Angeline Javier

Angeline Javier is a photographer and filmmaker based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Drawing from personal experience and stories from the Filipino diaspora, her films aim to explore relationships, culture and the politics that shape identity through both documentary and narrative work. Her previous short-doc Please Handle With Care won several awards, including best Manitoba Short at the Gimli Film Festival in 2023, and has screened across Canada. In 2026, Angeline premiered her first narrative short film, All The Words

Instagram: @angelinejavierr

Project Title: Route 16

Logline: A dramedy short film about Ira, a 22-year-old who reluctantly takes the bus to meet up with a guy she met online, but when her date cancels mid-ride, Ira decides to join the middle-aged bus driver on his smoke break.

Minjae Kwak

Minjae Kwak is a Korean-Canadian filmmaker raised in Calgary. After graduating from Confederation College’s Film Production program, he moved to Toronto to work in the grip, electric, and camera departments, gaining hands-on filmmaking experience both during his studies and throughout his career. As a director, he is drawn to stories that truthfully explore the human condition. Inspired by filmmakers such as Kieslowski, Tarkovsky, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Minjae aims to tell stories through a personal lens shaped by his experiences living in both South Korea and Canada.

Instagram: @notminjae

Project Title: The Lantern

Logline: A tick infestation drives a group of campers out of their tent while their only light source— a solar powered lantern—is slowly losing power. Their conflicting instincts drive them against one another as the darkness threatens to swallow them all. Tick tock.

Yasmin Lau

Yasmin Lau is a Toronto-based actor and filmmaker drawn to intimate, character-driven stories about family and cultural identity. She graduated from TMU’s RTA Media Production program and began acting as a child, with her first short film, Banana Bruises, premiering at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Since then, she has appeared in projects including Orphan Black: Echoes, Kim’s Convenience, and Nurses. Inspired by her own experiences, her work is rooted in quiet, observational storytelling that explores unspoken family dynamics and the emotional weight children carry in complex adult environments.

Instagram: @yasminlau

Project Title: The Children Trap

Logline:In a home where fights erupt and everything is quietly reset by morning, two young isters begin secretly plotting their parents’ divorce, believing it’s the only way to save their family.

Nick Patel

Nick (he/him) is an Indian-Canadian actor, writer, and producer based in Toronto. He began performing at age 8 and has since worked across stage and screen, driven by a commitment to challenging the boundaries placed on South Asian artists in film and theatre.

Last year, Nick founded Young Poet Productions, where he is currently producing three films in post-production. This experience gave him the confidence to step behind the camera for his debut short film with Unsung Voices, where he continues to champion South Asian and Asian diasporic stories. Nick holds degrees in Mathematics and Business from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, where a minor in Theatre helped keep him sane through countless algebra and finance exams.

Instagram: @nickpaatel

Project Title: Don’t Bail

Logline: A 45-year-old corporate worker befriends a group of young skaters and secretly begins learning to skateboard during his lunch breaks. When doubt and judgment creep in, he must decide whether to abandon the joy he’s found or embrace the risk of starting over.

Nidhil Vohra

Nidhil Vohra is a writer, filmmaker, and MA student at the University of Toronto’s Cinema Studies Institute. His work seeks to amplify the voices of minoritized communities, often using humour to explore complex themes of identity, class barriers, religion, and belonging. He has written about film and culture for publications including POV Magazine, SAAG Anthology, The Tribune, and the Toronto Star.

Instagram: @nidhilvohra

Project Title: Dream Girl

Logline: A middle-aged Indian mother is faced with a dilemma of a lifetime when her yesteryear Bollywood crush arrives at her door with just one request for her husband and children — to marry her.

Fanny Lord-Bourcier

Fanny Lord-Bourcier is an animator and multidisciplinary artist based in Tio’tia:ke / Mooniyang / Montréal. Curious and keen, they are continuously willing to adopt and be adopted by new places, disciplines, mediums, and people. Fanny uses their medium of choice, animation—the art of movement—to bring to life playful and reflective interpretations of reality, with a particular interest in dreams, memory, and diaspora.

In 2023, Fanny obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts with great distinction from Concordia University, with a Major in Film Animation and a Minor in Music. Their thesis film, Abby (2023), competed at the Ottawa International Animation Film Festival in the Canadian Student category and won the National Film Board of Canada Best Emerging Canadian Short Film Award at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. Fanny’s debut animated documentary, Ambiguous Losses (2026), recently premiered at the Sommets du cinéma d’animation.

Instagram: @cartou.che

Project Title: Project U

Logline: Project U is a horror stop-motion animation film exploring queer desire and emancipation after the death of Nina’s abusive and homophobic mother.

Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller
Screenwriter & Director

Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller is a mixed-race Palestinian filmmaker based in Tkaronto. Her work explores themes of fragmented identity, grief, isolation and connection through grounded “oh no, should I laugh?” comedy. Fateema’s background in improv and clown greatly influences her process as she strives to create with integrity, depth and a sense of humour. Fateema is a CFC Directors’ Lab, Reelworld E20 and Middle Eastern Media Initiative alumni. Her work has been awarded at film festivals all over the world and she believes in resilience and resistance through laughter.

Priscilla Galvez
Director & Producer

Priscilla Galvez is a director and producer whose films have premiered at international festivals like TIFF, DOC NYC, Slamdance, and SXSW. She’s best known for producing Islands, which received an award at SXSW. As a producer, Priscilla has won two Canadian Screen Awards – Best Documentary Short for Sing Me A Lullaby and Best Live-Action Drama Short for Motherland.

Priscilla’s directorial debut ‘A Fermenting Woman’, a visceral body horror short film starring Sook-Yin Lee, traveled the festival circuit worldwide, picking up several awards, including the Programmer’s Choice Award at Minikino Film Week in Bali and the Grand Prize at Festival Court Métrage in Rennes, France. She is also the co-founder of Silent Tower, an indie production company based in Toronto that champions bold, offbeat storytelling rooted in its indie spirit – crafting raw, authentic films and collaborating with exciting filmmakers to bring fresh, impactful projects to life.

Chrisann Hessing
Filmmaker

Chrisann Hessing is a Toronto-based documentary filmmaker and impact producer whose work explores the intersection of culture, identity and transformation. Her films have screened at Hot Docs, RIDM, Calgary International Film Festival and the London Asian Film Festival, and have been released on CBC Gem, Crave, TVO and CNN’s Great Big Story.

As a director, Chrisann has created documentary shorts, features and series. Her short film Turning Tables won Best Short Documentary at the 43rd American Indian Film Festival and screened at more than 30 festivals internationally. Her debut feature, We Will Be Brave, won Audience Choice Feature at the 2023 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and was later nominated for a Heritage Toronto Public History Award. Her recent directing credits include Crossing the Divide (Hot Docs Citizen Minutes Series 3) and TVO’s Unrigged, a doc series examining the state of Canadian democracy and spotlighting practical, community-driven solutions to strengthen civic participation.

As an impact producer, Chrisann has led national engagement campaigns for films including Michèle Hozer’s The Pitch, Jennifer Holness’ Subjects of Desire, and Hot Docs’ Citizen Minutes Series 1 and 2. She has developed cross-sector partnerships, national screening tours, sponsorship activations and educational initiatives that connect films with communities, institutions and decision-makers — positioning documentary storytelling as a catalyst for dialogue and measurable social impact.

She has collaborated with organizations including TIFF, the Global Centre for Pluralism and the DOC Institute, and currently serves on the board of POV Magazine.

Adnan Khan

Adnan Khan is a screenwriter, novelist, and journalist. His first feature film, Shook, is in post-production. His debut novel, There has to Be a Knife, was named a best Canadian novel of 2019 by CBC. His second, The Hypebeast, will be published spring 2025. His journalism has been recognized with a National Magazine Award for best profile and he has taught screenwriting at the University of Guelph.

Alice Wang

Alice Wang is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. As day jobs, Alice has worked as a production coordinator at CBC Kids, Industry Producer at Canadian Film Fest and Manager of Programming at Regent Park Film Festival. As a creative, Alice’s films have received Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council funding and have been screened at Inside Out Film Festival, Vancouver Asian Film Festival, Canadian Film Festival and more. Currently working on longer form content, Alice has an upcoming web series Rent-A-Girlfriend that has received IPF production funding. An RBC Emerging Director’s Award recipient, a participant of the BIPOC TV and Film Episodic Lab, 2024 Netflix x BANFF diversity of voices pitch participant, and part of the 2023 Reelworld Emerging 20 cohort, Alice gravitates towards telling stories about loss, acceptance, and belonging with nuanced perspectives on family dynamics and self actualization.

Amir Zargara

Amir Zargara is an Iranian-Canadian (BIPOC) writer/director, whose unique perspective is shaped by the cultural mosaic of Iran and Canada. His journey, characterized by the resilience of an immigrant and the challenges of living with a stutter, deeply influences his approach to filmmaking.

Amir began his filmmaking journey with “Become the Wounded” in 2021. Since then, he has directed several shorts, that he hopes to build his feature film career on. His work has earned recognition at prestigious festivals like Hollyshorts and Nashville, highlighting his dedication to diverse, compelling narratives. His films delve into the moral complexities faced by individuals, focusing on the gray areas of human character and advocating for empathy over judgment.

