John Akre

Minneapolis, USA

John is an animator, documentary filmmaker and educator. His cartoons have shown at film festivals in many communities. He creates stop motion animations at street fairs and brings animation into school classrooms. John is integral in the organization and sustainability of the annual Minneapolis animation festival, “MinnAnimate”.

The Morning I Almost Died
4 min | Animation
Sunday, Sept. 7 at 4 pm

Website

Eleanor Albanese

Thunder Bay, Canada

Eleanor’s first film, Under the Pearl Moon is co-directed with Sonja Obljubek. The original score by Lise Vaugeois is performed by the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Eleanor’s practice focuses on writing, arts education and theatre. Her radio drama, The Novena Sisters aired nationally on CBC Radio and her full-length drama, The Two Rooms of Grace was part of the 1999 International Women’s Playwrights Festival in Ireland. Eleanor’s writing is published in three Playwrights Canada Press anthologies.

Under the Pearl Moon
30 min | Drama
Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 pm

Website

Nadine Arpin

Sioux Lookout, Canada

Nadine Arpin is a Métis filmmaker. After completing the New Media program at the Ontario College of Art & Design, she moved to Northwestern Ontario. Nadine worked for over 15 years producing videos for local and regional non-governmental agencies.  Since 2011, she’s focused on her own practice of making independent short films in a variety of genres.

Ashiye Neikeeyon – On the Way Home
8 min | Documentary
Sunday, Sept. 7 at 2 pm

Regan Brashear

California, USA

Originally from Virginia, Regan is an award-winning Producer and Director. She’s been working on labor, race, youth, LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) and disability issues for over 20 years through documentary film, union organization, teen theatre, community forums and grassroots activism.

Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement
60 min | Documentary
Sunday, Sept. 7 at 4 pm

Regan’s IMDb Page

Phil Caron

Ottawa, Canada

Phil’s films and videos have screened in festivals around the world. He’s also contributed to the Globe & Mail, CanWest Media, literary journals and CBC Radio 1. He has a BFA in Cinema from Concordia University in Montreal.

(Hate) Machine
5 min | Documentary
BSFF Retrospective
Friday, Sept. 5 at 2 pm

Cederberg & Woodman

Toronto, Canada

Patrick Cederberg and Walter Woodman met at Ryerson University while singing the song, Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot.  Their short film, Noah , won Best Canadian Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival 2013.

Noah
17 min | Drama/ Experimental
Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 pm

Patrick’s Website

Molly Clayton

Toronto, Canada

The Prospector’s Bride was filmed in Thunder Bay. As a director, writer and editor, Molly’s work has screened on CBC and in the global festival circuit. She’s worked on major motion pictures ( Battle in Seattle , 88 Minutes , Fantastic Four ) and network television shows ( Supernatural , Psych , Stephen King’s Dead Zone ). Darkwoods Media is her independent production house and communications firm in Toronto.

The Prospector’s Bride
14 min | Drama
Sunday, Sept. 7 at 6 pm

Molly’s IMDb Page

Sarah Constible

Winnipeg, Canada

Sarah is an actor, writer, and director, born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Known for her many roles in film, television and theatre, she’s putting her extensive experience towards directing. JUMP is her directorial debut and was shot in Winnipeg. The film won a 2014 Golden Boy Award jury selection for Most Outstanding Short MIP film by ACTRA Manitoba. The producers of JUMP , Andrew Cecon and Nicholas Palinka both hail from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

JUMP
4 min | Drama
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 4 pm

Sarah’s IMDb Page

Chrystene Ells

Saskatchewan, Canada

For 20 years, Chrystene worked as a traditional special effects artist conceptualizing and fabricating creatures, models and stop-motion puppets for George Lucas’ ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) and for films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney/Touchstone Pictures). When the special effects industry shifted into the digital era, Chrystene responded by earning a BA in digital animation and an interdisciplinary M.F.A in film, theatre and visual arts.

Sisu: The Death of Tom Sukanen
91 min | Drama
BSFF Retrospective
Thursday, Sept. 4 at 4 pm

Parathyroid Punk
4 min | Animation
Sunday, Sept. 7 at 4 pm

Website

Alexey Fedorchenko

Russia

Alexey was born in 1966 in Sol-Iletsk, Siberia. After studying engineering, he worked on space defense projects then at the Sverdlovsk State Studio, first as the official economist and then, as the deputy director. Since 2000, he’s managed the studio’s production department and participated in over 80 films. Alexey studied dramaturgy at the Russian National Film Institute and has written screenplays for award-winning documentaries.

Celestial Wives of a Meadow Mari
106 min | Drama
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 10 pm

Gallus & Pimlott

Toronto, Canada

Multiple-award winning filmmakers, Maya Gallus and Justine Pimlott have worked in film and television for over two decades. They formed Red Queen Productions in 2003 to create compelling films about women, social issues, culture and the arts that bring often-derided or marginalized experiences into the mainstream. Based in Toronto, they make documentary features, one-offs for television, series and web content. Their critically acclaimed films have screened at prestigious festivals around the globe.

Derby Crazy Love
68 min | Documentary
Thursday, Sept. 4 at 9 pm

Red Queen Productions’ Website

Ask Hasselbalch

Denmark

Ask was born in Denmark in 1979. He graduated with a MFA from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and from the Danish film school, Super16 in 2010. In 2013, he was chosen for the Nordic Film Lab program with 16 of the most promising filmmakers from Scandinavia. Ask has a large catalogue of well-received short films, including his graduation film which was screened at several international festivals and shown on Danish national television.

