VIFF Industry 2024

Barbara has spent over twenty-five years advocating and organizing events to increase opportunities for Canadian Asian and racialized artists in the screen industry. She is the Founder of the Racial Equity Screen Office (RESO), Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF), Elimin8Hate.org and co-Founder of the Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon (MAMM) and creator of East by Northwest (EXNW) Global Creative Summit. Barbara is also a writer and independent filmmaker and worked as a broadcast journalist receiving the national RTNDA Award for Best Editorial in 1998. Her film In Between the Laughter was one of the National Film Board’s REEL DIVERSITY 2004 winners which aired on CBC and PBS Northwest. She is currently launching her music documentary Sing My Song and finishing her horror script.

Gabriel Correa is a renowned Brazilian-Canadian Filmmaker known primarily for his work on the hit series Riverdale. Gabriel has produced over 60 hours of broadcast/streaming content, directed 19 television episodes, and made two award-winning short films. Throughout his career, Gabriel has had the opportunity to work directly with several Oscar and Emmy Award Winners, such as Al Pacino, Bryan Cranston, Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe, and Mandy Patinkin. Gabriel is a proud member of the Directors Guild of Canada, Producers Guild of America and The TV Academy (Emmys).

Giselle Miller is a Jamaican-Canadian writer, director and 3x Leo Award-nominated actor and producer. She was the showrunner for two seasons of the web series Young, Single and Black (2021-22). Giselle has written and produced two other web series, Big People Tingz (2023) and Yolanda the Goddess (2023). Giselle has participated in several programs, including the Fiction Toolbox at the Berlinale, the Whistler Screenwriters Lab and the GEMS Emerging TV Producers Program. She is also the winner of the 2023 WIDC Advantage Award. She is producing Vancouver’s first Black queer short form digital series Novelette is Trying, which is funded by Bell Fund and Independent Production Fund. The series was recently licensed to OUTtv. She is currently in development on Hummingbird, her debut feature film.

Haydn Wazelle is a Vancouver-based media & entertainment producer with Dada Ibis Media and co-founder of ZedDrive.ca. Haydn produced the feature films Alone, Hello Destroyer and Violentia; the CBC documentary Dads; and the critically acclaimed video game Eon Altar. He does service work for US studios, most recently for Ava Duvernay’s Array Filmworks. His latest feature film Can I Get a Witness, starring Sandra Oh, premiered at TIFF ’24, along with their other film which premiered at TIFF this year, Inkwo: For When the Starving Return, from visionary stop-motion filmmaker Amanda Strong. Haydn sits on the national boards of Black Screen Office (BSO), and the Canadian Independent Screen Fund (CISF), the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), and regionally on the board of Screen BC.

Ian is a veteran screenwriter, showrunner and novelist. Creator/headwriter of the new Fox drama series Murder in a Small Town, his previous credits include the high-flying CBC adventure drama Arctic Air, starring Adam Beach, and the multiple award-winning gangland miniseries Dragon Boys, which featured an international cast headed by Byron Mann, Eric Tsang and Tzi Ma. Otherwise, he has written more than 150 episodes for two dozen series in Canada and the US, ranging from ReBoot to Flashpoint to One Life to Live. He is also the author of three novels; these include Will Starling, nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award.

Kate is the creator and director of NarcoLeap, a sci-fi digital series which first aired on CBC GEM and TELUS Optik TV. The series garnered a 2.4 million social media reach and multiple international and national awards for Best Series and Best Sci-Fi series. With over 18 years in the scripted and non-scripted genres, Kate’s other work as a producer and director have appeared on HGTV, Global, CBC, City TV, Channel 4, Fuel TV, History, Channel 4 and Oxygen. Kate’s most recent film, Breakthrough, a WW2 drama, is set to complete filming this Fall and release in 2025. Kate is a proud Alumna of Women in the Director’s Chair, WFF Producer’s Lab, Banff SPARK, the NSI, and the Reykjavík Talent lab.

