...

Catherine Bainbridge, Director/ Writer/ Executive Producer/ Producer, on Rumble, and Co-founder of Rezolution Pictures, has an accomplished career in media. She has brought her signature enthusiasm and passion for storytelling to countless documentary, drama, comedy, and interactive media projects, notably the Peabody award-winning documentary Reel Injun, about Native stereotypes in Hollywood films. Her role as Director on Rumble encapsulates her love and devotion to music, history, politics, and bringing important Indigenous stories to the mainstream.

Mexican-Ethiopian filmmaker, Jessica Beshir received her B.A in film studies and literature at UCLA. She recently directed the short He Who Dances on Wood and is currently producing her first feature film set in Harar. Jessica is based in Brooklyn, NY.

Attiya Khan (Writer, Co-Director) is a Toronto-based feminist, intimate partner violence survivor, and long-time advocate and counselor for abused women and children. Attiya conceived the idea for A Better Man in 2012, drawing on her personal and professional experience with intimate partner violence. Attiya has worked in women’s shelters in Canada and the United States, including running the Child and Youth Services Program at Transition House in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also worked at YWCA Toronto, supporting the communications and advocacy team, managing a training program on crisis intervention, and administering the December 6th Fund, which offers interest-free loans to women fleeing domestic violence. As a writer, activist, and speaker, she has presented at numerous events and conferences related to domestic violence. Together with her family, she recently co-founded a YWCA Toronto scholarship program for domestic-violence survivors.

Jordan Canning has directed more than a dozen short films that have played at festivals all over the world, including the Tribeca Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and Interfilm Berlin. She directed all twenty-three episodes of the IPF-supported web series Space Riders: Division Earth for CTV.ca. The show won the 2014 Canadian Screen Award for Best Digital Series and four Canadian Comedy Awards, including Best Director.
Her first feature, We Were Wolves, premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Her second feature, Suck It Up, won the Women In the Director’s Chair Feature Film Award and premiered at Slamdance 2017. Her third feature, an omnibus film called Ordinary Days, will also premiere later in 2017. In 2016 she made her foray into television, directing on Saving Hope (CTV) and This Hour Has 22 Minutes (CBC). In 2017 year she will be directing on the series The Detail (CTV), Burden of Truth (CBC) and Baroness Von Sketch Show (IFC/CBC).
 

Sarah Goodman was born in Toronto and has lived in New York, where she began making films. She recently wrote on the upcoming CTV drama, The Detail, after completing the Canadian Film Centre’s Prime Time TV Writing Program. She has also written and directed narrative and documentary film: her feature documentary Army of One, 2004 Hot Docs Best Canadian Feature Documentary; 2005 Gemini Nomination for Best Director, and When We Were Boys, Donald Brittain Gemini Nomination for Best Documentary; Indiewire Top 10 Documentaries 2009, led to her short drama Hidden Driveway (TIFF 2011) and her award winning, critically acclaimed first feature drama Porch Stories. Her films have played at festivals such as TIFF, IDFA, Hot Docs and True/False, as well as broadcasting worldwide. Goodman has also written and directed documentary programs for television. She is an alumna of the TIFF Talent Lab, the Berlinale Talent Campus, and a member of the Film Fatales. Her next feature Lake 239 is in development with producer Karen Harnisch (Sleeping Giant) and she currently has two TV series in early development.

Marsha Greene has written for Global’s Private Eyes, ABC’s Ten Days In The Valley, and the critically acclaimed drama Mary Kills People for Global and Lifetime.  She is currently developing a short-form scripted drama with eOne called The Six.
In 2015, Marsha received a BravoFACT award for her short film In The Room, and was the Interactive Writer for the YTV/Teen Nick series Open Heart, which won the Digi Award for Best Interactive Content–Kids. Marsha has also lent her skills to unscripted productions for Global, CBC, Discovery Channel, Food Network, and the award-winning documentary Chinee Girl. Marsha is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre Prime Time Television program, and holds an Honours BA in Creative Writing from York University. She also has a graduate certificate from Humber College’s TV Writing and Producing program, where she was awarded the Brian Linehan Award for Outstanding Artistic Promise.  

Moderator.
Karen has been with the Academy since November 2012. As part of her role she is responsible for developing the public and industry profile of the national screen media association to attract and engage new audiences. Along with monthly industry events she also launched the successful Family Fan Day during Canadian Screen Week providing free access for fans to some of their favourite stars.

Karen also spearheaded the Academy's vital, annual volunteer program.

With over 20 years in the industry including her position as Director of Canadian Initiatives at TIFF, Karen continues to work with numerous organizations including Cinéfest Sudbury, Whistler Film Festival, the CMPA and the Toronto Film Critic Awards. She also regularly mentors emerging industry talent and currently sits on the board for the Canadian Film Festival.

