Mairzee Almas, North Vancouver, BC
For the past seven years Almas has worked as a first assistant director on feature films, television movies and episodic television. Episode 45: Birds Have Been at Her of DaVinici's Inquest marked her directorial debut. She is a Vancouver Film School graduate who is continuously seeking out learning and training opportunities as a director.

Jennifer Calvert, Vancouver, BC / London, England
An actress who began her career at the age of nine has performed across Canada from Neptune Theatre in Halifax to can-can dancing in the Yukon and performing in London's West End, Calvert also appeared in the recurring role of Vivienne on The Chris Isaak Show in its first season. Her directorial debut, Sex Drive premiered at 2001 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Anita Doron, Toronto, ON
Originally from the Soviet Union Doron is a published author, mountain-climber and ex-army sergeant. Doron graduated with honours from the Ryerson Film Program in 2001, where she received the Norman Jewison Filmmaker Award two years in a row. Her first film Not A Fish Story was funded by Ontario Arts Council and NFB.

Patricia Harris Seeley, Redwood Meadows, AB
Harris Seeley is the writer/director of the award winning short film Farmer and has received several options, three Harold Greenberg Funds and the NSI Roundtable for her feature-length screenplays. Two of her theatre plays have won Best Actress Awards under her direction at Regional One-Act Festivals. As past President of Women in Film & Television - Alberta, Harris-Seeley currently sits on the board of directors for WIFT - International.

Desiree Lim, Vancouver, BC
Lim is a multicultural Independent Filmmaker whose short videos and debut feature have been showcased at international film festivals all across North America, Europe and Asia. As a queer Asian filmmaker, Lim's work carries very strong and political messages and is conveyed through the power of visual storytelling.

Zarqa Nawaz, Regina, SK
Born in Liverpool, England, Nawaz completed her B.Sc. at the University of Toronto. After completing a B.A.A. in journalism from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, she worked for CBC radio as a writer/broadcaster and associate producer. Her first film, BBQ Muslims And Death Threat premiered at the 1996 and 1998 Toronto International Film Festivals. Nawaz resides in Regina, Saskatchewan with her husband and four children.

Shelley Niro, Brantford, ON
Niro is a member of the Turtle Clan, Bay of Quinte Mohawk from the Six Nations Reserve. She is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, has received her MFA from the University of Western Ontario and was recently admitted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. Her art practice includes painting, photography, sculpture and filmmaking. Her latest installation: Skywoman is currently displayed at the First Peoples Hall at the Museum of Civilization in Hull, Quebec.

Geneviève Poulette, Montreal, PQ
Poulette received her bachelors in psychology then went on to study at l'Institut National de l'Image et du Son (INIS) and directed a short film called Jingle, which won numerous prizes and was selected in Official Competitions at international festivals. She currently directs for television (commercials and documentaries) and is working on a short film script.

Carole Bonstein, Toronto, ON
A film director from Geneva, Switzerland and graduate of the Broadcasting and Film program at Boston University Bonstein recently received her graduate degree in Post-production at Humber College in Toronto. As a production manager and segment director she spent many years working for the French-speaking Swiss Television. Her first independent documentary A Swiss Rebel Annemarie Schwarzenbach 1908-1942 has won several awards throughout Europe and recently premiered at the 2002 Insideout Film Festival in Toronto.

Yvonne DuBourdieu, Edmonton, AB
DuBourdieu began her career as a producer and director in Glasgow, Scotland where she worked on documentary and educational films for Channel 4 Television, Scottish Television and independent production companies. Since moving to Canada, DuBourdieu has worked as a producer/director for Access Network and CBC-TV where she garnered numerous awards for commercials, PSAs and educational films. She recently launched her own independent production company: ArtHOUSE PRODUCTIONS.

Alisa Palmer, Toronto, ON
As an award-winning director and playwright Palmer has served as Artistic Director for Nightwood Theatre from 1994 - 2001. She has directed the creation and premiere of numerous landmark Canadian plays such as Sibs (D. Flacks), Smudge (A. Bulmer) and Anything That Moves (AM MacDonald). As a playwright she is the recipient of two Chalmers awards.