Antboy
77 min | Family
Friday, Sept. 5 at Sundown

BSFF FILMS FOR FAMILIES
Free, Open to the Public
Movie Nights in the Park
Prince Arthur’s Landing (Marina Park)

Website

Chris Jones

United Kingdom

Chris is passionate about film. He’s spent his life watching, making movies and helping others make films. His projects include the action thrillers, serial killer thriller, paranormal horror and the multi‐award winning and Oscar short-listed, Gone Fishing . Chris is the Creative Director for the London Screenwriters Festival,  the largest festival of its kind in the world. He co‐created and authored the bestselling book series, The Guerrilla Film Makers Handbook.

50 Kisses
90 min | Comedy/Drama
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8 pm

Website

Kristine Kleist

Thunder Bay, Canada

Born in the small Northwestern Ontario community of Ear Falls on the English River, Kristine has a passion for the art of storytelling. Filmmaking has been her chosen medium since she was a teenager and led to her enrolment in the Film Production Program at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kristine graduated from the program in 2014.

#Addicted
9 min | Drama
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8 pm

Chris Kosloski

Thunder Bay, Canada

Chris is a graduate of the Confederation College Film Production program in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He’s a filmmaker, video artist and college instructor. Chris has worked in the film industry for over 12 years as a technician and editor on everything from major motion pictures ( Brokeback Mountain , The Edge , RV , Snow Day ) to network television shows ( North of 60 , Honey I Shrunk the Kids , HBO’s September Dawn and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee ).

The Dozen
30 min | Documentary
Thursday, Sept. 4 at 9 pm

Bush League Films’ Website

Kate Kroll

Edmonton, Canada

Kate is an award-winning producer and director with an enthusiasm for sharing people’s stories and creating artistic, thought-provoking projects. Based out of Vancouver and Edmonton, her work has been viewed around the world as well as on Bravo, Super Channel, Knowledge Network, Vision TV, Aboriginal People’s Network, Air Canada, PTN, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Shi-Shi-Etko
10 min | Drama
BSFF Retrospective
Friday, Sept. 5 at 2 pm

Kate’s IMDb Page

Robert Lower

Winnipeg, Canada

Robert has been editing, writing and directing films for more than 40 years, predominantly in his native Winnipeg. Active with the National Film Board until the 80s, he veered into drama for a decade before returning to documentaries. He’s been going back and forth between the genres ever since. Recent  writing and editing credits include The Devil’s Brigade , Ballet Girls , Ballet High , 40 Years of One Night Stands , The Nature of Things – Mysteries of the Deep , and The Nature of Things – Surviving: The Teenage Brain .

Shameless Propaganda
72 min | Documentary
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 4 pm

Bob’s IMDb Page

Ellen-Astri Lundby

Norway

Ellen has been an independent filmmaker since 1989. Her films have been broadcast and screened internationally including: The 4th Wife and her African Husband , Dr. Forsdahl’s Curve and her award-winning film, Suddenly Sámi (Min Mors hemmelighet) in which she embarks on a personal journey to discover why her mother kept silent about her Sámi background. Her new documentary Joikefeber (Yoik Fever) stars Ellen’s enthusiastic daughter, Ylva.

Joikefeber
( Yoik Fever )
57 min | Documentary
Sunday, Sept. 7 at 2 pm

Sergio Navarretta

Toronto, Canada

Sergio is an Italian Canadian independent filmmaker and director of Looking for Angelina , a drama based on the true-life story of Angelina Napolatino in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The International Women of the World in Bologna, Italy honored Sergio with a special award in September 2010 for his work on the film. He has directed several other projects under Platinum Image Film.

Looking for Angelina
85 min | Drama
BSFF Retrospective
Friday, Sept. 5 at 4 pm

Miranda de Pencier

Toronto, Canada

Miranda is the writer and director of the acclaimed award-winning short film, Throat Song . The film, Miranda’s directorial debut premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011. It won the prestigious Best Live Action Short Award at the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards. Throat Song was shortlisted for the 2014 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Throat Song
17 min | Drama
BSFF Retrospective
Friday, Sept. 5 at 2 pm

Miranda’s IMDb Page

Seth Scriver

Toronto, Canada

Seth’s work includes drawings, airbrush paintings, comics and sculpture. He’s inspired by real-life characters and encounters. His book, Stooge Pile (2010), published by Drawn & Quarterly, was nominated for a Doug Wright “Pigskin Peters” Award, awarded to the best experimental and non-narrative works in Canadian comics. Seth’s short solo animations have been exhibited at Images Festival (Toronto), Impakt Festival (Utretcht) and Flashkino (Berlin). His feature animation, Asphalt Watches was co-created with Shayne Ehman.

Asphalt Watches
94 min | Animation
Friday, Sept. 5 at 9 pm

Website

Peter Stebbings

Toronto, Canada

Peter’s first feature film, Defendor , which he wrote and directed, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009 where it was picked up by Sony Pictures. Other projects include two original screenplays Le Boobytrap, written by Peter and Torrence , written by the Australian author Matt Nable. A feature film adaption of Charlatan , based on the New York Times bestseller by Pope Brock is in the works. He splits his time between L.A. and Toronto.

Empire of Dirt
99 min | Drama
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6 pm

Peter Stebbings’ IMDb Page

Duncan Weller

Thunder Bay, Canada

Duncan is a writer, visual artist and illustrator. His children’s book, The Boy from the Sun won the Governor General’s Award in 2007 and the prestigious Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award in 2008 where children choose their favourite book from across Canada. Duncan also publishes poetry and short stories for adults and is working on a novel about a fictional art scene in Ottawa, Ontario.

Castle Keep
6 min | Animation
BSFF Retrospectives
Thursday, Sept. 4 at 2 pm

Spacesnake
8 min | Animation
BSFF Retrospectives
Thursday, Sept. 4 at 2 pm

Website