2023 Jury – Vaff 2023

VAFF 2023 Jury

VAFF 2023 Jury for Canadian Short Awards

Alfonso Chin, a third culture individual who became a cinematographer. He draws inspiration from his multicultural background to create distinctive visual languages that evoke emotions and resonate with audiences. His cinematic artistry has earned acclaim and awards at prestigious international festivals

Alfonso Chin

cinematographer

Abubakar Khan is a producer. He has completed multiple productions: "Mustache" (SXSW 2023 Audience Award). He graduated from the Canadian Film Centre Producers' Lab and is a Canadian Academy Executive Residency Program resident. He holds a BCom degree in Business Management. Currently, he is in Istanbul producing his next feature.

Abubakar Khan

producer

Julie Kim is an award-winning Director/DP based in Vancouver, known for her authentic and cinematic storytelling. Her documentary, 'In Love With a Problem,' chronicles two visionary teens on a quest to combat plastic waste. With a global portfolio, including Netflix, Starbucks, and the NHL, Julie's work resonates with diverse audiences.

Julie Kim

Director/DP

Tiffany Hsiung is a Peabody award-winning filmmaker and a two-time Canadian Screen Award winner based in Toronto, Canada. Her film ‘Sing Me a Lullaby’ (2020) won the Oscar qualifying Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC and the inaugural Toronto International Film Festival ‘Share Her Journey Short Cuts Award’ during the world premiere at TIFF. ‘Sing Me a Lullaby’ went on to winning The Directors Guild of Canada Best Short Film Award followed by several accolades including two prizes at the annual WIFT- Showcase and listed as one of TIFF Canada’s Top Ten of 2020. Hsiung’s debut feature documentary ‘The Apology’ (2016) received over 15 international awards that includes the prestigious Peabody award, the DuPont Columbia Award and the Allan King Memorial Award. Hsiung’s work has played in over 150 film festivals earning over 25 awards, released and broadcasted globally. Hsiung currently sits as second-vice chair of the Directors Guild of Canada, Ontario Executive Board, she is board member at DOC Canada – Ontario and HOT DOCS executive board. Hsiung is also a member of the National BIPOC committee for the DGC.

Tiffany Hsiung

filmmaker

Trixie Pacis serves as the Director of Acquisitions, & Scheduling, Original Programming Development at ChimeTV, America’s only AAPI general entertainment network. A Filipina Canadian with over a decade of film industry experience, Trixie curates programming to amplify diverse stories, showcase Asian culture, and represent the AAPI experience.

Trixie Pacis

Director of Acquisitions & Scheduling

Tony Ma (aka Ma Kwong-Ho) has been a Chinese-Cantonese program host for over 37 years. He starts reviewing movies on radio and TV since 1996, and is a member of the Vancouver Film Critics Circle. His current program ‘Movie Express’ airs weekly on Fairchild Radio and has passed the 1,000 episode benchmark this summer.

Tony Ma

program host

Stirling Bancroft csc is an award-winning Cinematographer who works internationally on both independent and studio pictures. A graduate of of the film program at the University of British Columbia, Bancroft enjoyed photographing gritty independent projects like She Who Must Burn (2015) with Larry Kent, one of the “original English-Canadian auteurs,”¹ and Cadence (2016) for which director, Alex Lasheras, won an audience award at the Vancouver International Film festival. Public Schooled (2017), directed by Kyle Rideout, lead a charge of films lensed by Bancroft that screened at TIFF; FREAKS in 2018 with duo Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, and Monkey Beach in 2019, directed by Loretta Todd and adapted from the critically studied novel by Eden Robinson. Commercially Sniper: Assassin’s End (2020) helmed by graphic novel artist and writer Kaare Andrews and distributed by Sony went on to top the US iTunes download list and placed well on the global top ten list of most streamed films for Netflix.

Stirling Bancroft

Cinematographer

VAFF 2023 Jury for Canadian Feature Awards

Alex Sangha is an award-winning social worker, counsellor, and documentary film producer. His short documentary, My Name Was January, and his debut feature film, Emergence: Out of the Shadows, both qualified to enter the Canadian Screen Awards and were broadcast on OUTtv. Emergence: Out of the Shadows was an official selection at nearly 50 film festivals including an Academy Award, BAFTA, and five Canadian Screen Award qualifying festivals including VAFF, Vancouver Queer Film Festival, and the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival. Emergence was also broadcast on Knowledge Network and TVO.

Alex Sangha

documentary film producer

A Master of Fine Arts in Film Production and Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, Jason Karman's films have travelled internationally, focusing on Asian diaspora and LGBT stories. Jason loves the 80s. His debut feature Golden Delicious is supported by Telefilm Canada's Talent to Watch program and has screened in over thirty festivals winning over ten awards.

Jason Karman

Master of Fine Arts in Film Production

Shan Tam is an award-winning producer with significant international experience. Her work has achieved commercial success and been honoured with a Sundance award, numerous Canada Screen Awards and Leos. Tam was instrumental in co-productions involving Hong Kong, Canada, China and Australia. She is a former board member of Creative BC.

Shan Tam

producer

VAFF 2023 Jury for Sher Vancouver Award for Best 2SLGBTQ+ Short Film award

A human being from planet earth, acting was never an option growing up. I started in social work before graduating with a degree in economics and then started my own business in Web design. I was always driven to create something with a purpose, something that brings value to people watching or experiencing it. That is when I decided to first pursue acting and then writing and directing followed shortly after.

Sidartha Murjani

Actor, Writer and Director

Rami Kahlon is an award-winning actor, writer, and director. She has worked in leading and supporting roles in independent films, television shows, and theatrical plays. She is the CEO of Rani Pictures, a full-service production company that tells captivating stories with BIPOC leads.

Actor, Writer and Director

Rami Kahlon

Pending bio

Annie Ohana - pending for bio

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