Dennis Jackson

Dennis Jackson began his career in elementary school watching 16mm prints of animation on aboriginal creation tales. Since this introduction, he has excelled in writing stories about his Cree ancestry with the help of his mother and grandparents.  He proudly received the 2009 National Aboriginal Achievement Award for the Arts and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Regina in 2015. Currently, Dennis has developed a preschool animated series Chums, about a group of young friends learning about Turtle Island through traditional stories and helping each other.

Jean-Christophe Roger

Jean-Christophe Roger is a writer-director of animated films, co-director of the film Ernest et Célestine, le voyage en Charabie nominated at the Annie Awards 2024. He also adapted and directed the films Allez Raconte! and Ernest and Célestine en hiver, and several television series such as Les nouvelles aventures de Lassie, Ernest and Célestine, la collection, Allez Raconte! , Patates et Dragons, La fée coquillette. He is also an animation writer, designer, and storyboarder. He now develops film projects (fiction and documentary) and series, and does Master classes on the relationship between writing, graphics, storyboarding, and filmmaking.

Sidney Phommarath is a Lao-Canadian filmmaker from Winnipeg, MB. She graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a degree in Filmmaking and a minor in Human rights. She has been working in the film industry for 3 years and has produced various films through the CBC Creator Network. Her main focus is documentary filmmaking which is fueled by her passion for honest storytelling.

Jesse de Rocquigny is a Director of Photography and independent filmmaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies at the University of Winnipeg in 2018. Jesse has DP’d and worked on numerous documentary series for broadcasters such as Radio Canada/CBC, APTN and UnisTV. Recently, he DP’d Banni, a Prix Gémeaux nominated web-series produced by Wookey Films.

Emily Labby is a filmmaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Having earned a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies from the University of Winnipeg in 2020, she has completed her own dramatic and experimental shorts but has also worked on several local, independent projects in a variety of roles. She also recently worked as a Production Coordinator at Frank Digital.

and with our MC Mélanie Bédard!

As a freelancer, Mélanie wears many hats: actor, comedian, voice actor, singer-songwriter, animator, event coordinator and more! A proud francophone, she seizes any opportunity to have fun in french with her community, on stage and in her daily life.