Harveen is a trilingual actor, singer and musician who trained at Ryerson Theatre School and has since had the great privilege of performing on stages across Canada in iconic leading roles, such as Eliza Doolittle in the Shaw Festival's critically acclaimed 2015 production of Pygmalion (for which she was the first Eliza of colour in a professional production in Canada), and more recently the Beatles-inspired 2018 hit-production of Shakespeare's As You Like It with Bard on the Beach in Vancouver. An alumni of the Canadian Film Centre's CBC Actor's Conservatory, Harveen starred in fellow alumni Brendan Prost's poignant and beloved short film, Loretta's Flowers, about a young woman longing for connection in the summertime, which enjoyed screenings at 13 film festivals around the world, including VIFF and Edinburgh. Harveen has made guest appearances in Private Eyes and Kim's Convenience and co-starred in the Sci-Fi network's Halcyon. She is currently workshopping two new plays and mentoring a promising young actor across the country while taking time out of the industry to pursue environmental education for youth. She is a huge fan of international cinema, and most especially documentaries on environmental and social justice issues. One of Harveen’s favourite movies is La Grande Belleza (The Great Beauty) by director Paolo Sorrentino. She also loves Wallace & Gromit.

Muna Deria is a writer and director. She’s worked as a Muslim consultant on Season 2 of Coroner, co-hosted the 2019 North Hollywood Film Awards. Currently she is a candidate for a Master’s degree in film and television at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. When she’s not writing and directing, Muna workshops jokes on stage for her stand up feature film, which is loosely based on characters in her own family.

Joan is a Nigerian born, British bred Canadian with a love for sci fi and all things animated. She uses her multifaceted perspective to craft stories with imaginative visuals, rich world building, and emotionally connective moments. With a background in commercial producing, she’s a creative problem solver with a knack for assembling the best creative elements to create stunning content. When she’s not writing, she’s either building events for BIPOC Tv & Film or watching anime.

Vlad Alexis is an actor, writer and producer. Having studied at Dawson College in Cinema and Communication as well as the CBC Actor’s Conservatory at The Canadian Film Centre, Vlad has been making his mark in the Canadian Industry with his recurring role on Mary Kills People, Guest Star role on Nurses, Supporting lead roles in Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall and Code 8, starring Stephen and Robbie Amell which was the number 2 movie of April 2020 on Netflix US. His latest show, The D Cut, co-produced by Shaftesbury and Dove, was released summer 2020 on Crave and KindaTV. He will soon be seen as a lead in Lune directed by Aviva Armour-Ostroff and Arturo Perres as well as supporting lead in SuperDicks directed by Sammy Ray Welch.He is also a mentor of the Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program and a constant consultant of the Actra Diversity and Inclusion Committee. As Chief Executive Producer of Sixela Studio created by his brother Jimmy, his goals are to produce and write content that gives fair representation to marginalized communities and give opportunities to the underdogs while representing his hometown, Montreal.

Megan Laursen is a writer and director with Danish-Barbadian roots. She has directed commercial spots for ZIOBAFFA and Coffee of Grace, Grace Hightower De Niro’s coffee company, for The American Pavilion at the 71st Cannes International Film Festival. Recently, Megan has written and directed Instagram spec commercial Be Like You (2020) and directed half-hour LGBTQ film When We Meet Again (2020). She is also an Associate Producer on The Market (2016), distributed on Amazon Prime US and UK. Megan is currently co-creating absurdist comedy web series The Kult with IRL the Series creator Bobby Del Rio (in pre-production 2021) and is attached to direct his feature screenplay Schadenfreude.

Andrew is a screenwriter by trade whose impressive resume of short films and plays has earned him praise from his peers. Being driven by a love of film, that started with genre films at far too early of an age, pushed Andrew to refine his self-taught screenwriting skills to film school. And it was at film school that he discovered a passion for independent film and began actively looking to be involved in all aspects of the film industry.

Emily is a Canadian Screen Award nominated actress based in Toronto. Her passion for performance began at the age of three with violin, then dance, singing, piano and musical theatre. While Emily remains an interdisciplinary artist with a love of live performance creation and as an artistic associate of the movement-based theatre company, Impulse Theatre, her focus in recent years has been on the screen. She has been a jury member for the Canadian Screen Awards, had five projects she acted in premiere at TIFF, and produced as well as starred in D.W. Waterson’s internationally award-winning digital series, That’s My DJ. Recent performance credits include starring in the action-fantasy series Warigami (CBC/CW) and recurring in The Umbrella Academy (Netflix) and The Girlfriend Experience (STARZ). Up next, Emily plays Esther Ishikawa in new thriller miniseries, The Sounds (CBC), opposite Rachelle Lefevre, directed by Peter Stebbings and shot over four months in New Zealand. She holds a BFA in theatre from the University of Victoria and is an alum of the Canadian Film Centre CBC Actors Conservatory.

