look at this industry and see real infrastructure that supports parents – especially mothers – to stay in the careers they’ve trained for and are incredibly skilled at.”