David Cheung is a commercial and documentary filmmaker based in Calgary, Alberta.
Over the past two decades, photography and filmmaking commissions have sent him to document stories worldwide, including those in Italy, Argentina, Indonesia, Panama, Spain, India, Thailand, Germany, Greece, and across North America. He has written, directed, and produced TV commercials and international advertising campaigns, have had images and articles published in industry journals and books on lighting portraiture, and DP’d for television’s Flavour Network (formerly Food Network). Most recently, his documentary film, CHEF STORIES, won Best Short Documentary at the 2025 Toronto Short Film Festival. You can find our more about him at dqstudios.com

Dave Cheung

Hermione Malone leads the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) into its milestone 50th season as Executive Director, championing film as a force for connection, education, and inclusion. She has built a career driving impact at the intersection of culture, media, and equity—launching a national startup incubator for nonprofit news at the American Journalism Project, leading efforts to close the racial wealth gap through entrepreneurship in New Orleans, and advancing diversity and community engagement at Cleveland’s top health institutions. A former journalist for outlets including The Boston Globe and a 2016 German Marshall Memorial Fellow, Hermione brings a storyteller’s heart and a changemaker’s vision to every role. A proud Florida A&M University Case Western Reserve University alum, she hails from Detroit, MI.

Hermione Malone

Nancy Pettinicchio is an Italian-Canadian filmmaker from Tiohtià:ke/Montréal currently living in Tkaronto/Toronto. Their work in narrative and documentary filmmaking explores queer identity, intergenerational relationships, and HIV/AIDS. Nancy’s documentary short IT WILL ALWAYS END IN THE END (2025) received the jury’s special mention for Best LGBTQ+ Short at the Palm Springs ShortFest as well as the Cinematography Award at Montréal’s Cinéma sous les étoiles. Nancy's first narrative short FALENA (2022) screened at 20+ festivals around the world, represented Canada in Telefilm's Not Short on Talent program, and received the IMAGE+NATION Best Québec Short Film award.

Nancy Pettinicchio

Nick Johnson is a writer, director and cartoonist living in Calgary AB Canada. He has worked in animation as an art director and storyboard artist since 2015, and most recently as the writer, director and producer of the animated feature film SUNBURNT UNICORN which made its World Premiere in Annecy France in 2024. He has a Bachelor of Design from Alberta University of the Arts (where he teaches Illustration and Character Design as an assistant professor) and a Masters in Comics and Graphic Novels from the University of Dundee, Scotland.

Nick Johnson

Maziyar Khatam is an Iranian-Canadian Director and Writer passionate about telling offbeat, revealing stories. A two-time Sundance alumnus with his short films BUMP (2022) and BABA (2023), his most recent work, THE SWEATER, premiered in the U.S. at Slamdance and will soon have its Australian premiere at SXSW Sydney. Maziyar has just completed production on his debut feature film.

Maziyar Khatam

Jessie Posthumus is a screenwriter, director, and film editor based in Toronto. Their work includes the short film ROCKET FUEL (Palm Springs, VIFF, FNC, Riverrun, Best Short at Pendance) and the doc series BAD AT THIS (Hot Docs, Frameline, Outfest, Best Directing at T.O. Webfest). During TIFF 2024, Jessie pitched HOW’S ARCHIE? as a finalist for the Trans Filmmakers Summit x Spindle Films Foundation Short Film Fund. Their short IN LIEU OF FLOWERS premiered at Fantasia in 2025, and their debut feature, also titled ROCKET FUEL, is slated for production in 2026 with support from Telefilm and Edge Entertainment.

Jessie Posthumus

Adrián G. de la Peña is a Mexican filmmaker based in Canada with over 15 years of experience across narrative, documentary, and commercial projects known for his sharp eye, bold storytelling, deep empathy, and culturally grounded approach. His films have screened at over 25 international festivals and earned multiple awards, and participated in prestigious labs internationally. As an educator and mentor, Adrián has become a trusted voice for emerging filmmakers, blending creative vision with strategic execution to help shape the future of independent film. He is an avid horror fan, pizza eater, and metalhead.

Adrián G. de la Peña

Born in the Netherlands to Dutch parents, Immanuela immigrated to Canada in 2003, where she began her creative partnership with Fubar creator Dave Lawrence, in various film and television projects as a screenwriter-producer. Immanuela is a member of the Writer’s Guild of Canada and America, with multiple produced film and TV credits under her belt. She is the co-creator of two television series: Fubar Age of Computer (Viceland, Rogers) and TNT Fubar, (Trailer Park Boys Plus, Blue Harbor Entertainment). Her profile feature on Loose Moose founder Keith Johnstone earned her an Alberta Magazine Award nomination.

