top of page
presented by
June 17-20, 2024
Judging Panel
A.J. Catoline, ACE
Picture Editor
A.J. is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and USC's Master of Professional Writing Program. He serves as a Board Member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE) and is a frequent contributor to Cinemontage Magazine about members of the Guild and their work in the post-production industry. He is a picture editor working in Los Angeles, recently on "Ted Lasso'' for Apple TV+, and won an Emmy for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy in 2021. He has also been nominated for the American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards. His other television credits include "Brockmire" for IFC, "Speechless" for ABC, and "Black Jesus" for Adult Swim. He is a native of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and, when not in the cutting room, loves to be out in nature fishing and downhill skiing. He also serves as a volunteer with his local West Hollywood chapter of the Human Rights Campaign.
Sean Cisterna
Writer, Director & Producer
Sean is a multi award-winning and versatile film director. His latest film is the feature documentary The Long Rider (2022), the expansive and inspiring story of Filipe Leite's journey from Canada to Brazil entirely on horseback, and filmed in 13 different countries. Cisterna found success with From the Vine (2020), an international coproduction starring Emmy winner Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, Memento, The Sopranos), and distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Cisterna directed the acclaimed cancer drama Kiss and Cry (2017), which topped the Canadian box office, and is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide. His 2015 feature Full Out, starring Jennifer Beals (Flashdance, The L Word), is based on the true story of gymnast Ariana Berlin. The film was broadcast on NBC, now residing with Netflix Worldwide and Disney Europe. Cisterna is currently working on a slate of drama and documentary television projects with national broadcaster TLN Television, supported by the Canada Media Fund. Cisterna was awarded a Canada 150 Citizenship Award by the Federal Government for his dedication to and community engagement in the arts.
Michaelangelo Masangkay
President & Founder of Siné Institute
Michaelangelo is currently the Director of Production at Toronto Film School, the General Manager of Raven Banner Entertainment, Owner of Top Drone Inc. and the President/Founder of Siné Institute. He has a great amount of experience navigating through the filmmaking world, having represented over 200 films since 2018. During that year, he also launched aerial cinematography and drone services with Top Drone Inc. and now, his team is the preferred drone service provider for many unscripted television productions including Amazing Race Canada, Big Brother Canada, and Bachelor in Paradise. Over the past seven years, he has been working with the Film Development Council of the Philippines to help educate and empower Filipino filmmakers through his expertise in international marketing and distribution, relentlessly facilitating Filipinos to connect, collaborate, and create within the creative industries.
Sergio Di Zio
Actor & Producer
Sergio Di Zio has been acting in film, television and theatre for over thirty years. Winner of several awards, including the Gemini and the Dora Mavor Moore and recieving multiple nominations across every medium, Sergio has over 100 film credits and has performed on stages across the country. A series regular on Flashpoint, Rogue, and This is Wonderland, he has also guest starred and been featured in Transplant, The Queen's Gambit, Coroner, and Chucky: The Series. He has been directed by Oscar and Emmy Award winning directors Ron Howard, Robert Zemeckis, John Maddan, Scott Frank, and Christoph Waltz. His theatre credits include the world premieres of This is War, Scorched (English Translation), and Leo, and the Toronto premieres of Detroit, Between Riverside and Crazy, and The Motherfucker With the Hat.
Steven Ticknor
Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer & Re-Recording Mixer
Steven Ticknor began his career as a sound editor at Sony Pictures Studios in 1990. Since then, he has applied his talents to nearly 100 feature films including such box office hits as Bad Boys for Life,
Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and The Karate Kid. Along the way, he has earned six Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Award nominations. Skilled in all aspects of motion picture sound, Ticknor marks the milestones in his life, not in terms of years, but rather by movie titles. He is a passionate believer in the power of sound as a storytelling tool.
Kim Roberts
Canadian Actress
Kim Roberts is an internationally renowned Canadian actor with over 200 film, television, theatre and voice credits, including roles in Schitt's Creek, The Handmaid’s Tale, SAW III and SAW IV, and Paw Patrol. Kim is a pioneer in her industry. Not only has she represented Canada on domestic and international screens for the past 30 years, she is one of the first to have paved the way for artists of colour right here at home. Kim was the first Black Woman to speak in a nationally televised Canadian commercial in the early '90s. She is also a co-founder of Canada’s most prominent Black theatre company, “Obsidian”, and has been a mentor to emerging actors throughout her career.
J.J. Geiger
Picture Editor
J.J. Geiger is a Picture Editor who has worked on shows such the CW's "Gossip Girl," Roku's "Most Dangerous Game," and the Amazon Original Series "Reacher." His editing career overall has been quite diverse; from editing documentaries to local programming where his production team won a LA regional Emmy.