Recommended/Promoted by The Black List, Top 2% of Coverfly’s Redlist, Berlinale EFM Fiction Toolbox Program 2024, Canadian Film Centre’s (CFC) Director’s lab 2024 Shortlist, Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF) Talent Lab 2024, Young Director Award (YDA) 2024 Shortlist.

Andrew Ko

Andrew Ko is a Humber Film & Television grad that specialized in writing (his final year script submission was sent off to the New York International Screenplay Awards, where it would become a semi-finalist), and cinematography (winning 2020’s Canadian Cinematography Awards for Best Student Cinematographer on the year of my graduation). He’s been working in the industry as an electric in television since graduating and with the savings from running cable, he recently purchased a cinema camera kit and is making his transition back to filmmaking.

Bessie Cheng

Bessie Cheng is an award-winning queer Chinese-Canadian writer and actor. She graduated from the Playwriting and Devised Theatre program at York University. Her first play, Dirt, received the Ellen Ross Stuart Award from the Ontario Arts Foundation and was nominated for the RBC Emerging Playwright Award from Playwrights Guild of Canada. Her newest work in development Girls With Cars is a recipient of the 2021 Promising Pen Award from Cahoots Theatre where she is named one of their theatre-makers that will help shape the next 30 years in Canadian theatre.

Bessie is also a co-founder of Silk Bath Collective, creating the Fringe hit, Silk Bath. Silk Bath Collective’s production, Yellow Rabbit, enjoyed a sold-out run at Soulpepper Theatre in 2018. The collective just closed their world-premiere of their latest show, Woking Phoenix, at Theatre Passe Muraille to critical acclaim.

In 2016, Bessie participated in Inside Out Festival’s New Vision program, where she pitched and created a documentary with the help of mentors and industry professionals. Paint it White premiered at the Inside Out Festival that year. Since then, she has co-written a queer short film, Jo, which has gained over 11 million views on Youtube to date. Her most recent short, Something’s Phishy, premiered at Inside Out LGBT Festival this year.

Haaris Qadri

Haaris Qadri is an emerging filmmaker based in Toronto and London and a graduate from York University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production Specialized Honours.

His short film majboor-e-mamool recently screened at the Montreal Festival du Nouveau, was featured on the Short of The Week and won Best Canadian Short Film presented by the National Film Board of Canada at the Canadian Academy recognized film festival, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. He has also screened at the 2023 TIFF Next Wave Film Festival and the Canadian Film Festival. His previous short film, Kashif, screened at the 2020 TIFF Next Wave Film Festival and the Academy recognized, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

Haaris aims to make films that seamlessly blend the authenticity of naturalism with the vividness of a painter’s realism. His works delve into the essence of everyday life, capturing the subtle moments that evoke deep emotions and perhaps change. Haaris is drawn to diasporic narratives, exploring themes of identity, familial fragmentation, and the nuances of intergenerational dynamics.

Haaris has had his work supported by the Canada Council of the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, the International Film Festival of South Asia’s inaugural Bright Lights Talent Fund and the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. 

Branching into the world of television, Haaris was also shortlisted for Sundance Institute Episodic Labs with his pilot Bintu’s Weddings and later went on to develop the script with Anthony Q. Farrell with the Warner Brothers Access x BIPOC TV and Film Episodic Labs. He’s currently on development with his next pilot, Kwality Family Care.

Isabella Shibuta

Isabella Shibuta is a Japanese-Brazilian and Polish actor and writer based in Toronto, ON. Her recent acting credits include “Designing Christmas” (Discovery+) and a recurring role in “Right Under My Roof” (BellTV). She is an alumnae of the nationally lauded CBC Actors’ Conservatory at the Canadian Film Centre, where she discovered her deep commitment as an actor and improviser translated into a talent for developing complex characters and a distinct voice as a writer. She proceeded to write and star in the short film “Melanie,” and also starred in the short film “Gerry.” Since graduation, Isabella created her original web series “Alice is Asian” (pre-development) and her first feature “Reassessment” (pre-development), both of which she is set to star in. In support of her proposals, Isabella was recently awarded the Ideas From I Grant and Fellowship from Ecru Club for pan-Asian filmmakers. A Theatre Performance alumna from George Brown College, Isabella wrote and starred in the play “The Letters of Jane Austen” during her studies and went on to work with established houses like Tarragon Theatre as an actor. Isabella is a graduate of Canterbury High School’s Drama program, where she developed an improv background (Winner – Connors Cup) and was selected to travel to Winnipeg with the Next Act Festival as one of their youngest performers. Isabella continues to hone her voice for comedy in the Sketch Studio Series at Bad Dog Theatre. She is grateful her immigrant parents made sacrifices and came to Canada so that she could drop out of the gifted program and competitive figure skating to do improv.

