Programming
Programming Jury:
Andre La Guardia (he/him) is an editor and photographer from Winnipeg Manitoba.
Andre attended the Red River College Polytechnic Creative Communications program, where he specialized in Media Production. After graduating, he began his career as an editor with the award-winning production company Farpoint Films. Since then, Andre has worked on numerous television series, edited a feature film trailer that later screened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, and designed key art for several shows.
When Andre’s not editing, he manages Farpoint Films’ social media accounts. During his spare time, Andre likes to spend his days thrifting and up-cycling previously loved furniture.
Iyunade Judah (b.1998) is a Nigerian born photographer and filmmaker based in Winnipeg, Canada.
Drawing on his Nigerian heritage, his photographs and films explore history, sexuality, identity, and love as a way of centring the African diasporic experience.
His unique style regularly incorporates elements of west African studio photography in his portraits often capturing vulnerable and intimate moments. In 2020, he was also one of the PLATFORM Photography Award winners.
Taryn Edgeworth is a writer, director and actress born and raised in Winnipeg, MB.
As a storyteller, Taryn has always been drawn to film as a means of connecting people and articulating internal worlds. She is inspired by introspective stories about the female experience, existentialism, self-discovery, and connecting with one another. After falling in love with writing, directing, and acting as a teenager, Taryn took to the industry with a passion to learn and share her vision. Taryn completed her Bachelor of Arts in Film & Theatre in 2024. Since graduating, Taryn has worked both on set and in a production office, and continues to pursue developing her own directorial works.
Award Jury:
Jamie Leduc currently teaches animation at Sisler High School and is the Department Head of the CREATE program. Jamie has over 26 years of experience in developing curriculum and teaching animation, film and game design in public education systems. He has enhanced student education by coordinating industry mentorships, internships, and scholarships. As a result, Leduc has inspired hundreds of students in pursuing their dream careers in the game, film and animation industries.
MC de Natividad is a Filipina-Canadian non-traditional emerging filmmaker residing as a settler in Treaty One Territory / Winnipeg.
Because of her unique experience as a 1.5-generation immigrant and woman of colour in a key leadership position, she uses this privilege to build bridges, create opportunities and uplift communities, stories and voices long overlooked and underrepresented in the film industry.
Her motivation is to explore uncharted waters in film, challenging traditional norms and conventions. Her dedication to portraying cultural identity in nuanced and authentic ways serves as a compass guiding her artistic endeavours.
de Natividad believes that filmmaking has the ability to create transformative change. She aims to ensure each project she works on is a vehicle to educate, challenge biases, and foster empathy. Her overall goal is to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable film industry for future generations.
de Natividad is a UWinnipeg alumna with degrees in communications and politics. She is currently completing her master's in intercultural and international communications at Royal Roads University, focusing her research on the Filipino-Canadian diaspora and language loss and reclamation.
John Seymour is an Ojibwe-Cree filmmaker, actor, and writer from Winnipeg, MB, and a band member of Peguis First Nation. A recent graduate of the National Screen Institute’s CBC New Indigenous Voices program, he gained on-set experience as the Assistant Director for the APTN series REZervations for Two, premiering June 2026. His directorial debut Stay Awhile has screened at festivals across Turtle Island, and he has appeared in the feature film Aberdeen, as well as the television series Acting Good. He is currently the Education & Outreach Coordinator at the Winnipeg Film Group, and the Program Manager for the Winnipeg Indigenous Filmmakers Collective.
Festival Staff
Festival Director
Eric Peterson
University of Winnipeg Department of Theatre & Film
Department Chair
Christopher Brauer
Office Manager & Student Advisor
Melinda Tallin
Theatre and Film Department Staff Advisors
Delton Kreller, Milos Mitrovic, Lise Raven, Colin Weins
Festival Founder
John Kozak