MYRIAM MAGASSOUBA
Mentee: Chelsea Osei 

Myriam Magassouba is a director, screenwriter and editor. After studying film at UQÀM, she completed a master’s degree in film production at Concordia University. She directed several award-winning short fiction films and essays and co-directed the documentary Sur le quai de la gare, which won the Pierre and Yolande Perrault Award for Best Documentary Hope at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois. Her short film Là où je suis received more than a dozen awards, including the Jutra for best short film. In parallel to her directing work, she collaborates with filmmakers as an editor on several short films and documentaries that have been noticed in national and international festivals. Her work has been recognized with a nomination for the Canadian Screen Awards for the editing of the documentary Fermières. In 2021, Myriam finished editing two feature films, Arsenault et fils by Rafaël Ouellet and Pas d’chicane dans ma cabane by Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers. She is currently working on the editing of documentaries by Annie St-Pierre and Sophie Bédard-Marcotte.

STEFAN VERNA
Mentee: Miguel Sorto

Movement inspires all of Stefan Verna’s creations; ‘Poeticizing our pain’ describes both his process and the impact he seeks with his filmmaking. Stefan started dancing in his late teens and later got involved in theatre before dedicating his professional life to cinema. His deep interest in Afro Culture, Politics and Dance fuels his body of work. A graduate of Concordia University’s Film Production program, Stefan Verna has been active in the film community as a Director, Scriptwriter, Director of Photography and Video Instructor to marginalized youth. As a director he has explored various filmmaking forms: documentary, fiction, music videos and dance films. His camera work has taken him to Nunavik, Cuba, France, Haiti, Mexico and the U.S and has been shown on various Canadian networks such as CBC TV, APTN, Canal D, Canal Evasion and Télé-Quebec. He is a founding member of Black on Black Films, a collective of Black filmmakers in Quebec and has been lecturing around the world about the history & aesthetics of Black Cinema for the last 5 years. His films have been showcased in International film festivals:  Ice Storm Cabaret (2000), Chocolate City (2003), Poetry in Motion (2004), Diversidad: a Roadtrip to Deconstruct Diner (2011), Drawing Blank (2012), Equation of Imagination (2015), MONtreal: Jazz Stories (2018), Metamorph (2020). He is presently completing his second documentary feature called NOMAD’S LAND: a Documentary Rhyme, directing NIGHT WATCHES US at the NFB and in developing a feature film ON THIN ICE with Loaded Pictures.

ZITA LAWSON
Mentee: Wylem Decaille

Zita has been working in the production field for over 20 years. As a line producer and producer, she has overseen the production of several comedy specials, gala events, hidden camera shows, documentaries and fiction and variety series. In addition to the planning, development and production of audiovisual series, she has often been called upon to work on various mandates ranging from strategic planning to the production of large-scale events. Her experiences have allowed her to develop a solid expertise in production planning and management, content development, human resources management and project administration.

MIRYAM CHARLES
Mentee: Dieu Donné Racine

Miryam Charles is a Haitian-born director, producer and cinematographer living in Montreal. She has produced several short and feature films. She is also the director of several short films. Her films have been presented in various festivals in Quebec and internationally. She has just completed the production of This House, a hybrid feature film combining documentary and fiction that had its world premiere at the Berlinale this winter and won the Sylvestre Award at the Indielisboa.

MILA AUNG-THWIN
Mentee: Sal Eigh