Lindsay Kutner is constantly searching for new opportunities to create meaningful content focused around her love of food. She has experience in commercial, sponsorship and documentary film production and oversees the development, budgeting and scheduling of all Butternut Productions projects. Her feature length documentary about culinary interns working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain premiered at the 2019 Galway Film Fleadh where it took home the award for Best International Feature Documentary. Lindsay is deeply connected with the content she produces and is constantly looking for opportunities to redefine the way we consume food content. She is a member of the Director’s Guild of Canada and was selected as one of eight participants to take part in The Doc Institute of Canada’s Breakthrough Program for 2016.

Josh Ary lived most of his life in Toronto save for a six year break during his childhood where he lived in Costa Rica. In his teenage years he realized how impactful films could be and has decided to make an impact in the world by telling stories that help increase empathy. He believes that if people can imagine a better world, they will help make a better world. Since graduating from Ryerson University in 2013, Josh has focused his career on producing, production managing, and location managing. He got his start in the Toronto independent web-series scene where he worked his way up to producing season 3 of one of Canada’s most watched web-series of the early 2010s: Out With Dad – a series with over 37 million cumulative views about a teenager navigating high school after realizing she is a lesbian. Having service produced a myriad of short projects for the Canadian Film Centre, The Field, and other companies, he has a range of understanding on how to run both large and small productions. He's had the opportunity to location manage some excellent Canadian feature films such as Mean Dreams, Giant Little Ones, and Tammy's Always Dying. Though having line produced features such as A Swinger's Weekend and production managed films such as The Dark, he is currently in the midsts of producing his first own feature film with his collaborator Samuel Plante.

Garth Smith is a Director, Cinematographer and Content Specialist who began his career in the music industry. He debuted his first film at Scarborough Nuit Blanche called "WITHIN", which showcased the beauty of Scarborough, staying away from the stereotype that is often seen in the news about this beautiful place, and the great people who lived and live there. He started in Graphic Design and moved into film after taking some classes which had him hooked. In his spare time, he also studies the Kung Fu art of Wing Chun, which balances him. He believes that creative thinking is the key to great films and everything else in life.

Jas Dhanda is a multifaceted talent. Her recent credits include Big Gold Brick, Condor, Disney’s Secret Society of Second Born Royals, Covert Affairs, Satisfaction and many more. Jas' career highlights include winning the Golden Ace Award in Las Vegas, Golden Palm Award in Mexico, and a Jury Award in Vancouver for her appearances as the leading lady in the feature film titled "Aisha and Rahul". Her work spans numerous indie short films, commercials, music videos, and modelling samples. Not short of surprises, Jas speaks almost five languages and is a multidisciplinary dancer with a specialty in Classical Indian Dance. When Jas is not on a screen set, she can be found on stage performing stand-up comedy, spoken word, writing or lending a hand both on and off the screen or volunteering in some capacity for many causes. Having lived in five different cities and three countries, Jas divides her time between Los Angeles and Toronto. With a diverse background from stage to screen, and both on and off the set, Jas Dhanda is well equipped and very excited to be a Judge for the North Hollywood Film Awards.

Michael Flax is a producer and director, who brings a wealth of both local and international filmmaking knowledge to any project, whether creating or collaborating. Flax has produced dozens of short films, 30 of which were for the Canadian Film Centre, and his first feature, Ankle Biters, is being distributed by APL Film. The Missing Peace, produced by Flax, won Best Cinema of Canada at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival. Flax's first short film, Don't Cross the Street, won Best Director at the ZOOM Film Festival 2006, and his most recent short film, A Safe Space, won Best Cultural Diversity Short at the T.O. Short Film Festival 2018. Previous to producing, Flax began his career as a pioneer of 3D filmmaking, working directly with Bollywood’s king of horror Vikram Bhatt. Flax worked with Bhatt on four of his films, including Raaz 3, India’s highest grossing Hindi horror film, and Creature, both with Bollywood superstar Bipasha Basu. More recently, Flax has worked on big budget shows such as Shazam!, Downsizing, Star Trek: Discovery, and the multi-Oscar winning film Spotlight, among many others. In 2018, Flax founded the Hollywood North Film Awards to combine his creative drive and production knowledge with his love and support of Canada’s independent filmmaking community. He is currently in pre-production on his second feature, Christmas Kill, and writing his directorial feature debut, Again And.