Keivonn Woodard is a young rising star actor based in Maryland. His first TV role, portraying Sam in HBO’s The Last of Us, shot Keivonn to stardom, leading him to receiving his historic Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He then won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth, and received one of the Critic’s Choice Association’s Rising Star awards. He was also featured in a national Subaru Commercial titled A Beautiful Silence, and a leading role in a science-fiction short film titled Fractal, which is currently on the festival circuit. When he’s not on screen, Keivonn is a champion ice hockey player, and hopes to become the first Deaf Black player in the NHL.

Kevin Eastwood is an award-winning film & TV writer, director, and producer based in Vancouver. He is best known for being the series director behind two critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary series: British Columbia: An Untold History, and Emergency Room: Life + Death At VGH. Other credits include Humboldt: The New Season and After The Sirens, both for CBC Television (and both nominated for Best Documentary Program at the Canadian Screen Awards), The Society Page, and The Death Debate (CSA nominee for Best Direction). As a producer, Kevin’s credits include VIFF selected documentary features, Haida Modern, Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World, and Oil Sands Karaoke, as well as the dramatic features Preggoland, Elijah, Fido, and The Delicate Art of Parking.

Tina Pehme and Kim Roberts have been producing bold, innovative film and television content for over two decades. With a specialty in international co-production and an eye to global audiences, Pehme and Roberts have created a diverse body of work, including the YA adventure The Games Maker, the gripping teen drama Anthem of a Teenage Prophet, and the award-winning family favourite A Shine of Rainbows, all of which were adapted from existing literary material. Their films have debuted at TIFF, Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW, as well as dozens of renowned festivals across Europe and Asia. Sepia Films’ television series Murder in a Small Town is debuting this fall on Fox and Global. Their Canada-Ireland coproduction A Cry From the Sea will begin its festival run in 2025.

Leenah Robinson is an Indigenous Canadian Actress, most notable for her role in Paramount’s 1923 as Baapuxti, where she worked with Aminah Nieves, Harrison Ford, and Hellen Mirren. She is Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, Haisla from Kitamaat, BC and Heiltsuk from Bella Bella, BC. You can also see her in Fakes, Bones of Crows, and SkyMed. She is excited for the release of Don’t Even for CRAVE and APTN, directed by Zoe Hopkins, where she plays Violet, an intelligent young girl who is unsure of her future. She is also extremely proud of her work on the feature film 40 Acres, directed by R.T Thorne, starring Danielle Deadwyler and Micheal Greyeyes. Leenah enjoys adventuring in her spare time, hiking, snowboarding and swimming with her cousins in Kitamaat.

Two-time CSA nominee Mary Galloway tells stories that represent marginalized communities. Achievements include being a TIFF Rising Star, and named WFF’s Talent to Watch. Her web series, Querencia, was released internationally in 2021. It was nominated for two Canadian Screen Awards and the Cogeco Audience Choice Award 2022. She was also one of eight participants selected to take part in the Academy of Canadian Cinema and TV’s Executive Residency Program. In early 2023 she co-directed a digital series, D dot H, and later released the CBC documentary, The Cowichan Sweater: Our Knitted Legacy. In 2023, she directed an episode on a hit Crave Original comedy series and has been announced as a participant in the Canadian Academy x Warner Brothers Discovery Director’s Program.

Miryam Charles is a Canadian director, producer and cinematographer of Haitian origin. Her shorts films have been showcased in various festivals worldwide. In 2022, her first feature film, Cette maison, was premiered at the Berlinale also screened at the AFI, IndieLisboa, Viennale, Art of the Real, TIFF Top 10 and was named one of the best films of the year by Sight and Sound. The same year, she premiered the short film Au crépuscule at the Locarno Film Festival. She is currently working on her next feature, Le Marabout.