Moderator, Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre

Janet Lee is honoured to be the Program Coordinator at the Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre. 

Janet has been supporting survivors and doing anti-violence work in a professional capacity for over a decade. By focusing on caring roles in violence prevention, alternative education, and front line service delivery, Janet’s goal is to create systemic change wherein all survivors feel like they are truly listened to, believed, and supported.

Janet believes that each individual is the expert in their own life and their own experiences. She is inspired every day by the people she works with and for. She sees hope and resiliency in every person that uses their own incredible strength, strategies, and abilities to navigate their own unique healing process.

Janet was raised around the bay, loves the Atlantic Ocean, and currently resides in St. John’s with her supportive partner, his saucy cat, and her untrained dog.

Deanne Foley is a Canadian feature film and TV director-writer hailing from St. John’s, Newfoundland.  Set in the world of semi-pro wrestling, her debut feature film, BEAT DOWN, starring Robb Wells (Trailer Park Boys) and Marthe Bernard (Republic of Doyle) garnered three Canadian Comedy Award nominations including Best Direction, Best Actor, and Best Actress and won Best Debut at the Toronto Female Eye Film Festival. Her sophomore feature, RELATIVE HAPPINESS, a romantic comedy, was nominated for Best Picture at the 2015 Directors Guild of Canada Awards, and Best Canadian Feature at the Whistler Film Festival. The film also picked up Best Actress awards at the 16th L.A. Comedy Festival and Toronto’s Canadian Film Festival in 2015. The film sold around the world including China, Australia and the UK.  Deanne went on to direct two episodes for CBC’s REPUBLIC OF DOYLE in the final season. She has been honored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and named Artist of the Year for 2015.  In the summer of 2017, Deanne directed the dramatic feature film, AN AUDIENCE OF CHAIRS, based on the critically acclaimed novel by Joan Clark. Up next, Deanne will be directing on the feature film, HOPELESS ROMANTIC, filming in the fall of 2017.

Sarah Goodman was born in Toronto and has lived in New York, where she began making films. She recently wrote on the upcoming CTV drama, The Detail, after completing the Canadian Film Centre’s Prime Time TV Writing Program. She has also written and directed narrative and documentary film: her feature documentary Army of One, 2004 Hot Docs Best Canadian Feature Documentary; 2005 Gemini Nomination for Best Director, and When We Were Boys, Donald Brittain Gemini Nomination for Best Documentary; Indiewire Top 10 Documentaries 2009, led to her short drama Hidden Driveway (TIFF 2011) and her award winning, critically acclaimed first feature drama Porch Stories. Her films have played at festivals such as TIFF, IDFA, Hot Docs and True/False, as well as broadcasting worldwide. Goodman has also written and directed documentary programs for television. She is an alumna of the TIFF Talent Lab, the Berlinale Talent Campus, and a member of the Film Fatales. Her next feature Lake 239 is in development with producer Karen Harnisch (Sleeping Giant) and she currently has two TV series in early development.

Born in Bratislava and raised in Canada, Ingrid is no stranger to SJIWFF. In addition to leading workshops and participating on numerous panels, she has presented her films i am a good person/i am a bad person, The Animal Project and He Hated Pigeons, which was presented last year with an improvised score performed by St. John's very own Rozalind MacPhail. This year she returns with her 6th feature film, Porcupine Lake, which was developed in the pUNK FILMS FEMMES LAB, an initiative Ingrid created in 2014 to foster more feature films written and directed by Canadian women, sponsored by Academy Award winner Melissa Leo. Porcupine Lake had its world premiere at TIFF and will be touring festivals worldwide this fall. Currently, Ingrid is developing her 7th feature and is working on her MFA at York University.

Moderator.

Joyce Wong is a writer and director based in Toronto whose films have played at festivals worldwide. Her films often feature an idiosyncratic tone and tongue-in-cheek comedy. She graduated from York University with a BFA in Film Production in 2007, and is an alumna of the 2008 Berlinale Talent Campus and the 2016 TIFF Talent Lab. Most recently, she completed her first narrative feature Wexford Plaza, which premiered at the Torino Film Festival. It also screened in competition at Slamdance, and was awarded the Comcast Best Narrative Feature Award by the Center for Asian American Media in San Francisco. Her work has been supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts. Her previous works include: The Power of Love, a short documentary about Celine Dion fans in Kenya that premiered in Hot Docs in 2011, Gentrification Guilt Meter, an interactive installation completed during a residency at Brooklyn’s Uniondocs Centre for Documentary Arts, Embodying Toronto, which won WIFT-T’s Most Innovative Film by a Female Director Award at the Toronto Urban Film Festival in 2009, and SOUVENIRS FROM ASIA, which won Reelworld Film Festival’s Outstanding Canadian Short Award in 2008.