Holly Redford, Vancouver, BC
Redford is an eleven-year veteran of the Vancouver film community where she works as a Production Manager and 2nd Unit Director. Through her company RED HALL PRODUCTIONS, Redford continues to develop and write independent projects ranging from documentary shorts to dramatic features. Her short film and directorial debut, Beauty Shot recently premiered at the 2002 Vancouver International Film Festival.

WIDC 2003 Acting Ensemble:

Constance Barnes, Vancouver, BC
Daughter of politician Emery Barnes and Canada’s first female sport commentator, Laverne Barnes, Constance Barnes began her love affair with acting at the age of twelve. After early work in theatre, with the CBC and local television stations Barnes took a hiatus to raise a family. Barnes feels her now teenaged sons have deepened her abilities as a character actress in film and TV productions such as Poltergeist, Mysterious Ways, John Doe.

Wendy Morrow Donaldson, Vancouver, BC
An award-winning actress, Donaldson earned her BFA in acting at the University of Victoria and followed up with training at the Vancouver Playhouse Acting School. A respected actress she has been practicing her craft professionally across North America for two decades mainly in new Canadian theatre productions. Her film and TV credits include The Pledge with Jack Nicholson, Dead Zone, Hope Island, and Just Deal.

Richard Donat, Queens Co., NS
After graduating from National Theatre School, Donat worked in theatres across the country and also acted in numerous radio shows including the series Clean Sweep for CBC. He was nominated for a Genie for his role in My American Cousin. During the last 6 years he has been a T.V. regular on Emily Of New Moon as Dr. Burnley and as Col. Boyle and the T.V. series Blackfly.

Bryan Elliot, Toronto, ON
A graduate of the American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University, Elliot also trained with Uta Hagen. Television credits include Satan’s School For Girls (ABC), Misguided Angels (Fox Family Channel), The Third Twin (CBS), My Secret Identity (CTV), and Liberace (CBS). Elliot was the host of Video Hits on CBC and has been featured in numerous television commercials.

Jennifer Halley, Vancouver, BC
Curious and passionate about her work, Halley has starred in a number of local theatre productions including Heaven Can Wait, Harvey and The Last Of The Red Hot Lovers. Dedicated to supporting the development of independent film, Halley’s daring character choices and willingness to risk (she shaved her head for the independent short Limp), have landed her a recurring role on The Chris Isaak Show.

Kerry E. McPherson, Toronto, ON
McPherson trained at Concordia’s Theatre Performance Program and with the acclaimed acting instructors like Ivana Chubbuck, David Rotenberg and WIDC alumna Rosemary Dunsmore. She has played guest starring and lead roles on The Associates, Earth: Final Conflict, Lexx: The Dark Zone, The Lady In Question.

Michael Miranda, Toronto, ON
Miranda’s credits include leading roles in She and Graveyard Shift, co-starring roles in Bonanno for Showtime and Johnny Mnemonic for Alliance. He can currently be seen in Knockarond Guys for Newline Pictures. On television he has had regular roles in series such as Falcone and Catwalk. Miranda has just completed (Jan '03) the production of Dwarf adapted and directed for the stage, by David Rotenberg and produced by Equity Showcase Theatre.

Kate Newby, Calgary, Alberta
Not available at present time

Krista Rae, Vancouver, BC
Rae’s acting career began in Alberta in the play, Boy’s Own Jedi Handbook, which earned her professional representation with Empire Talent Inc. Since making the move to Vancouver in 2002 where signed on with Richard Lucas of Lucas Talent Inc., she has booked three guest leads and is heading down to LA for her first pilot season to work with her new manager Will Ward of Roar Management. Rae is excited to be returning to her native Alberta for WIDC.

Howard Rosenstein, Montreal, PQ
Rosenstein has worked across North America, appearing in over sixty professional film, television and stage productions. He is happy to be returning to Banff (where he first trained in1982), and participating within such a dynamic group of people. Howard lives with his wife Tracey in Montreal. For more information, please visit www.howardrosenstein.com.

Felicia Shulman, Montreal, QC
A native of Montreal, Shulman has performed for the past 15 years across Canada, U.S. and Europe. She developed and played a recurring character on Quebec’s longest running soap Watatatow. Most recently she completed season two of Quebec’s popular Cauchmar d’amour in a trilingual recurring role.

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