CONNOR & VAUGHN GASTON
Connor and Vaughn Gaston are award-winning Canadian filmmakers based in British Columbia. Together they've written and directed numerous short films, including Encore (2018), Witch Doctor (2019), and Earwig (2020). Connor’s first short films, including Bardo Light (2012) & Godhead (2014), premiered at major film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival.
ADRIAN GARCIA BOGLIANO
Writer, director born in Madrid, Spain, now residing in Mexico. For nearly two decades, Adrián García Bogliano has been an innovative force in Latin American horror cinema. Starting his directing career at just 19 years old, his filmography spans horror, thriller, and fantasy films that blend classic elements with a modern, unsettling sensibility. His most notable works, including Here Comes the Devil (2012), Late Phases (2014), and Scherzo Diabolico, have earned acclaim at prestigious festivals like Toronto, Tribeca, Fantastic Fest, Raindance and SXSW. Beyond feature films, he has successfully directed series for streaming platforms like Netflix and Vix+. His commercial appeal is reflected in box office successes like Come Play With Me (2021) and La Exorcista (2022), which both ranked in Mexico's top 10. Having worked across Argentina, Costa Rica, the US, Mexico, Sweden, and Colombia, his international reach is clear. His latest film, Talking to a Stranger, was the only Latin American film selected at Competition at the Rotterdam Film Festival 2026.
MICHAEL GABRIELE
Michael Gabriele is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker known for his compelling work in the horror genre. His career began in Chicago’s advertising industry, where he directed high-profile commercial campaigns before transitioning to narrative filmmaking. Gabriele has since directed an array of projects, including music videos, immersive 360° VR content, and several award-winning short films.
His storytelling has been recognized with multiple accolades, including three Midwest Emmys, one most notably for his horror short, Room Tone. His short film Get Away earned the Gold Audience Choice Award for Best International Short Film at the Fantasia International Film Festival and was selected for Frontières. Get Away is currently being adapted into a feature-length project. His debut feature film, Unholy Night, also premiered at Fantasia Film Festival and received the Gold Award for Best Canadian Feature.
GENEVIEVE FLEMING
Genevieve Fleming is an award-winning actor whose work spans film & television, theatre, and voice over. Genevieve can most recently be seen in México ’86, the Diego Luna-helmed soccer biopic that was an international hit for Netflix upon its release this summer. Her television credits include the notable series The Audacity, The Recruit, Watson, Wild Cards, So Help Me Todd, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supernatural, Travelers, among others, along with feature films such as I Was Octomom, Nutshells, and Rain Down.
STEVE FLAVIN
Steve Flavin is an award-winning filmmaker and content creator based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at international festivals including Fantastic Fest, Panic Fest, Vancouver Horror Show, and Queer Screams, where WRATHBONE won Best in Show and Best Editing in 2026. His latest short film, “Wrathbone” is holding its Canadian Premiere at VHS 2026.
MEG FAVREAU
Meg Favreau is a writer, filmmaker, and artist whose work centers relatable characters in heightened and unusual worlds, whether that’s through horror, comedy, or speculative fiction. Meg wrote and directed the narrative shorts THE LAST CHEAP HOUSE and HOT DOG STEERING WHEEL, as well as the documentary short THE LADDER. As a screenwriter, Meg has written projects for several companies, including co-writing the animated comedy THE TWITS (2025) for Netflix, based on the Roald Dahl book.
Her latest short film, “The Last Cheap House” will hold its BC Premiere at VHS 2026.
MATTHEW DUVALL
DuVall is an Oscar Award winning VFX artist who has spent his career shaping some of the most iconic visuals in modern cinema and television. With credits spanning Life of Pi, Deadpool, and Game of Thrones, he has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of visual effects, bringing fantastical worlds and characters to life while elevating storytelling on a global scale.
His latest short film, “The Bones Exist” will hold its Canadian Premiere at VHS 2026.