Mutya is a Queer Filipino of Spanish and Malayan descent. Mutya combines music, movement, and visual arts within her professional practice as a vocalist, creator, event host and producer. While experimenting with a keyboard, looper, audio samples and guitalele, Mutya creates collages of sound landscapes. Her voice, a warm vibrato, lends a depth and emotion that has been described as transcending time and evoking ancient memories from within her audiences. Passionate about social justice, Mutya explores authentic exchange, while lending her leadership skills to empowering and bridging people and communities through artistic expression. She continues to work with a variety of intergenerational, intercultural and youth-focused organizations across BC, Canada, USA and Internationally.

Nicola is a public relations professional with two decades of experience in marketing and publicity. As the Director and Founder of Pender PR, Nicola has helped launch television series and feature films and has worked as a publicist for companies, festivals, brands and talent. At Pender PR, her team elevates the work of amazing creators and facilitates meaningful connections with client, audiences and the media. She prides herself on the great relationships she has fostered across many industries and is dedicated to promoting projects and people she believes in through her work. Select career highlights include working on projects including Riceboy Sleeps, Sugarcane, Seagrass, In Flames, Kim’s Convenience, Blade Runner 2049, High Rise and so many more.

Nisha Platzer is a queer artist from Vancouver. Drawn to vibrant shades, her films meld sounds and imagery that you can dream and drown in. Nisha’s short film, Vaivén (2020) won the best film award at aluCine Latin Film & Media Arts Festival. She studied at Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión (EICTV) in Cuba and her work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council and the National Film Board of Canada. She is a member of Vancouver’s Iris Film Collective, which promotes the creation and sharing of analog film. Nisha’s first feature documentary back home is supported by Telefilm Talent to Watch and was presented at the Docs-in-Progress Canadian Showcase at Cannes Film Festival 2022.

Omari Newton is an award-winning actor, writer, director and producer. His original Hip Hop theater piece Sal Capone has received multiple productions, including a presentation at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Omari co-wrote Redbone Coonhound, an Arts Club Theater Silver Commission. He recently completed a draft of the ensemble comedy Little Darlin. Newton’s work in a production of Young Jean Lee’s The Shipment earned him a nomination for Best Direction. Notable film & TV credits include: Lucas Ingram on Showcase’s Continuum, and lending his voice to the Black Panther in multiple animated projects (Marvel). Most recently, Omari has a recurring role as Corvus in Netflix’s hit new animated series The Dragon Prince.

Rachel Talalay’s eclectic career spans four decades. She is best known for directing eight episodes of Doctor Who, including the top-rated episode “Heaven Sent”. Other television accomplishments include the opening film of Series IV of the acclaimed Sherlock, and more than 80 episodes of American television from American Gods to Superman and Lois. On the feature side, she directed Tank Girl, Freddy’s Dead (Nightmare on Elm Street 6), Ghost In The Machine, Wind in the Willows, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, and multiple festival winner, On The Farm. Producing credits include Hairspray (the original), Cry Baby, The Borrowers, and award-winning microbudget, An Introvert’s Guide to High School. She is active in promoting and fundraising for diverse voices.

Renuka Jeyapalan is a Toronto-based writer/director. She has directed episodes of Kim’s Convenience, Workin Moms, Sort Of, Children Ruin Everything, Son of a Critch, the Netflix original series Ginny & Georgia, the Hulu series How to Die Alone as well as the upcoming Netflix originals, North of North and Wayward. Her short films have screened at TIFF, Tribeca, and the Berlinale. And her first feature, Stay the Night (2022), premiered at SXSW.

She blends her talents as a dancer, choreographer, activist, television host, and filmmaker. She harnesses these diverse mediums to amplify the voices of her indigenous community and foster meaningful dialogue between indigenous and settler communities. Sarain has emerged as a prominent figure in the realm of branding and marketing.