Ozzie Sutherland
Lead, Audio Workflows, Netflix Creative Technologies
Ozzie Sutherland is the “go-to” guy for Pro-Audio solutions. While being based in Los Angeles, his reputation in the industry is known worldwide. A creative, optimistic and talented visionary with superb technical expertise in audio engineering/mixing/sound editorial/studio design. His amicable persona is evident in his ability to work as a team player and relate to everyone from aspiring students to high profile studio management and creatives. Ozzie joined Netflix in 2018 and is currently Lead, Audio Workflows with the Creative Technologies team.
Andrew Jackson
Actor & Voice Artist
The talented actor, Andrew Jackson, loves to shock and surprise his audience with an ever expanding character range. He has worked extensively in Classical Theatre, Film, Television, Commercial Voice and Animation projects, such as: All My Children, Wind At My Back, Kyle XY, Twists of Terror and Sea Wolf. Andrew continues to feel inspired by the endless possibilities of great storytelling and prides himself in being a team player.
Andrea Trentadue
TV Personality, CHIN
It was at a young age that Andrea discovered her love of writing that would become the precursor to her chosen career in Journalism. While studying at Humber College, Andrea volunteered as Producer and Reporter for segments of City Magazine and Plugged In!, a half hour program at Rogers Television. In 2000, Andrea joined CHIN Radio and Television, working many facets of the live show from Floor Director, Production Assistant, Segment Producer and finally, as co-host of the Johnny Lombardi show.
Christopher Lane
Award-Winning Writer, Producer,Director, Film Historian, Educator & Author
Christopher Lane is a film and television professional and an award-winning writer, producer, director, film historian, educator, and author. Over the past two decades, Christopher has produced, directed and written documentaries, films, shorts, features and plays, music videos, corporate and travel videos, commercials and major ad campaigns, as well as multiple television shows including the internationally acclaimed adventure series Canada in the Rough and Gamer Girlz. During this time he also served as Film Production Coordinator for the Toronto Film School for over 15 years, as well as curriculum developer for TFS and many other institutions. Recently Christopher has been active in production working in television as a H&S Supervisor for ViacomCBS/Paramount on such major productions as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Matlock, Walker: Independence, Players, Glamorous and Star Trek: Discovery. This exciting work has seen him working internationally including in Los Angeles, Panama, New Mexico, Vancouver, China as well as all over Ontario.
Frank Morrone
Emmy-Winning Sound Mixer
Frank Morrone is a two-time Emmy-winning Hollywood audio professional who has mixed sound for high profile television and movies including The Strain, LOST, Sleepy Hollow, The Kennedys, Copper, Boss, Ransom and Oscar winning When We Were Kings. He has worked with leading directors and producers including JJ Abrams, Guillermo del Toro, Gus Van Sant, Ron Howard, and Tim Burton.
Ellen Dubin
Award-Winning, Multi-Nominated Actress & Voice Artist
Ellen Dubin has enjoyed a highly unique and diverse career as an actor. Her penchant for landing bizarre and fascinating roles has resulted in Ellen becoming a cult figure in the science fiction world beginning with Lexx. Ellen was nominated for a Gemini Award for her series lead role in The Collector. Favourite recent roles: Bene Gesserit Ancestors (voice over) in the Oscar-winning Dune, opposite Naomi Watts in The Desperate Hour, Pixar's Oscar-nominated Turning Red, the English dub of the Oscar-nominated Le Pupille, and Blumhouse's blockbuster hit M3GAN. She was thrilled to be in the multi-award-winning mega cult classic Sundance Film Festival's Napoleon Dynamite and in the Emmy-nominated animated series as Captain Phasma in Lego Star Wars and Star Wars Resistance and the Netflix series Daniel Spellbound. As a daughter of a veteran, having worked on Midway and the short WWII film Boundless was a dream come true. She is honoured to be a member of Women in Animation, SOVAS, AISFA, Women in Film and Television and a judge for the Annie Awards in Los Angeles, The Ultimate VO Survivor and Ms Wheelchair USA.
Maria Ricossa
Actress
Maria's professional life began in Chicago with The Second City. She then moved to Toronto where she joined The Stratford Festival Company. In Film & TV, Maria is known for her roles in The In-laws, playing the wife of Albert Brooks, Bojangles and The Space Between. She's had recurring roles in The Strain, Designated Survivor, Da Kink in my Hair & Missing. She is currently teaching screen acting at Humber College.
Mark Lanza
Sound Supervisor, President of MPSE
Mark Lanza has been crafting sound for top movies and television for years. His first job in the industry was working for Oliver Stone. Some of his credits include Independence Day, True Lies, Natural Born Killers, JFK (for which he won a BAFTA), Homeland, Empire, and Electric Dreams. He has over 30 Golden Reel nominations to his name. Mark is currently working at Sony Pictures where he creates sound for TV’s top network and streaming shows. He is a past Vice-President of the Motion Picture Sound Editors.
bottom of page