Kirsten Carthew is the writer-director and co-producer of the award-winning feature film The Sun At Midnight, which had its theatrical screening in Canada in 2017 and has been sold globally. The film has played throughout Canada and internationally at festivals recognized by Telefilm (China, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and the US) and has received multiple awards. The Sun At Midnight is the first film from Canada’s Northwest Territories and marks Kirsten’s debut into longer format directing. Shorter form credits include the award-winning films Fish Out of Water (genre) and Abe and Alfred (short documentary). While doing a screenwriting at the Canadian Film Centre, Kirsten wrote a feature film that was optioned by a Brazilian company and opened commercially at the Brazilian box office in 2016. The film, Uma Loucura de Mulher, directed by Marcus Ligocki, starring A-list Brazilian actresss Mariana Ximenes, has also been sold internationally. Kirsten is an alumna of Simon Fraser University, the London School of Economics and the University of Southern California. Her projects in development include two TV pilots (thriller, and science fiction) and a genre feature script.

Stephanie Clattenburg is a writer-director with over 12 years experience in the film and television industry. Her first feature length film, a documentary about gender bias in the music industry titled Play Your Gender had it’s world premier in Canberra, Australia in October 2016. The film was awarded the ‘Edith Lando Peace Prize, which goes to the film which best utilizes the power of cinema to further the goal of social justice and peace’ from The Reel 2 Real Film Festival in Vancouver. It also won ‘Best Music/Art Documentary’ at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. The documentary was funded through Telefilm Canada's Micro-Budget Production Program. In addition to her career in media production, Stephanie is a professional musician, having been a drummer in a variety of projects including The Superfantastics, Two Deaths and SheMachine. Clattenburg made her acting debut in 2014 when she starred in Andrea Dorfman’s Heartbeat, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Clattenburg wrote, directed, co-produced and acted in her latest short film, Play Rewind Play. Which is a time travel love story and had it’s world premiere at the Roswell Film Festival in New Mexico in April 2017 where it was nominated for ‘Best Short Film’.
 

Harmony Wagner is an award-winning filmmaker based on Prince Edward Island. She wrote and directed micro-budget comedy feature Kooperman and the 1K Wave feature drama Singing to Myself. Recently, Harmony adapted her second short Queen of the Crows into a novel for Acorn Press.

Moderator. 
Allison White is an award-winning producer whose films have screened at festivals across the world including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Fantastic Film Festival and Cannes. Her first feature film, Cast No Shadow swept the awards at its Canadian premiere at the Atlantic Film Festival, taking home six awards including Best Feature Film and Best Director. It went on to receive four nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards including Best Motion Picture. Allison is an alumnus of the Rotterdam Lab, Whistler’s Feature Project Lab, and IFP’s No Borders in New York.

Lisa Baylin is the VP, Content & Production at iThentic, a digital content, and distribution company. Lisa has produced various award winning scripted and non-scripted series including: Save Me (CBC Digital), Epic Studios (Maker/Disney), The Nations (CBC Digital), the Canadian Screen Award winning series Space Riders SI & SII (Bell Media, Hulu, Funny or Die); and the Emmy Award and Canadian Screen Award winning branded transmedia series Guidestones SI & SII (Bell Media, Hulu). In addition, Lisa has developed multiple digital assets ranging from games and apps to video platforms. Previously, she was the Program Manager at three private funds supporting the Canadian digital, television and film industries: the Bell Fund, the Independent Production Fund, and the COGECO Fund. Before joining the Funds, she was the Associate Conference Producer for the Banff World Television Festival. In 2007, she launched LB Casting, where she continues to cast projects for broadcast and the web such as The Curse of Clara (CBC), Splashlings (TFP Toys/YouTube), The Dark Years (History Channel), Teleporting Fat Guy I, II & III (Shut Up! Cartoons/YouTube), S.O.S. (BBC/Fear Network). Since 2012, Lisa has been a digital media consultant for the Canadian Media Producers Association and participated in collective bargaining talks between the CMPA and the following unions ACTRA, DGC, and WGC.

Rebecca Davey has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Toronto, is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School and is currently completing her Masters in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. She is Co-Founder of She Said Films with partner Marie-Claire Marcotte. Together they create content for a variety of mediums, always with women leading behind and in front of the camera. Their recent web series Running With Violet made with the support of the Independent Production Fund, the Cogeco Development Fund, the St. Petersburg Film Commission and the Ontario Media Development Corporation has been touring international festivals and is the recipient of multiple awards including Best Web Series (Sunscreen Film Festival, USA), Best Web Series (Web Series International Trophy) and Best Cliff-hanger (Wendie Webfest, Germany).