Emmy Award-winning director Shannon Kohli was born in Canada and grew up primarily in Geneva, Switzerland. She returned to Canada to attend UBC and graduated in 2002 with a BA in Film. For the first fifteen years of her career, Shannon honed her skills on set as a camera operator and DOP, while also directing short films and music videos.

In 2018, she transitioned to directing full-time and has since helmed over 40 episodes of television, including acclaimed series such as Resident Alien, Firefly Lane, You, Dirty John: Betty Broderick, One of Us Is Lying, The Magicians, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Riverdale, and Alert: Missing Persons Unit.

Shannon made her feature film directorial debut with All Joking Aside in 2019 and is currently developing multiple feature and television projects.

Sue Biely is a trailblazer in Canadian independent media, designing and facilitating innovative initiatives to enable the sector to adapt to ever changing forces. Sue continually works to bring a diversity of voices and mediums to storytelling for the common good. For 7 years she has been the Executive Director of Story Money Impact, a Canadian charity dedicated to supporting social justice and environmental documentary films. Sue has had the fortune to collaborate with many partners and clients during her career which include: Telefilm Canada, REEL Canada, Canadian Media Producers Association, Creative BC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, National Film Board of Canada, City of Vancouver, BC Alliance for Arts & Culture, Canada Council, and many provincial agencies in the media-sphere.

Taylor Ramos is a writer, director, and animator based in Vancouver, B.C. She is the co-creator of the video essay series Every Frame a Painting and served as writer/director on the Netflix series Voir, executive produced by David Fincher & David Prior. She is a veteran of the 2D animation industry for a decade, and has worked on numerous series, including Hilda, The Last Kids on Earth and Legend of the Three Caballeros. The Second is her first live-action narrative short.

Tiffany Hsiung is a Toronto-based filmmaker whose work has garnered multiple Peabody Awards, two Canadian Screen Awards, and two Emmy® nominations for the Apple TV series Jane (2023). Named one of DOC NYC’s 40 under 40, Tiffany’s films, including Sing Me a Lullaby (2020), have won accolades like the Oscar-qualifying Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC and TIFF’s ‘Share Her Journey Short Cuts Award.’ Her debut feature, The Apology (2016), earned international acclaim with a Peabody Award. In television, Tiffany began her episodic directing career on Dino Dana (2018), Lockdown (2020), Dino Dex (2023), and Wordsville (2024). She co-created the Peabody-winning interactive documentary The Space We Hold (2017) and hybrid documentary The Bassinet (2019).

One of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people, Tomi Adeyemi is the best-selling author of the Legacy of Orïsha series, which includes Children of Blood and Bone, Children of Virtue and Vengeance, and Children of Anguish An Anarchy. A Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Nigerian-American writer, model, and writing teacher, Tomi is based in New York, NY. After graduating from Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature, she studied West African mythology, spirituality, and culture in Salvador, Brazil. Tomi’s Legacy of Orïsha trilogy is being developed into a feature film with Paramount Pictures with Gina Prince-Bythwood, director of The Woman King, set to direct.

Tony Zhou is a writer, director, and editor based in Vancouver, B.C. He is the co-creator of the video essay series Every Frame a Painting and served as writer/director on the Netflix series Voir, executive produced by David Fincher & David Prior. As an editor, he has cut documentaries, animated series, features and commercials for over 15 years. His credits include The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special, With Love and a Major Organ, and Megamind Rules.

Winnie Luk is the founding Executive Director of the Disability Screen Office, a national, disability-led non-profit focused on eliminating barriers and enhancing disability representation in the Canadian screen industry. With nearly 30 years in non-profit and film sectors, Winnie has been a leading disability advocate and 2SLGBTQI+ activist. Her roles include Managing Director at Rainbow Railroad, Director of Operations at Inside Out, and work with Toronto’s Parks and Recreation Department. She also serves on advisory committees for the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival and Independent Living’s Accessibility Project. Her personal experiences drive her passion for equity and accessibility.