Immanuela Lawrence

Travis Weedon is the Director of Festivals and Non-Theatrical at Visit Films, a US-based international film sales company with a catalogue of 200+ titles. He is the former program director for White River Indie Films Festival and currently programs with AFI FEST and the Vermont International Film Festival. He has a Master’s degree from the University of Oregon and enjoyed a career as an educator and a film critic before turning his focus to programming.

Travis Weedon

Yuqi Kang is a Mongol Chinese Canadian filmmaker whose work bridges continents, cultures, and emotional truths. Her debut, A LITTLE WISDOM (2017), premiered at Busan, SXSW, Karlovy Vary, and Shanghai, winning Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs and the Grand Jury Award at DOC NYC. Her second feature, 7 BEATS PER MINUTE (2024), premiered at SXSW, Hot Docs, Warsaw, and Hainan, later receiving a Canadian theatrical release and touring worldwide with the Ocean Film Tour and Banff China. A DOC NYC “40 Under 40” honoree and Berlinale Talents alumna, she is developing her narrative debut, Caecilians, a feminist horror.

Yuqi Kang

Chris Krieger is a television and film veteran with over 30 in the industry. He started his career in front of the camera anchoring and reporting for TV stations across Western Canada. Chris co-founded the acclaimed Calgary based production firm Deluxe Design Group//DDG in 2008. He is the Executive Producer of the award winning documentary CLOSE THE DIVIDE that premiered at CIFF in 2023.

Chris Krieger

Cam Maitland is the Film and Content Specialist for the Canadian movie channels Hollywood Suite. A producer, writer, and filmmaker originally from Edmonton, Alberta, he received a fine arts degree in filmmaking from Simon Fraser University. Through the years, his work has developed into digging through Canadian film history for projects like The Royal Canadian Movie Podcast and writing and producing original documentary programs about film history like 'A Year In Film' and 'Cinema: A-Z'. His work, on top of spotlighting classic films, also includes consulting alongside the development and acquisitions team on original films and series at Hollywood Suite.

Cam Maitland

Sarah Ashley-Hewitson is Manager of FAST Channel Operations & Strategy at A Parent Media Co., where she manages global FAST platform partnerships and oversees strategy and operations for FAST channels including Victory+, Kidoodle.TV, Dude Perfect, and Glitch+. She began her career in theatrical distribution, spending a decade in film sales before expanding into streaming and digital media. Film remains her greatest passion, fueling her vision to build collaborative, innovative, and impactful content experiences.

Sarah Ashley-Hewitson

Taras Demian Groves is the founder and Festival Director of the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival (CIFF), a Canadian Screen Award-qualifying event. Chilliwack has become one of Canada’s standout festivals, named a Top 50 Festival Worth the Entry Fee by MovieMaker Magazine and a Top 100 Best Reviewed Festival on FilmFreeway. Taras is also an award-winning filmmaker whose work has screened at multiple Academy Award-qualifying festivals. With a deep passion for storytelling and community, he continues to champion bold, independent voices and elevate the profile of Canadian and international cinema through CIFF.

Taras Demian Groves

Anna Lopez is a Calgary-based filmmaker who’s been navigating both union and independent projects for over a decade. She is a producer, assistant director, executive assistant, and writer (resume highlights include THE LAST OF US, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, FARGO, and THE REVENANT). She loves finding the magical in the mundane and believes that anything is possible. Film is the perfect tool to make imagination reality, we share it with those we may never meet, but hopefully it makes an impact, and leaves an impression.

Anna Lopez

Mireille is a cultural worker with a keen sense of style and taste and has been at the helm of REGARD Festival's Short Film Market for four years now, as well as being a member of the programming selection committee. Born in Chicoutimi and raised in Montreal, she studied drama and film. After working for theatres for 8 years, her interest in film festivals had been nagging for some time before she made her REGARD debut in 2021.

Mireille Tremblay-Caron

Isiah Williams is an actor, writer and producer based in Calgary, Alberta. He made his feature film debut in THE BIRDS WHO FEAR DEATH, which premiered at the Calgary International Film Festival in 2024. Isiah also starred in and produced the short film CEASE TO EXIST, which was an official selection at Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal and the Calgary Underground Film Festival, as well as numerous international film festivals. Actively engaged in the local film community, Isiah is interested in developing short films and projects that explore unique themes and perspectives within independent cinema.

Isiah Williams