Roula Al-Kayal is a Syrian filmmaker. She has a degree in film directing from Egypt and a master’s degree in literary studies from Syria. This combination of education enables her to understand the world as she works to ease people’s struggles.

One of her works, a short feature film called Unlisted about children’s rights, was produced by the Geneva Institute for Human Rights. It won several awards and screened at Carthage Film Festival, Baghdad Film Festival, Morocco Festival, Malmo Film Festival and Alexandria Film Festival.

Roula made an Egyptian drama entitled Dark White produced by the Art Society for Development MADEV which talks about women’s rights. As a result of her experiences with human rights organizations before and after the Syrian revolution and the war in Syria, she created CUT ACADEMY, an academy of cinema in Gaziantep, Turkey.

Roula worked in Turkish refugee camps helping refugee youth to find their way during difficult circumstances. She also worked with refugee women by empowering them and strengthening their attempts to survive daily.

As a former refugee, who lived through forced exile, she has sharpened her abilities to understand people in need. Roula is highly investigative and curious, always looking to find the most unique angle to a story.

Daberechi “Dabi” Anele is an emerging Black-African filmmaker, screenwriter, director and actor.

From an early age, Dabi immersed himself in filmmaking in his native country Nigeria. There, he formed drama clubs and writing groups, created social media content and directed numerous shorts, music videos, web series and docuseries.

Dabi has acted in roles on Canadian television programs Death of the Party and Hour to Kill. He has also worked as a production assistant on several Canadian independent short films. He is interested in making films grounded in mythology, drama, horror, and psychological thrillers that reflect social conflicts, the immigrant experience and sports.

Dabi believes in the power of film to break societal boundaries and serve as a medium for greater representation and equality. He hopes to represent his generation of Black-African filmmakers in creating a sustainable pathway to maximize opportunities for Black-African and historically marginalized groups that are often overlooked by mainstream media.

Alireza Bayat is a recent master of arts student in the curatorial practices stream at the University of Winnipeg. He also has a master’s degree from Azad University -Tehran in art studies, where he completed a thesis on the notions of gender and sexuality in 19th-century Iranian written and visual texts (2018).

Alireza published a book (from the cycle of silence – 2018) on non-conformist forms of publication and distribution of literature in the USSR.

He was selected for a curatorial exchange program between Iran and Norway which led to the co-curation of a joint exhibition, “Shadows of Garden” (2016-2017). He has also worked as an art advisor in multiple artistic and commercial institutions.

Alireza has experience in script writing for TV series, writing for and hosting television documentaries, writing and hosting radio programs, acting and directing children’s theatre.

Heady Fortuna is a filmmaker and artist with six years of experience in the Korean entertainment industry. She has worked in front of the camera as an actress and model as well as behind the camera in video production and editing.

Heady has a degree in TV broadcasting and entertainment. She is fluent in German, Spanish, English and Korean and has some French skills, which has allowed her to connect and collaborate with industry professionals from various cultural backgrounds.

Vira Mylyan-Monastyrska is a talented photographer who relocated to Winnipeg in 2022. She holds a degree in finance and a three-year diploma in interior design.

However, it was her time as a photojournalist in Ukraine that sparked her passion for photography. This experience greatly influenced her photographic style, blending documentary shooting with fine art photo editing. As a result, her photographs capture natural happiness and evoke a sense of joy in the chaotic world.

Before coming to Canada, Vira worked as a full-time wedding photographer based in Krakow, Poland. Her work gained recognition and awards in competitions among professional photographers worldwide, highlighting her talent and skill.

In addition to her photography work, Vira is also interested in film production. She sees this as a natural extension of her passion for photography and an opportunity to dive into a related field. Vira hopes to expand her knowledge and skills in film production while continuing to develop her artistic vision.

Elijah Ovie Oyibu is a visionary filmmaker who aims to craft historically accurate narratives that transcend time. His films evoke empathy, making audiences feel the pain of every character.

With a passion for untold stories, Elijah aspires to win Oscars and reshape perceptions through the power of cinema.

Hossam Presly is an artist and designer with a zest for life and a passion for design, stories, music and art.

Hossam believes in the power of art, creativity and sensitive communication as a driving force in making a positive impact. He strives to contribute and learn more about artistic production and storytelling across different mediums.

Hossam also enjoys listening and learning about peoples’ life experiences and gaining new perspectives that often inspire his work.

Sukhmanpreet Singh came to Winnipeg from India as an international student in August 2023. His filmmaking journey began when he attended Gimli International Film Festival and joined the Indigenous Film Collective at the Winnipeg Film Group.

His interests lie in content creation, history, economics, physics and business. Sukhman sees history as storytelling and storytelling as history and creation. He prefers content that is based on historic events and presents some sort of enlightenment, like Little Bird from APTN.

Through filmmaking, Sukhman hopes to add positive intellectual value into the lives of viewers and to avoid prejudice and negativity.

Kateryna Starikova was born and raised in Ukraine. She took acting and directing courses at the College of Theatrical and Performing Arts. Afterward, she earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre and TV directing from the National University of Arts.

From 2009 to 2020, Kateryna worked as a guest director and ideas creator on news programs and shows such as X Factor Ukraine. She founded Smile, a children’s theatre, where she worked as a playwriter, director, show maker, director of costumes and in music and lighting.

Currently, Kateryna works in visual merchandise and personal styling in Winnipeg. Her dream is to become a movie maker / director and a script writer.