KURTIS DAVID HARDER
KURTIS DAVID HARDER is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer whose acclaimed thriller INFLUENCERS hit theaters in 2025. The follow-up to his viral social-media horror INFLUENCER, the film cements Harder as one of the most compelling new voices in genre cinema.
SEAN HARRIS OLIVER
Sean Harris Oliver is a Canadian playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film producer whose work has appeared throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Central and South America. He most recently wrote and produced the award-winning independent horror feature Hunting Matthew Nichols, which received seven Leo Award nominations, and was the winner of FilmQuest’s 2024 Best Found Footage Feature Film.
MICHAEL DOUGHERTY
Michael Dougherty is a writer, director, and producer who has worked with some of the world’s most iconic characters, including the X-Men, Superman, Godzilla, and King Kong. Beginning his career as an animator for MTV and Nickelodeon, he then co-wrote the blockbusters X-Men 2 and Superman Returns before making his directorial debut with the Halloween horror comedy, Trick ‘r Treat.
DENNIS HEATON
Award-winning writer, director and showrunner Dennis Heaton is renowned for his deft balance of comedy and dark subject matter, as showcased in his cult classic zombie movie FIDO and his short films, CANNIBALISM AND YOUR TEEN and HEAD SHOT.
Heaton recently completed writing and executive producing season 3 of MURDER IN A SMALL TOWN, where he’s often asked to tone down his murder scenes. He is currently part of the development team for the upcoming AMC/ACORN series PACK RAT, starring Eric McCormack.
KAREN LAM
Starting as a producer and lawyer, Karen has written and directed ten short films, three music videos, directed a true-crime documentary series for Investigation Discovery (US), a TELUS web series, and five feature films, including “Stained” (2010), “Evangeline” (2013) and “The Curse of Willow Song” (2020). Karen finished two films in the last two years: “Mrs. Chang’s Perfect Teeth,” a short film which won the DCG-BC “Established Director Greenlight Award” in 2023 and Armageddon Road (2026).
GREG NG
Greg Ng, CCE, is an editor based out of Vancouver, BC. Greg tries to maintain a balanced diet of both narrative and documentary editing, and periodically writes about himself in the third person. He is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre and a member of the Canadian Cinema Editors, ACFC, IATSE, the VPA, and other organizations with acronyms. When his nephew asked him what editing movies was like, he said it’s just like playing with Lego, but with videos and emotions instead. Some recent credits include BACKROOMS, LONGLEGS, and SAINTS AND WARRIORS.
ZACH LIPOVSKY
Emmy-nominated director Zach Lipovsky started his career on Spielberg's filmmaking competing "On the lot" where he placed 5th out of 12,000 directors worldwide. Zach has gone on to direct and produce many film and TV projects, most recently directing the reboot of FINAL DESTINATION for Warner Brothers, and is currently releasing the sequel to his film FREAKS.
RACHEL TALALAY
Rachel Talalay’s eclectic career spans four decades of directing and producing. She recently completely directing Yaga, a mini-series for Crave with the new superstar Hudson Williams and Carrie Ann Moss. Her best known work includes directing classics of British television: eight episodes of Doctor Who, the acclaimed BBC Sherlock series, the final installment of Good Omens, and American television, including American Gods, Marvel’s Iron Fist, DC’s Doom Patrol, Quantum Leap, Riverdale, Sabrina, SuperGirl, and The Flash.
ELI CRAIG
Eli Craig is writer and director known for his horror-comedy cult classic, Tucker & Dale vs Evil. Recently he co-wrote and directed the hit indie horror-comedy, Clown in a Cornfield, which premiered at SXSW 2025 and went on to break the opening weekend box office record for IFC/Shudder, and was the 3rd highest streamed movie worldwide on HBO Max.