DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Rawd Almsoud is an award-winning Syrian Canadian Director and Producer, based in Calgary. Her short documentary film "Uncivilized" has been touring film festivals across the country, getting awards and nominations. Alongside working in film, she works in theatrical productions as a Stage Manager and an Audio Describer. Rawd aims to encourage women of color and faith from visible minorities in Canada to engage more in the creative fields. 

PRODUCER

Jesse Bone is the producer of Edge of Karte (Short Documentary) and Transmission (Documentary).

DIRECTOR / CINEMATOGRAPHER / PRODUCER

Douglas Cook is an award-winning director based in Calgary. As a multi-disciplinary artist, he has excelled in various roles such as director, cinematographer and producer. Doug is known for his expertise in directing commercials, branded content, narrative work and music videos. He also has experience in production design and stop-motion, making him a versatile filmmaker.

ACTOR / FILMMAKER

Simon Garez is a French-Canadian actor and filmmaker based in Saskatchewan. His award-winning films have screened worldwide at festivals including CAFF, VIFF, and Vienna Shorts. His work examines rural life and humanity's interactivity to its ecological environment. Alongside his art practice, Simon works with bees and honey production.

Just a Jedi Judge.

FILMMAKER

I am a filmmaker originally from Montréal, where I co-founded Montreal’s Rubber Chicken Factory sketch comedy troupe, creating live revues and videos. A writer/performer (and somewhat reluctant director), I most enjoy working on smaller, community-driven projects like my French-language web series Mon Oeil and the French-language short feature Nouveaux Arrivants.

I currently live in Lethbridge and serve as a faculty member in the New Media department at Iniskim (University of Lethbridge), where I share my love of the moving image and comedy with my students.

FILMMAKER

She gained her love of short films in 2016 after volunteering with the Reel Shorts Film Festival. She first joined the programming team for two years, then joined the board of directors, and eventually became the Volunteer and Events Coordinator. Darryl has made a variety of short films including documentaries, narratives, web- series, and a music video.

She is currently in post-production of her newest film Ice & Iron: a documentary telling the story of the legendary Numb Bum 24-hour motorcycle endurance ice race. Planned to be released early 2025. 

FILMMAKER / WRITER / EDUCATOR

Aleem Karmali is a documentary filmmaker, writer and educator from Edmonton. His films explore the intersections of history, diversity, culture, and religion in a thoughtful, balanced way. His recent feature-length documentary, Thrown into Canada, examines the first major movement on non-European refugees in Canadian history, after thousands of South Asians were expelled by Ugandan President Idi Amin in 1972. The film screened at over 15 festivals globally, including CAFF in 2023, winning two awards at the 2023 Vancouver Asian Film Festival. 

DIRECTOR / FILMMAKER

Bret Kenworthy, a director and filmmaker from Alberta, Canada, developed his passion for cinema and storytelling early on, starting with short films using a family camcorder. He refined his skills at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, where he studied New Media Production and Design, and grew to love the evolving media industry. Over the past decade, Bret has worked with major clients like The Calgary Flames and the Canadian Football League, bringing creative ideas to life through visual storytelling. 

SCREENWRITER / DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Justin Kueber is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer based in Edmonton, Alberta. His past work includes Never Seen Again (Paramount+), Hate to Love: Nickelback (Netflix), and Labeled (docuseries). His recent work spans feature films, documentaries, and commercial productions. Currently, Justin is developing several scripted features, including Chasing Summer, Black and Blue, and Berlin Falling, alongside the true crime docuseries The Girl in Saskatoon. He is passionate about telling meaningful and culturally significant stories that resonate on both local and international stages.

DIRECTOR / CINEMATOGRAPHER / EDITOR

Laura La France is a director-cinematographer-editor from Sturgeon County, Alberta, currently based in Edmonton / amiskwaciwâskahikan. Under Big Mimic Productions, Laura shoots a variety of work, with a focus on Super 8 film production and editing. Her Super 8 micro short, Kite Fest, won 2nd Prize at the Gotta Minute Film Festival in 2020, and since then, her shorts and music videos have screened at festivals from the Bay Area to Cardiff. When she's not in the midst of her current documentary project, Laura works as a digital and 35mm projectionist for Edmonton's Metro Cinema.