Jenna MacMillan is a producer and director from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. She has a bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in Film Production from Ryerson University. She has worked in a variety of capacities on several digital media projectsincluding the Emmy Award and Canadian Screen Award winning digital series Guidestones SI (Bell Media, Hulu), Epic Studios (Maker/Disney), and S.O.S- Save Our Skins (BBCW, FEARnet, BiTe. She recently produced, Just Passing Through that won a Canadian Comedy Award in 2016. She is currently producing, Wharf Rats which is set to go to camera in 2018 and has received funding from Telefilm Microbudget, The Independent Production Fund and was a finalist in CBC's Comedy Coup competition. 

Thank you to
The Beverage Baron - Official Wine Sponsor of SJIWFF28.

Custom SJIWFF28 Iceberg Beer provided by Quidi Vidi Brewing Company.

Platform agnostic /content believer, Vali Fugulin is a director of documentary, games and new narratives. Working on both the organizational and creative sides, she’s currently creating and producing the Tout Garni (All Dressed) interactive youth series; an interactive shadow theatre mediation tool for La Maison Théâtre with Studio TOBO; developing two museum exhibits and an Interactive documentary on resilient songs, Consolation. She was the artist in residence at the interactive studio of National Film Board of Canada for two years, where she completed a docu-game for kids about social innovation, I Love Potatoes, winner of best Social/Casual game at the 2015 Canadian Videogame Awards, created in collaboration with Minority Media.

Gina Hara is a Canadian-Hungarian filmmaker and artist with a background in art & technology, interested in the experimental aspects and transmedial forms of visual culture. She holds an MA in intermedia, an MFA in film production and had worked in different media with regard to film, video, new media, gaming and design. Her short Waning (2011) was nominated for Best Canadian Short at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her web-series, Your Place or Minecraft (2016), is a documentary machinima about game studies, available on YouTube. Geek Girls (2017) is Hara's latest project and the first feature-length documentary exploring the hidden half of fan culture: nerdy women.

This trained animator and designer spends most of her time painting, drawing and instructing in her digital lab, and studying and creating media. She produces digital art classes, video games, and creative content, with a 14-year history. Four current free apps on the app store have garnished thousands of plays and downloads. Having studied at top art and design colleges such as Grenfell, Sheridan, and Algonquin, as well as MUN and Dalhousie University, Julie brings enthusiasm and energy to all of her endeavors. She is happy to have a studio of her own at 17 Pippy Place, having taught art to adults and children across the country and in Italy. She teaches all ages, 3 days a week. Julie also leads art parties through her own Sassy Tuna Studio, where she teaches and demonstrates drawing how-tos in festive ways, and creates client-specialized mobile and web-platform video games as engagement tools for companies, specifically within the Marine, Travel & Destination Industry, through her company Big Fry Productions Inc. (Operating name: Art Sharks).

Moderator

In her role as Marketing Specialist with Celtx, Lisa Vatcher spends much of her workday figuring out nifty ways to innovate film and tv production planning. With over 3 million creatives in 190+ countries, Celtx is now setting its sights on interactive storytelling through their new platform, Gem. Celtx is always looking for industry feedback, so contact Lisa to take Gem for a spin. Also a producer and writer, Lisa debut her short film, Long Term Care, at SJIWFF in 2015.
 

Erin Carter is an actress and filmmaker hailing from Calgary, Alberta. She is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Actors Conservatory, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles and also studied comedy at The Upright Citizens Brigade. Her past credits include CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries, and many independent shorts including The Worst Part, Set Up Punch (Tribeca Film Festival) and Bonfire (LA Shorts Fest), a short she also wrote and produced.  You can see Erin in the upcoming Suck It Up, directed by Jordan Canning.

Julia Hoff is an LA-based screenwriter, producer, and actress. Suck It Up is her first produced feature film. Her on-screen acting debut will be in the feature Bent, starring Karl Urban and Sofia Vergara, currently in post-production. Julia works as writer's assistant to Oscar-winning screenwriter, director, and producer Bobby Moresco (Crash, Million Dollar Baby). She's worked with Bobby on his two pilot scripts, for which he is writer and showrunner - "Killer Joe" (eOne) and "To Live And Die In LA" (MGM); as well as the feature Bent (Ambi Group), which Bobby wrote and directed in spring, 2017 in Rome.  Julia holds a B.A. from UCLA and an A.A. from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Hollywood campus.

Canada Media Fund, Director of Program Management
Nathalie Clermont has worked for more than twenty years in the film and television industry, with extensive experience in financing. She acts as a key advisor on CMF policies and programs, ensures consistency in service standards and the application process, and ensures that file analysis is accurate, fair, and consistent, in accordance with the CMF guidelines. Previously, Ms. Clermont was team leader of the Business Affairs Unit at the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) for 15 years. Ms. Clermont holds a B.A. in Film, Communications, and Public Relations from the Université de Montréal.