MATT DRAKE
Matt Drake is a Canadian film producer, post-production supervisor, sound designer, and co-founder of Moon7 based in Vancouver.
His credits include Luk’Luk’I, Never Steady, Never Still, Adventures in Public School, Hunting Matthew Nichols, and Lucky Star.
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.
BRAYDEN DeMOREST-PURDY
Brayden DeMorest-Purdy is an award-winning director, producer, and writer. He started his career in Toronto, Ontario at Rogers Television as a studio assistant, and worked his way to directing and producing segments for the station. His directorial debut Beyond the Woods won four best picture awards, a best directing award, and a variety of other awards and nominations. And is available to watch on Apple TV, Prime, Cineplex, and more.
MACKENZIE DONALDSON
Mackenzie Donaldson is a Toronto- and Los Angeles-based producer, director, and writer. She is currently Senior Vice President of Scripted Television at Blink49 Studios, where she oversees a slate of ambitious, globally minded scripted projects. Her producing credits include the Emmy-, Peabody-, and Canadian Screen Award-winning series Orphan Black, the Emmy-nominated series Snowpiercer, and the documentaries Citizen Bio and The Abnormal Beauty Company.
MONIKA DALMAN
Monika Dalman is a Vancouver-based Casting Director, Producer, and Consultant with a growing body of work in horror, thriller, sci-fi, and genre filmmaking. Her casting credits include the horror-thriller Pitfall, starring Richard Harmon, the sci-fi horror feature Othermor, starring Troy Baker and Yasmeen Fletcher, the horror-thriller Fever Dreams, Sleep Tight, and the grindhouse thriller Venari.
ELI CRAIG
Eli Craig wrote and directed the 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.
TOM COLFORD
Tom’s latest short film, “Tape ‘98” is holding its Canadian Premiere at VHS 2026.
ZACH CALVENO
Zach was born in Los Angeles and raised in Vancouver, BC where he is currently based. His passion for filmmaking started at an early age and continued to grow from there.
Zach’s latest short film, “Jesse’s Birthday 2005” is screening at VHS 2026.
ISIS CALJÉ
Connor and Vaughn Gaston are award-winning Canadian filmmakers based in British Columbia. Together they've written and directed numerous short films, including Encore (2018), Witch Doctor (2019), and Earwig (2020). Connor’s first short films, including Bardo Light (2012) & Godhead (2014), premiered at major film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival.
JOSEPH BURCH
Joseph Burch is an award-winning horror writer and director from Morgan Hill, California. He earned his BA in Film & Television Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, with a minor in Screenwriting.
Nail-Biter is Joseph’s latest independent short, a gothic horror film developed as a proof-of-concept for his potential feature debut, written in January 2025.
LUKE BRAMLEY
Born in Vancouver, Luke developed a passion for horror cinema at a young age after viewing the films The Shining and A Nightmare on Elm Street. After a stint as a cook, he decided it was time to pursue his passion and enrolled in film school where he fell in love with the moviemaking process.
Luke’s latest short film, “SVMMONED” is holding its BC Premiere at VHS 2026.
NAT BOLTT
Director, writer and actor Nat Boltt's debut feature, Holy Days, stars Golden Globe, Emmy, BAFTA and Academy Award honorees Judy Davis, Miriam Margolyes and Jacki Weaver. Selected for the Toronto International Film Festival's 50th anniversary edition, the film sold out its US screenings at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival before a successful global theatrical roll out, topping the box office in New Zealand. Holy Days won Best Motion Picture at the Leo Awards, with Boltt taking Best Director.
KELSEY BOLLIG
Bollig is a rising force in horror and action, known for crafting genre stories with teeth - subversive, stylish, and unafraid to bleed. She burst onto the scene by winning Best Screenplay at just twelve years old and has since become a fixture on the international festival circuit, with her award-winning shorts screening at Fantasia, Fantastic Fest, Hollyshorts, and Beyond Fest.
Her latest short film, “The Bones Exist” will hold its Canadian Premiere at VHS 2026.