Gloria and Olivia Kate Iatridis are hoping their new book will help child actors and their parents navigate the film industry.

The mother-daughter duo with NWT roots finished the project, titled Booked, in late 2023, and plan to release it through Manitoba-based publisher FriesenPress in the first quarter of 2024.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was amazing to work with my mom on the book,SA国际影视传媒� said Olivia, a 22-year-old actress. SA国际影视传媒淪he is such an incredible writer and storyteller. I feel like she really captured what it was like for us and it brought back a lot of memories.SA国际影视传媒�

Gloria added, SA国际影视传媒淚t was such a learning experience for Olivia and I. We decided after talking about it that it shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 just be a how-to book, but that we would do a memoir of our experiences.SA国际影视传媒�

Olivia, who now lives in Vancouver, first set her sights on an acting career at age 13, laying out plans to leave home and move south when she turned 18. Rather than try to dissuade her daughter from leaving home at such a young age, Gloria offered her support, taking on the role of manager.

She would quickly be glad she did, as the pair learned the film industry can be a treacherous place for aspiring actors SA国际影视传媒� particularly young ones. They encountered everything from complex contracts to questionable working conditions, and were forced to deal with all of the challenges they encountered without any guidance or experience of their own.

Booked is a distillation of all the lessons theySA国际影视传媒檝e learned over their years navigating the industry together.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 so many unwritten rules in the acting industry and the film industry,SA国际影视传媒� said Gloria. SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 all kinds of rules around things like contracts and how much you get paid and how long youSA国际影视传媒檙e supposed to be on set, especially if youSA国际影视传媒檙e a minor.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of those rules arenSA国际影视传媒檛 compiled together, and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 one of the reasons why we put the book together, just to have the basics of what you need to know in order to be an actress or an actor. How do you keep your kids safe? All it takes is one incident with a child and you can harm that child.SA国际影视传媒�

The release of Booked could turn out to be quite timely.

New film projects are popping up all across the North, and as they arrive, there are more and more opportunities for aspiring actors, young and old, to step in front of the camera.

SA国际影视传媒楤reak the cycleSA国际影视传媒�

Some casting calls, including the one that was sent out for a widely discussed comedy project involving Netflix and CBC, state that no experience is required.

In GloriaSA国际影视传媒檚 experience, such claims are somewhat SA国际影视传媒渕isleading,SA国际影视传媒� but she and Olivia hope their new book will help Northerners SA国际影视传媒� particularly their fellow Indigenous people SA国际影视传媒� achieve success without experiencing so many bumps in the road.

SA国际影视传媒淚 would love for this book to serve the communities up north,SA国际影视传媒� Olivia said. SA国际影视传媒淲ith the presence of self tapes and more inclusivity in casting, there have been so many more opportunities for Indigenous people, even ones in remote places. The issue is that they lack the privilege of easy-to-access information. There isnSA国际影视传媒檛 much straight up information online or any other books like this one. We want to break the cycle of gatekeeping industry knowledge and give people a real chance to be a part of this wonderful industry and to be able to do it in a safe way.SA国际影视传媒�

Olivia has appeared in several feature films, including Abducted and Sweeter Than Chocolate. She also starred in the HBO television drama Alaska Daily, and is set to appear in a Netflix project in 2024. While she admits some of her experiences in the film industry have been SA国际影视传媒渟o brutal,SA国际影视传媒� she loves her job, and encourages other young hopefuls to follow their dreams.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome of my biggest highs in life have been my work and it gave me so much confidence as a kid,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚t really shaped me into the person I am today.

SA国际影视传媒淢y biggest piece of advice would be to stick with it because your time will come. That is what my mom always tells me when I am feeling down about the job. It can be very difficult at times, to say the least, but it is some of the most rewarding work creatively.SA国际影视传媒�

Olivia and GloriaSA国际影视传媒檚 book will be available online through FriesenPress, and retailers like Indigo Chapters and Amazon.

The pair are planning on hosting book launches and signings in Yellowknife, where Olivia was born, and SA国际影视传媒渟ome of the Inuvialuit communities,SA国际影视传媒� including GloriaSA国际影视传媒檚 hometown of Tuktoyaktuk.