2017 Film Selection

Elisa Paloschi

Elisa Paloschi is a documentary director, producer, cinematographer and photographer who is drawn to stories with a human voice. She is President of Eyesfull, a Toronto- based independent production company dedicated to making non-fiction documentaries with social relevance that reflect the diversity of the human condition. With more than 20 years’ experience in every aspect of documentary production, Elisa has taken her camera into the Roma camps of Palermo, the depths of the Coral Sea in Australia, and the breathtaking landscapes of Karnataka, to name just a few. Her work has been screened at festivals in Germany, Italy, Greece, and Canada, and broadcast on numerous Italian television stations. She completed her latest feature documentary, Embracing Voices: The Woman Behind the Music of Jane Bunnett, in 2012.

Emily Ramsay

Emily Ramsay, Producer — Emily is based in Ottawa, Ontario and is a recent recipient of the 2016 CMPA Ontario Production Mentorship as well as the City of Ottawa 2016 Youth in Culture Pilot Program grant. She studied screenwriting at Algonquin College, but also holds degrees from Concordia University in Canadian History and Library Studies. After five years in the federal government, she left the public service to fulfill her dreams in the film industry. Creating over 30 short films and having worked on a dozen feature films, television shows and documentaries, she has worked with women’s and feminist groups in Ottawa to create videos, documentaries and promos on intersectional topics concerning women and activist organizations in the area. Partnerships have included the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, Immigrant Women Services Ottawa, 16 Days of Activism, Sexual Assault Network, WIIS-Canada, UNHCR and more.

She is the Co-Executive Director of Ottawa’s longest running catch festival – The Digi60 Filmmakers’ Festival which focuses on new and emerging film and video artists for both narrative and documentary films. She has been on the jury for several film festivals and is the Festival Director for the Lights! Camera! Cure! Film Festival, a fundraiser hosted by Vixens Victorious for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. She assists at the Canadian Film Institute as the Front of House Manager, and is the Coordinator for the Carleton University chapter of Cinema Politica. Her passion for film lies in the intersection of topics directly related to the environment, decolonization and feminism. Primary Colours is her second collaboration with writer and performer Roua Aljied, who she believes is a mover and shaker in the fields of activism and art.

Lauren Knapp

Lauren Knapp works across platforms to tell nonfiction stories. While her interests vary (Mongolian rock music, lockdown drills in elementary schools, DIY body hackers, the experience of femininity through aging, the use of medicine in executions), her approach is consistent – she dives deep into the story. Her first 360 video project, “The Crystal Reef” (co-directed with Cody Karutz), premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival as part of the Virtual Arcade. Documentary is a form of investigation – of an idea, a location, an event, or a person. Her work has appeared on the PBS NewsHour, NPR, PRI’s The World, The New York Times, and The Atlantic website. Her films have been shown at festivals throughout North America, Europe and Asia including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Big Sky Film Festival, Independent Film Festival of Boston, and Thin Line Film Festival.

Anne Edgar

Anne began her career as an assistant, creative executive, and screenwriter working with filmmakers including Fred Roos, Warren Beatty, and Sophia Coppola, before going on to co-found animation and motion graphics company Transistor Studios. In 2008, she became a partner at Los Angeles-based Artifact Studios where most recently she executive produced the feature-length documentary OPERATION POPCORN, which aired in 2016 on Public Television’s Emmy-award-winning series America Reframed. She is also Executive Producer of the interactive documentary project CRITICAL PATH, a seven-year-long-and-counting documentation of the evolution of video games.

Daphne Schmon

Daphne is an award-winning American director. She founded Seek Films in 2009 after graduating with honours from Wesleyan University. Her first feature documentary CHILDREN OF THE WIND garnered seven awards in the festival circuit, including “Best Documentary” and “Best Emerging Filmmaker” at the world’s premiere action sports film festival X-Dance. The film was also nominated for the “CNN Best Documentary Award” at the American Black Film Festival. She has led teams in nine countries, including Kenya (SHIFTING GROUND) and Venezuela (DOWN TO EARTH) directing documentaries, commercials and music videos. ALL OF ME marks Daphne’s narrative directorial debut and was shot on location in London with an all-female crew.