Lulu Liu

Lulu Liu (she/they) is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker and critic based in Toronto. Her current work explores the monstrous feminine, leveraging horror as a weapon for female body politics. Her projects have been featured with local organizations such as TIFF, CBC, TACLA. Lately, she is wrapping up her directorial debut on a dark-comedy short titled Cherry On Top. You can catch her hastily zipping down Shaw Street on her bike. Catch her if you can, or find her later @lulu.lemonless on Instagram.

Roann Enriquez

Roann Enriquez is an emerging Filipino-Canadian writer based in Mississauga, Ontario. She is a recent graduate of UCLA’s Professional Program in Screenwriting and was previously selected for writing mentorships at organizations like Diaspora Dialogues and the Playwrights Guild of Canada. As a multi-genre writer, Roann is currently taking video game writing courses while drafting her first novel–a work of speculative neocolonial fiction set in the Philippines.

Assel Akhmetova

Assel Akhmetova (she/her) is a Kazakh Toronto-based editor and director, with a passion for writing and a curiosity for exploring new ways of cinema.

Her most recent directorial work, I Want To Live (2024), has premiered in New York and Vienna, and is currently playing at festivals around the world. She also directed a short documentary, Male Gazed (2022), and wrote a feature screenplay, When Peonies Bloom (2023), which she pitched at Hot Docs TED Rogers Cinema.

Assel Akhmetova has a BA in Film and Media Production, a lifelong learner, and a multidisciplinary art enthusiast.

Instagram: hypnavision

Ellen Yuna Ahn

Ellen Yuna Ahn is an emerging Korean-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. Drawing from her background in performance art and theatre directing, Ellen is drawn to stories that delve into intimate character studies and explore abstract concepts. In her own work, she endeavours to craft compassionate narratives that navigate the delicate balance between tragedy and hope, avoiding the inclination to favour one over the other.

With experience in production, editing, and directing gained from her time in both London (UK) and Toronto (CAN), Ellen brings a versatile skill set to her projects. Currently, she is working in post-production on feature films whilst actively pursuing her passion for writing and directing.

Instagram: ellen.yuna

shelly bahng

shelly seo bang is a Korean cis queer woman writer, poet, and community builder based in Tio’Tia: Ke (Montréal). She is committed to exploring togetherness and aloneness. She is a part of Pan Asian Collective.

Instagram: humflow

Sofia Habib

Sofia Habib is an Afghan actor, writer, and arts worker based in Ontario. She performs both on stage and screen and has played the lead role in two films that premiered at Reel Asian Film Festival. Sofia will take the stage this June at The Theatre Centre. Sofia is a graduate of University of Toronto’s History of Art program as well as Humber College’s Arts Administration & Cultural Management program. In 2024, Sofia founded Peaks Central Asian Film Festival, a festival dedicated to highlighting Central Asian film and filmmakers. With an upbringing that bridges Eastern and Western cultures, Sofia often thinks about cultural identity, family dynamics, and self-discovery. For her filmmaking debut at Unsung Voices 13 she aims to explore just that, marking a significant step in her artistic journey.

Instagram: sofiahabib, peaksfilmfestival

Liam Ma

Liam Ma (he/him) is an award-winning actor and filmmaker currently based on the unceded and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tseil-Waututh) peoples, known as Vancouver. His work has been shown globally, premiering at the Cannes International Series Festival, Stareable Fest NYC, Sydney Web Fest, and the Canadian Film Fest. His practice examines human psychology, diasporic grief, and queer futurism.

Instagram: liamalekma

Lee Nisar

Lee Nisar is a Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker, writer, and photographer living and working in Toronto, Canada. Their work explores issues related to intergenerational curses, queerness, and absurdity. Heavily inspired by horror and poetry, they seek to use multimedia tools to navigate various perspectives. When not working on their own projects, Lee enjoys karaoke, trying out new recipes, and annoying their cat.

