2025 jury

Karena Evans

Karena is an artist of depth and purpose, weaving meaningful stories across film, music, and television. A perceiver, driven by her love of story and a persistent craving for truth. Karena is deeply curious about the capacity of the heart, how it shifts and transforms through conflict and connection. With a stylized, sensitive and intimate lens, her culturally rooted work explores nuanced narratives about the complexity of the human condition. She is the first woman to be honored with the prestigious Prism Prize 'Lipsett Award' in 2018. That same year, she took home ‘Best Director’ at the Much Music Video Awards and ‘Video of the Year’ at the BET Awards for Drake’s ‘God’s Plan’. Karena has been awarded twice as ‘Director of the Year’ at the 2018 BET Hip-Hop Awards and 2019 BET Awards. In 2020, she earned the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions for the first of its kind, interactive experience ‘Swipe Night’ for Tinder. In 2024, she was honored with The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment ‘Breakthrough Award’ in recognition of her impactful contribution to the industry.

Fanie Pelletier

A director, editor, and film educator based in Montreal, Fanie is a prominent figure in the city's film scene. With a background in social sciences and cinema, she combines a unique perspective with technical mastery, creating unforgettable cinematic experiences. Her career is highlighted by remarkable projects such as the documentary PHOTO JAUNIE (2016), which was selected at several festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand, and won multiple awards. In 2017, she directed and edited the short film VAGABONDS for Les Grands Reportages on Radio-Canada. She went on to direct L'INTIME SPECTACULAIRE, a deeply moving documentary showcased at international festivals and exhibited at the Centre Clark. Her first feature documentary, JOUVENCELLES (2022), gained worldwide recognition, winning prestigious awards, including Best First Film at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival and the Reel Canadian Indie Award at the Canadian Film Festival, in addition to a nomination for Best Documentary Editing at the Canadian Screen Awards.

Erskine Forde (aka Skin)

A childhood spent immersed in library books ignited Skin’s passion for storytelling, which later blossomed into a successful career as a filmmaker. His journey began with a chance meeting with a casting director, which led to a mentorship in theatre, and since then, he has worked on over 3 plays, numerous music videos, commercials, and spent over 20 years contributing to film sets across Canada, South East Asia, and the Caribbean. Based in Toronto, Skin continues to create and share his narrative work through his company, Indever Films & Entertainment Inc.

J.R Kenny

Growing up in a family deeply rooted in the film industry, J.R was introduced to movie sets at an early age, and his first time in front of the camera was at just 4 years old! Since then, he has never looked back, dedicating his life to creating groundbreaking Special Effects. At only 12 years old, J.R began his career as a SPFX Technician and has worked on major shows across Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, and feature films. For J.R, working alongside his family to create stunning effects around the world is a dream come true. He’s passionate about learning the techniques of the past and discovering how Special Effects are crafted in different parts of the world. His ultimate career goal? To win an Academy Award.