The Selected Film Makers

Mira del Prado is a queer BIPOC filmmaker finishing her third year at York University. She's directed other films such as: If U Forget About Me I'll Kill U (2023) which was selected as part of the Lift-Off Filmmaker sessions, The Truth About Brampton - Motherland Documentary (2024) which premiered at the Drake Underground, and was featured in an article by Now Toronto, and more recently Cuddle Buddies (2025), Which was screened at York University's Finish Line. As she completes film school, she hopes to have her own production company one day.

William Manning has been making short films since he was eleven. He studied film at Etobicoke School of the Arts for high school and now I'm studying screenwriting at York University. At ESA he made several short films, but the film he is most proud of is the one screening here at the Toronto Teen Film Festival, called Crime Never Gets Old. William really likes making Lego stop motion films, and making comedy films, so I decided to combine those two things in this film. I hope you enjoy it!

JoJo Freedman-Lawson goes to Etobicoke School of the Arts for film. He makes films that are shot and or talk about the culture within Toronto.

Mustafa Cowan is a student director currently attending Toronto Metropolitan University. He has many creative ideas, and dreams of actualizing them all.

Harrison Di Cresce, first year TMU film student, born and raised in Toronto. He is very excited to show his film displaying the artistic use of black and white filmmaking.

Sophie Sanankong is a 17 year old student at Etobicoke School of the Arts. She has
been majoring in ESA’s film program for production and theory for the past 4 years. Her approach to filmmaking involves embracing surreal characters and situations to further the boundaries of the comedy genre.

Spencer Hillhouse of BeachHouse films is currently attending Brock University for a variety of humanistic studies. Good Luck, James is among the first of his self-written and self-directed films, and he plans to continue making films in a wide range of positions.

Liliana Occhipinti and Hana Nour-Eldin are filmmakers from Toronto who use personal reflection as the backbone of their work. Currently studying at Etobicoke School of the Arts, they continue to draw inspiration from everyday absurdities and use film as a way to translate the internal into the visual. Their recent short, Toasted, screened at the All American High School Film Festival in New York.

Mazyar (Maz) is a 19-year-old Iranian-born filmmaker studying film at Toronto Metropolitan University. His journey in film started at a very young age when he made skits with his friends. His 2024 film This Is The Summer explores the aspirations and uncertainties of teenagers in the limbo space between high school and university.

Charlotte Bondy and Madison Caurauna have been a duo in filmmaking since grade school. From iPad iMovies to entering the Toronto Film Festival, their love for creating will continue to grow. Charlotte’s passion for film stems from acting; most recently she played Susan MacDowell in Michael Stasko’s Vampire Zombies... From Space. Madison Caruana was introduced to film at an early age by her father, Chris Caruana the creator of the film ‘Blue Paint’, Madison’s first on screen exposure. Madison and Charlotte are excited to see what new projects their future holds.

Hailey Hickens-Mcleod is a first year in TMU, who specialize in writing, costumes and makeup/hair, photography, picture editing and photo editing, character work and I've worked in musical theatre.

Hira Keshvala is an emerging 17 year old filmmaker and high school student based in Toronto, Canada. She is passionate about exploring identity and girlhood through her films.

Laura Kirsch is a grade 12 student at Harbord Collegiate Institute. She first fell in love with TV and movies as a child, and since then her obsession has only grown with her now heading to TMU for film next year. Her current goal is to make films that bring a smile to people’s faces, and her ultimate goal is to make ones that push people to think from a new perspective.

Katie Solomon is a second year film student at the University of Windsor. She enjoys incorporating visual metaphors into her work and letting them speak for itself. Her goal in filmmaking is to evoke emotion from the audience.

Nikhil Gupta is a 15 year-old student at Upper Canada College (UCC). His passion for storytelling via short films includes sci-fi, dramas, comedies and documentaries. He has an interest in highlighting social causes, recently making a documentary on food insecurity in Toronto. Nikhil is Co-Head of UCC's College Film Club and was Production Head for the World Affairs Conference this past year. In his spare time, Nikhil enjoys flying his drone, creating Lego dioramas and running.

Cohen is a 13-year-old filmmaker from Brooklin, Ontario who loves telling stories through film. He make movies with no budget, using whatever gear, friends or family to help me bring my ideas to life. He's passionate about creating films that challenge me to grow as a storyteller.

Karina, a grade 12 Waterloo, Ontario, at the time of making this film, has been involved in music since early childhood. During the pandemic lockdown, she took the opportunity to learn music composition and animation. She aims to combine these skills to narrate compelling stories. Karina began her studies of 3D Animation & VFX at Vancouver Film School in the fall of 2024.