Instagram: leekzoup

Shant Joshi
Producer

Shant Joshi is an award-winning producer and president of Fae Pictures, based in New York and Toronto, on a mission to decolonize Hollywood. His credits include award winners at Sundance (Framing Agnes), Red Sea (In Flames), Iris Prize (Scaring Women at Night), Durban (Runs in the Family), premieres at Cannes, Toronto, Canneseries (Streams Flow From A River), Aspen (I Live Here), Palm Springs (Diaspora), Hot Docs, Black Star (Noor and Layla), Bentonville, and BFI London, and nominees for the Canadian Screen Awards (Queen Tut). He was also an executive producer on Nisha Pahuja’s Academy Award ® nominated film To Kill A Tiger, an impact producer on John Greyson’s TEDDY Award-winning film International Dawn Chorus Day, and an associate producer on Ingrid Veninger’s Canadian Screen Award-nominated film Porcupine Lake.

Shant currently sits on CMPA’s Restructuring, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Committee, and previously was Co-Chair of the BIPOC TV & Film Board, and co-founder of the Future of Film Showcase.

He is an alum of the Canadian Film Centre, Rotterdam Lab, and Osgoode Hall Law School, and was named a MIPTV Producer to Watch, Reelworld Trailblazer, nominated for an Indiescreen Award, and to York University’s Top 30 Changemakers under 30.

Ashley Duong
Filmmaker

Ashley Da-Lê Duong (she/her) is a filmmaker based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. Her directorial debut, A TIME TO SWIM, won the Best First Feature Film at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2018. As CALQ x Villa Saigon’s Quebec Artist Laureate in Vietnam, she is developing her second feature-length project, a hybrid documentary about her father’s memoir. Ashley has also directed for several series, including INSIDE FELIX & PAUL STUDIOS and CBC ARTS. Recently, Ashley wrote and directed the TV hour-long documentary, SPACE EXPLORERS: MOONRISE ON THE ISS. With over 250 hours of footage filmed on the International Space Station, SPACE EXPLORERS is the largest production ever filmed in space. Ashley is a member of Brown Girl Doc Mafia, BIPOC TV & Film, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) Quebec. Ashley grew up in Calgary, on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region. With a BA in Environment Studies and Cultural Studies from McGill University, Ashley specializes in stories about relationships between humanity and the natural world.

Ammar Keshodia
Filmmaker & Curator

Ammar Keshodia is a Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker and curator based in Toronto. He currently serves as a Programming Associate at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and has previously worked at festivals such as SXSW, the Victoria Film Festival, and the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival. Ammar holds a degree in Political Science and Cinema Studies from the University of Toronto. He has written for publications like Bright Wall/Dark Room, NANG Magazine, and Peephole Journal, and his film work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Jay Wu
Creative Producer, Writer & Director

Jay (they/them) is a queer Hong Kong-Canadian creative producer and writer/director. They currently lead development at LaRue Entertainment, building out the company’s slate of series and features. From 2021 to 2023, Jay was a development executive at Bell Media where they developed both comedy and drama for network CTV and streamer Crave including SULLIVAN’S CROSSING (CTV/The CW), CTV’s #1 hit drama for 2023. As a writer/director, their work has screened at festivals internationally including Wicked Queer Boston, Inside Out Toronto, Vancouver Asian Film Festival, Asian CineVision, Image+Nation Montreal, and North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Their most recent short TOE THE LINE (2021) was also nominated for a Golden Sheaf for Scripted Short at Yorkton Film Festival 2022. Their first feature film, YO WE’RE DYING, is co-directed/written by Keisha Phoenixx and was selected for Telefilm’s feature production program Talent to Watch 2023. It is being produced by Fonna Seidu’s Snail Mail Media.

Christopher Yip
Writer & Director

Christopher Yip (he/him) is a queer Chinese Canadian writer director based in Toronto whose works examine religion, family, and sexuality through a distinct diasporic lens. He is a participant of the Warner Bros. Discovery Access x Canadian Academy Director’s Program for 2023-2024 and was most recently nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards. His series Streams Flow From a River, produced by Fae Pictures, premiered at the Cannes International Series Festival and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV in Canada. His latest film FISH BOY had its World Premiere at the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, was 1 of 8 projects selected for the Frameline Completion Fund, and is continuing its international award-winning festival run. Christopher is represented by Jennifer Irons at META Talent Agency.

Aisha Jamal
Filmmaker & Film Programmer

Aisha Jamal is a filmmaker and film programmer, based in Toronto. Aisha’s feature documentary debut A KANDAHAR AWAY, about her family’s connection to the small Saskatchewan, Canada hamlet of Kandahar, premiered in 2019 at the Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. Her previous short films include the award-winning THE LONG WAY HOME (2017) and SEEDS OF THE PAST (2015). She recently directed, co-produced and co-wrote the eleven part doc web series HOW WE DIE, rethinking our relationship to death and dying. Her latest short film FIELD NOTES (2023) about a bird advocate premiered at Hot Docs 2023. She is currently working on her second feature documentary.