by Crystal Han

“ It was wonderful to get to meet all the different women who were doing so many amazing things ,” Scariot said , “ When I was hearing their stories I was like , ‘ How did I get picked ?’”

One of the women Scariot met was Carmel Jud , a victim of sex-trafficking who founded the nonprofit Rising Worldwide in Santa Cruz to help other victims . A few weeks later , Scariot brought Jud to the 2024 Poppy Jasper International Film Festival ( PJIFF ), where Jud was able to give bracelets made by the sex-trafficking victims to the PJIFF women ’ s panel and speak about her nonprofit . Her passion to help others comes from her life experiences . often assume he ’ s the one in charge . “ I ’ d come up with an idea in meetings and they would look at my partner , because he ’ s a man , and he would say the same thing , and they ’ d be like , ‘ That ’ s a great idea !’” she said .

Scariot believes these continued experiences highlight why representation through PJIFF and awards like Gail Pellerin ’ s are so essential . Representation was also instrumental in her early days with PJIFF . Inspired by Mill Valley Film Festival director Zoe Elton , Scariot shared , “ I remember reading an article about her over and over again , thinking , ‘ I want to be like her .” Eventually , Scariot was able to honor Elton with an icon award at PJIFF , and Elton moderated the women ’ s panel . Scariot shared that it was wonderful to have Elton , whom she admired for her encouragement and mentorship , take part in the PJIFF .

Scariot is now giving back to ensure the path is easier for those following in her footsteps . For the past four years , Scariot has been helping Shanshan Whittall become the director of the Poppy Jasper Asian Film Festival by offering support and guidance .

For anyone struggling to make the world a better place , whether through filmmaking or other fields , Scariot offers this advice : the fear we feel when we step out of our comfort zones is the growing pains that make us stronger , failure should be seen as a teacher , and to never lose sight of why the dream is important . “ If I have a gut feeling about something and it matches what ’ s in my head and my heart , then I know it ’ s the right decision and I don ’ t give up ,” she said .

Growing up , she witnessed her friends deal with injustices and discrimination due the color of their skin . Pursuing her filmmaking dream , she faced gender discrimination in an industry that treated women like second-class citizens . While working on a film in LA in the late 90s , Mattie sought an opportunity to help a cinematographer colorize a film . The cinematographer informed her , “ Oh , honey , women just don ’ t have the technological minds to understand this process .” she recalled .

When Scariot became the Director of PJIFF , she knew she wanted to create a space for everyone , not just a select group “ I just felt this shift in the universe and in myself that I had never felt before . It was a moment where everything that I had learned in my life had culminated to this moment ,” she said . Originally a film festival for Morgan Hill , Scariot expanded to Gilroy , Hollister , and San Juan Bautista so that more voices could be heard . In 2019 , she decided that half of the featured films would be directed by women . That year the Festival received 150 entries . By 2020 , that goal was exceeded . In 2024 , the PJIFF received 1000 entries .

Despite her successes , Scariot still encounters the same problems of her early filmmaking days . She shares a film production company with her business partner , Nils Myers , and people

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Scariot will never give up on making sure every person is seen and heard . She knows that the more people are treated like they are capable of great things from the start , not just after the fact , the more great things they will achieve .

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