Heidi Tan is a 2016 graduate of the Cineplex Entertainment Film Program's Producers' Lab. Prior to her residency at the CFC, she produced the CFC short dramatic film THE DOOR (2016). Tan began her career in film and television as an actress while attending York University’s Schulich School of Business. To make the transition into producing, Tan taught herself the basics by producing over 20 short films in one year. She then worked in development in the factual TV department at the award-winning production company, Temple Street Productions (now Boat Rocker Media). At Temple Street, Tan was also responsible for line producing video content for the company's digital department. In this capacity, Tan has worked on acclaimed projects like The Next Step (Family), X Company (CBC), Lost & Found Music Studios (Family, Netflix), Killjoys (Space, SyFy), and two unscripted web series for Huffington Post Canada. ​

Cam Maitland is the Film & Content Expert for movie channel Hollywood Suite. He began his career as a writer, filmmaker and lifelong movie fan. He believes every movie artistically captures a unique moment in history and has an interesting story to tell. He is young enough to have missed the golden age of cinema but old enough to still own a VCR.

Muna Deria is a writer and director who focuses her work on topical and entertaining content that is inclusive of the North American Muslim experience. Muna is shortlisted for the 2019 NSI Features First Program, and has been chosen for the 2019 Cinefam Feature Film Incubator. She splits her time between Toronto and LA, when she's not writing and directing Muna is tackling the intricate art of stand up comedy!

Michael Flax is an award-winning director and producer. Cherrypicker, the first genre feature he has produced, is currently in post-production and aiming to premiere at TIFF 2019. Missing Peace, a short documentary produced by Flax, won Best Cinema of Canada at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival. Flax directed the award-winning short film Don't Cross the Street, winning Best Director at the ZOOM Film Festival, and his narrative film Good People premiered at the Young Filmmakers NY Film Festival. He has shot music videos for Maneli Jamal, Gisun, and The St. Royals, among others, and has produced short films for the Canadian Film Centre since 2015. Flax graduated from Sheridan College's post-graduate Advanced Television and Film program as valedictorian of his class, winning the PS Production Services Kick Start Award. Flax's most recent short film, the award-winning A Safe Space, won Best Cultural Diversity Short at the Toronto Short Film Festival 2018.

​Jake Epstein is a Canadian actor, singer and writer. He began his acting career in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in a production of 'Our Town and then played the Artful Dodger in Cameron Mackintosh's 'Oliver' at the Princess of Wales Theatre. He soon made his way to the small screen landing leading roles in Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Zack Files, as well as several made for TV movies. After graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada, Jake went on to tour the U.S. in the acclaimed musical Spring Awakening and Green Day's American Idiot. Known for his diverse roles in theatre, film and television, he made his Broadway debut in Spiderman as the alternate Peter Parker and most recently finished a year on Broadway originating the role of Gerry Goffin in the Tony nominated Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

Maya Bankovic is a Director of Photography with the International Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 667 and an Associate Member of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers. Based in Toronto, Canada, Maya’s work encompasses feature films, short films, television, music videos, and commercials. She was the DP on CBC’s Workin’ Moms Season 1 and 2, as well as the Toronto International Film Festival 2016 selection Below Her Mouth. Maya’s work has been called, “carefully composed and often dreamily stylized," and she is a multiple award winner and nominee, from her Kodak Award for Best Cinematography win for Slip, to her nomination for World Cinema Documentary at Sundance for My Prairie Home, among many others.

Chloe Sosa-Sims is a Toronto-based director / producer / writer committed to documentary & stylized filmmaking. Her chilling and emotionally raw feature debut DAN AND MARGOT illuminated the complicated truths of schizophrenia. The film was produced in association with Super Channel, has screened internationally, and played at the Hot Docs Bloor Cinema & with the TIFF Reel Comfort Program. She recently participated in the RIDM Talent Lab and the Reelworld Emerging 20 program for her new film on women in politics. She also co-heads Film Fatales Toronto, and does interesting direct-for-hire work, taking on issues from crime to HPV. Her previous work includes 5 years as the Industry Programmer at Hot Docs. She holds a BAH in Film & Media from Queen’s University.

Michael Flax is an award-winning director and producer. Missing Peace, produced by Flax, won Best Cinema of Canada at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival. Flax directed the award-winning short film Don't Cross the Street, winning Best Director at the ZOOM Film Festival, and his narrative film Good People premiered at the Young Filmmakers NY Film Festival. He has shot music videos for Maneli Jamal, The St. Royals and Toast, among others, and has produced short films for the Canadian Film Centre since 2015. Flax graduated from Sheridan College's post-graduate Advanced Television and Film program as valedictorian of his class, winning the PS Production Services Kick Start Award. Flax's most recent short film, the award-winning A Safe Space, won Best Cultural Diversity Short at the Toronto Short Film Festival 2018.