Beth Murphy

Director/Producer Beth Murphy is Director of Films at The GroundTruth Project and founder of Principle Pictures – both Boston-based. Murphy has directed/produced more than 20 documentaries – including the features BEYOND BELIEF, THE LIST, and WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS– that have premiered at top-tier film festivals Tribeca and Hot Docs and aired on PBS/POV, Sundance Channel, History Channel, Discovery International, Discovery Health, Lifetime, and numerous international outlets. Over the past decade Murphy’s work has focused on: the human impact of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – highlighting moral responsibility, women’s rights and girls’ education; the impact of climate change on women and children globally; and the lives of Fukushima nuclear refugees. Her work has recently been recognized with these awards: Overseas Press Club Award, National Edward R. Murrow Award, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, and 2017 Emmy nomination. She holds an MA in International Relations/International Communications from Boston University where she was a Fellow at the Institute for Iraqi Studies.

Director Eileen Byrne

After her European baccalaureate at the European School Luxembourg, Eileen first studied theatre in Winchester (UK) and Munich before starting her film directing studies at the University of Television and Film Munich. Since their childhood Eileen and Elodie have worked together on several theatre and film projects. They are currently developing their third feature film screenplay together. Iridescence is their first co production as director-dancer.

Dane Christensen (Director)

Dane Christensen grew up in Utah and is a second-year in the Documentary Film & Video MFA program at Stanford University. His filmmaking is rooted in the belief that the stories we tell can make change happen. His impetus for making this film comes from the urgent need to understand, empathize, and support our LGBT+ Mormon brothers and sisters.

Jenn Lee Smith (Producer)

Jenn Lee Smith was born into the Mormon faith in Taiwan and was raised partly in rural Utah. She worked in academia for over 10 years and pursued a PhD that focused on telling the stories of women migrants. Jenn Lee is a life-long student of film and writing, and strives to give voice to those who have yet to be heard.

Sian Taylor Gowan

Founder and filmmaker of Red Scarf Films, Sian Taylor Gowan makes her directorial debut with ‘Surviving International Boulevard’, bringing attention to the plight of local children and teens being sex trafficked in our midst. With a passion for social cause work and a professional background in nonprofit advertising and outreach, Sian has served as Board Member for Afghans4Tomorrow and as Advertising Director for progressive independent news site, AlterNet.org. Combining her creative production skills and nonprofit experience, Sian has created Red Scarf Films in order to produce social cause films for awareness and community action. For her next project, Sian is currently co-producing a feature documentary film, ‘Home Yet Far Away: Searching for The Feminine in Iran & the U.S.’ with Sabereh Kashi of Woven Multimedia.

Tara Lynn Orr

Tara Lynn Orr, Bio (Director) Tara Lynn Orr graduated with a BA in theatre from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts; She studied acting at David Mamet’s Atlantic Acting School in New York and at the Lee Strasberg School in London. Tara spent most of her life in the theatre as both an actor and assistant director. Her extensive experience as an actor gives her subjective insight into character development. This deep understanding of character provides a natural foundation for her relationship-driven storytelling style. In 2013, Tara founded avenueROAD Films with producer/actor Philippe Brenninkmeyer. Tara’s first screenplay, the short film BIS GLEICH, was avenueROAD’s inaugural production . BIS GLEICH received over 40 awards from around the globe in various categories including Best Short Film at the following festivals: The United Nation’s Global Voices Festival, Manhattan Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Badalona Int’l Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival, Pasadena International Film Festival, Heartland Film Festival, etc. In 2016, BIS GLEICH was short-listed for an Academy Award.

HE SAID is Tara’s directorial debut. This important film premiered at the Cleveland International Film Festival where it was awarded the prestigious BEST WOMEN’S FILM award. It also won the Best Female Filmmaker at WestChester Film Festival and Best Screenplay at StoryMode Film festival.

Chase Hinton Bio (Screenwriter) Chase Hinton is an award-winning actor and writer with skills in editing and producing. A former fellow at the Writers Boot Camp and the scribe of multiple feature films, Chase prides himself in attention to detail and fresh perspectives. Aside from his vast work in narrative storytelling, Chase is honored to have been part of many important PSAs, accounting for millions of views online and multiple awards, including special commendations from both a Governor and a President.