A Deliberately Unconventional Protagonist: Jenna MacMillan on Her Directorial Debut THE SNAKE

Award-winning producer Jenna MacMillan launches her directorial debut at SXSW with THE SNAKE. An off-beat comedy written by and starring Susan Kent (Who’s Yer Father?, This Hour Has 22 Minutes), the film follows Jamie, an unlikely hero who just can’t seem to get her life together.

Stacked with a stellar Canadian cast including Robin Duke (Saturday Night Live), Emma Hunter (Slo Pitch), Dan Petronijevic (The Trades, Letterkenny), Jimbo (RuPaul’s Drag Race), and comedy legend Jonathan Torrens (I Kill the Bear, Letterkenny), THE SNAKE re-teams MacMillan and Kent following their success on Who’s Yer Father?, which broke box office records in Charlottetown.

THE SNAKE had its World Premiere at SXSW on March 13th, 2026, where it was selected as one of eight films in the Narrative Feature Competition.

Speaking about stepping into the director’s chair, MacMillan reflected on a journey that had always been part of the plan, saying, “I always missed telling the story from that perspective… and wanted to give it a shot.”

At the heart of the film is Jamie — a deliberately unconventional protagonist. As MacMillan explains, “We wanted her to be a challenge… chaotic and not what everybody wanted,” grounding the film in a character that resists expectation and embraces complexity.

That approach carries through to the film’s tone and performances, with MacMillan encouraging her cast to fully lean into the material: “Totally encouraged pushing it as far as we could go.”

Premiering at SXSW marks a significant milestone for the filmmaker, bringing things full circle from her early experiences at the festival. “It really does feel like a crazy, full circle moment,” she said.

Full interview is below:

A Club Red Production, THE SNAKE is produced by Sharlene Kelly and Melani Wood, with executive producers Jenna MacMillan, Susan Kent, and Bill Lundy. Club Red Productions, founded by MacMillan (Playback ‘10 to Watch in 2025’), is also behind Who’s Yer Father?, Back For The Holidays, Tracy & Martina: Goin’ Out West and more.

The Snake Film Page

Support for THE SNAKE was provided by Telefilm Canada and the Prince Edward Island Film Fund.