C/FE STUDIOS

Vincent has a sharp sense of the filmmaking process, having worked on set in every department from pre-production to post-production, alongside a successful career as a manager and producer in the VFX industry. Passion, care, high standards, and rigor define Vincent as a filmmaker, and sharing his devotion to storytelling with fellow artists and audiences drives him endlessly forward.

In 2023, Vincent won several awards for his latest short film Trail, including Best Director and Best Thriller. He has since launched his own production company, C/Fe Studios, and is currently prepping his next short film and other exciting projects.

DIRECTOR

From an early age, Linda was fascinated to hear people share their stories. As she grew older, she became passionate about writing life experiences.

From 1997 through 2007, she worked as a direct sales consultant, assisting clients with preserving and documenting family photos. This experience became a catalyst to realizing a passion for working with people to convey their stories.

In 2016, Linda had the opportunity to be on a film set, and so began a new learning which would eventually lead to assisting with writing and production on other film projects.

In September of 2020, Linda endeavored to put together a team and an idea and made a pitch to create a documentary film for Telus Storyhive that reflected the local community. The pitch was successful and with the hard work of a great team “Anonymous Heroes” was launched in 2021. Linda continues to work hard in her writing and future film projects.

CINEMATOGRAPHER / EDITOR

David Puff was born on August 24, 1981 in Canada. David is a cinematographer and editor, known for Unidentified Flying Object, Broken (2021) and Genesis (2020). 

FILM & VIDEO GAME ARTIST

Dominic Sawicki is a creative artist with a diverse portfolio that spans film and video games. Inspired by a love for high-octane action movies, he developed his first full-length feature in high school, setting the stage for his future endeavors. Pivoting his educational pursuits to study New Media at the University of Lethbridge, Dominic directed several award-nominated short films, showcasing his talent for captivating storytelling. Currently residing in Vancouver, he channels his creativity into producing original works and contributing his skills to the video game industry, aiming to create immersive experiences that resonate with all audiences.  

WRITER / DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Jason Seelmann was born on the 12th of May, 1976 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Although he grew up across much of Western Canada. Far from a show business family, the only child of a single mother, Jason found solace in creating characters and stories either out of self-preservation, or entertainment. During his high school years he found a home in theatre; performing in several plays and musicals and contributed as much as he could to the production of the shows, including set building and lighting.

Years later, Jason became involved in films primarily as background. He began to learn the complexities of the industry while watching and engaging with many of the crew as well as cast, when it was suitable. Discussions with folks like Ang Lee (while on the set of Brokeback Mountain), Paul Gross (while on the set of Passchendaele) as well as Tyne Daly and Beau Bridges continued to spark creativity. He rooted himself in the process of creating the projects and began working on many of his own ideas.

Theatre took a backseat for a few years, but Jason returned to the stage and has rediscovered his love for the art. His company 2BlocksNorth Productions continues to be involved with theatre, however focus has turned to film. The company's first short film "Whisky" received festival screening and an award.

Jayson Therrien is an award winning filmmaker and actor. Originally from Toronto he now resides in Calgary with his wife (Molly) and two Dalmatians (Jasper and Bo). His directorial debut "Operation: Clean Slate" screened at multiple film festivals around the world and won Best Live Action Short Film (Alberta) at the 2020 Edmonton International Film Festival.

DIRECTOR

An emerging filmmaker based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Jenna comes from a theatre background focused on new play development. Her first short, Bearcat, was produced in 2020 under the Herland mentorship program spearheaded by Sandi Somers. Bungalow is her second short film. Jenna is currently the Script Coordinator on a new TV show called RIDE, a proud auntie to Harriet & Dot, and recently adopted an adorable kitten named Beans.

DIRECTOR

Riggs Vergara is a budding queer Filipino-Canadian filmmaker based in Calgary, Alberta. He specializes in gripping documentaries and moving short films. He's a big fan of Darren Aronofsky, Damien Chazelle and Jordan Peele.