Frances-Anne Solomon is an accomplished writer, filmmaker, and producer in film, TV, radio, theatre, and new media with a dazzling body of work and credits. Born in England to Trinidadian parents, she was raised and educated in the Caribbean and Canada before moving to Great Britain where she built a successful career with the BBC. Since her return to Toronto in 2000, Solomon has continued to write, direct, and produce her own projects. She is best known for her work on the TV series 'Lord Have Mercy', and her most recent film, 'A Winter's Tale' that has received many prestigious international awards. Frances-Anne is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the celebrated Caribbean Tales Film Festival, witnessed recent success with her hit stage play 'Lockdown', which premiered during the 2009 Toronto Fringe Festival and is the owner of her own production company – Leda Serene Films.

Louis Taylor has worked in the arts, theatre and film industry as a Producer, Actor, Teacher, Acting Coach, Dancer, Writer, Director (in theatre and film), Assistant Director, Casting Director, Outreach Co-coordinator and Script Consultant.

In 1997, on discovering his partner’s pregnancy, he began writing Esther, Baby & Me. It became a huge festival hit and screened at over 25 festivals. You Are Evil, his second film, was one of only 4 Canadian films to be selected for the 60th Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica (Venice Film Festival). He is the first African-Canadian to screen there. His third and fourth short films, Moloch and David & the Conglomerate, were produced for Bravofact. The Dealer, a 30 second anti-Harper ad is still receiving hits on Youtube.

Presently he is developing his own theatre and film projects as a director / writer / producer / performer and working as an assistant director.

Owen Sheppard is a documentary filmmaker and internationalist working predominantly in Toronto, Canada, and Nairobi, Kenya. His short, often experimental documentaries focus on the divides and bridges between communities, and on the struggle to forge a revolutionary culture capable of confronting material inequality and its attendant injustices. He is particularly interested in how the process of film and video production can serve as a catalyst for broader community mobilization, and is currently working to establish the Rebel Film Board (RFB), a network of video activists dedicated to this objective.

After graduating from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson, Duane cut his teeth directing music videos for various artists at both major and independent labels. In 2004, Duane won two MMVAs, Best R&B and Best Hip Hop, for two of his videos. Duane shot his first commercial in 2003, and has since directed spots for a variety of clients including VW, Toyota, Rogers, Sick Kids and Ontario Tourism. In 2005, Duane won a Shots’ Young Director Award in Cannes for his Adidas 3 spec spot. Duane joined Radke Film Group for representation in early 2008, and just recently finished shooting his first feature film.

Nicole Brooks has over a decade of experience as a Producer/Writer/Director in TV and Film. In 2005 she founded her own Film/Television production company – Asah Productions Inc – and TV credits include Divine Restoration (Vision TV – Producer), Echo (Sun TV – Producer)and Living in Toronto (CBC – Producer).

Brooks began her Film career with the short film – Spun Out – which premiered at The Female Eye film festival. Her experimental drama – The Sweetest Sounds – made its debut at the Montreal World Film Festival.

Her feature length directorial debut – A Linc Time – an hour-long documentary reflecting the life and achievements of The Honourable Lincoln Alexander, Canada’s first black MP, is set to air on OMNI Television in Winter 2009.

Karen Chapman burst onto the Toronto filmmaking scene in 2004 at the Mpenzi Film Festival with her debut short film – Me in the Mirror – an experimental short film about the pressures of trying to be beautiful in the surrounding pressures of media. Chapman quickly followed up on this piece with her feature length debut – Who Killed Hip Hop: Faking the Funk – a look and retrospective on Canadian Hip-Hop’s place within Canada.

In 2007, Chapman returned to the theme of appearance and the internal voice with her hit short film – Beauty Lies – winner at the 2008 Vancouver International Student Film Festival. Chapman is currently completing another feature on the celebrated Caribana Festival whilst completing her studies at film school in Vancouver.

In 2006, Erin co-created and organized Imbokodo, the first international women's hip hop festival in Johannesburg. Her documentary, Counting Headz, tells the story of South African hip hop through women’s stories. It has screened on six continents, been nominated for several awards, and opened the inaugural Black Lily Film Festival in Philadelphia. She recently co-produced the feature - Mothers & Daughters - which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Award at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival. Erin was the Marketing Coordinator for DOXA (2009), Western Canada's largest documentary film festival, and is currently developing her debut feature film, SuperBlack Fly.

Powys Dewhurst is a director and DOP, primarily interested in fantasy, satire, science fiction to explore social issues. He has been involved in community organizations such as LIFT and the Black Film and Video Network, in addition to shooting TV series for Bravo! Dewhurst has recently spent time working as a DOP in Africa. He was also selected as a ReelWorld Film Festival Emerging 20 of 2008/2009, and for CFTPA-TELEFILM producer trainee program 1 of 6, 2007. In 2006 he won the ‘Best in Country’ photography award by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. His recent shorts have won awards or screened in Texas, South Africa, Brazil, Chicago, Boston, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Toronto and the British Film Institute in England.

Ivory Coast native, Pascal Aka, is a graduate of the Carleton University Film Studies program and is a filmmaker rapidly charting his own way to the top. Aged 24 and currently working on his second feature-length movie Evol The Movie, Aka is currently gaining major national and international attention for his debut feature film, Jamie and Eddie: Souls of Strife, which has one awards and nominations for Best Action Sequence and Best Action Film at the Action on Film Festival in L.A, as well as being voted the best film by a local filmmaker in the Ottawa Xpress Magazine. Aka is a multi-faceted filmmaker, accomplished in directing, DOP, editing, choreography, lighting and sound recording and editing. Aka is also the Vice President of the Independent Filmmaker’s Cooperative of Ottawa.