MOOSE JAW — A former Moose Jaw resident earned national attention for her first documentary film, a passion project and side venture six years in the making that earned two major awards at the Saskatchewan International Film Festival (SIFF).
Melanie Booth recently received SIFF’s Best Director award for The Souls That Return to Us. The short film, which also won Best Short Documentary, focuses on women who work in grassroots dog rescues in Baja, Mexico.
Speaking from Vancouver, B.C., where she now lives and works in social media marketing, Booth said the recognition caught her off guard but felt deeply meaningful.
“I was really surprised and honoured. I didn’t expect it to be honest, but I am so happy the film is getting the recognition that it deserves because we worked so hard on it,” she said.
Filming began in 2018 when Booth and her close friend Steph Taylor, who operates the Vancouver-based West Coast Pet Project, travelled to Mexico with the aim of spending a month filming the realities of street dog rescue. The pair wanted to examine the cultural differences around what Canadians consider standard practices and to witness firsthand the plight of these dogs.
“Something that was really important for us was to highlight the cultural differences between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico,” Booth explained. “Here it’s very commonly known to spay and neuter your dogs, but there (in Mexico) it isn’t. That’s why there’s an issue with street dogs down there, so we really wanted to educate people on that.”
The experience was both inspiring and heartbreaking.
“We were going through garbage cans, picking dogs out of bins, piles of garbage, bushes, and stuff like that,” she said. “It was horrible what we saw, but it was good for us to see how it starts, because when we get them on our side (via rescue organizations), we just get them delivered to us … it was cool, but it was also heartbreaking to see that part of their journeys.”
After returning to Vancouver, the project was set aside while Booth focused on her career. Several years passed before a friend who produces Netflix documentaries saw a rough cut.
“He said to me, ‘You need to finish this. This is great, and I think that you should share this with the world,’ so that’s what ignited that (fire),” Booth said.
Over the last year and a half, Booth worked with industry professionals who offered support.
“I think the people who work in film are so generous, and that’s something I was blown away by,” she said. “All these people volunteered their time to help us after watching a rough cut, because they really believed in the message and the purpose of the film … I was happy for my team.”
Winning the awards in Saskatchewan made the achievement more personal.
“Growing up in Moose Jaw and being a Saskatchewan girl at heart, it meant so much more to win that in my home province. I haven’t been there for so long, but it will always be home,” she said.
Booth said the women featured in the film left a lasting impression, particularly one who independently cares for around 20 dogs in her backyard. Booth noted that her own dog, Mia — a pit bull rescued from the streets of Mexico — is a daily reminder of the resilience and love these animals carry with them.
“It’s such a selfless job, and … often thankless,” she said. “When you go down and meet the people who work in dog rescue down there … it’s just a next level of love … it’s crazy.”
As for what she hopes audiences take away, Booth credited dogs with being the heart of the story.
“Dogs … give us such unconditional love. They’re so resilient and they teach us so much. I just wish that more people knew that about dogs and treated them as such,” she said. “I encourage people to donate to their local animal shelter or rescue. There are so many dogs who are in need of a loving home, and they deserve all the love in the world.”
A distribution plan has not yet been finalized, aside from a friends-and-family premiere set for spring 2026 in Vancouver. After that, Booth said she’s exploring several distribution options for the film.
