Jimmy Blais

Jimmy is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, he is of Plains Cree and French settler heritage.

Born and raised in Montreal, Jimmy graduated from Concordia’s Theatre Performance Program. He is a seasoned stage and film actor. He has worked professionally for over 10 years, for companies like The Stratford Festival, The Centaur, Geordie Productions, Porte Parole and La Licorne. He has had roles in television and film for HBO Canada, Discovery Channel, CBC and Space as well as multiple award winning short films. Jimmy's most notable tv role was playing Watio for five seasons in APTN's hit series Mohawk Girls. He is also the host of a new travelling docu-series called The 66th: The People of The Arctic Circle. Jimmy is also a writer, director, mentor and coach. He spent several years as a visiting artist/associate professor at Concordia University and as a mentor in Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program. He was the Indigenous Artist in Residence for the 2016 Students On Ice Expedition to the Arctic. Jimmy just successfully completed the Indigenous Artist In Residence at The National Theatre School of Canada, where he spent 18 months focusing on creation and playwrighting. His play “Sonny's Way” was presented at Native Earth's Weesageechak Begins To Dance festival in Toronto in November 2019 and is set to be produced in 2022.

Maliha Khalid

Hi! My name is Maliha, and I am excited to meet you.

I am a photographer and filmmaker by passion. I mostly enjoy media that involves meaning behind it, and you will see that in my work. I choose to carry on what I do because I find it's a way to connect with people on the daily. And that's what I'm all about. Connections. Hoping to connect with you and be a part of your journey.

Melissa Jim

Melissa Jim is a Toronto based film and television production & clearance coordinator who has been with Big Soul Productions for over 8 years. She is a proud member of the Witchekan Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. Her cultural knowledge of the Indigenous people in Ontario and the rest of Canada, has been introduced and influenced by working and coordinating all of Big Soul’s Indigenous themed productions, which are: music videos, corporate projects, short films, PSA’s, television series and feature films.

Some of the projects include: A feature film entitled “Fire Song”, three seasons of a variety series entitled “Guilt Free Zone”, and a docu-series entitled “AskiBOYZ”. She is currently working with Big Soul Productions who are producing a docu-series called Friday Night Thunder.

Patrick Shannon

Patrick Shannon, also known as Nang Ḵ‘uulas is an Indigenous film director, award-winning social entrepreneur, and university instructor from Haida Gwaii, Canada. Patrick’s work centres around social and cultural justice, and the elevation of marginalized voices through education, youth mentorship,media, and technology.

Inspired by his cultural upbringing, Patrick endeavours to use technology and media to empower locals in addressing the social & cultural issues within Canada’s Indigenous communities. He has a decade of experience working within the Vancouver film, television and design industries, and currently operates a multimedia creative studio based out of Haida Gwaii, Canada.

Patrick’s passion for discovering new ways to strengthen his culture comes in the form of storytelling through film and media. This passion continues into his work with youth as Patrick mentors young Indigenous and settler filmmakers while providing many opportunities for them to get experience in film.

Ron Leach

Voted best Casting Director of 2018 by the International Association of Top Professionals, Ron Leach has distinguished himself casting for Feature Film; Television features and Series; Video Games; Commercials; Short Film; Documentary Film; and Theatre. He has won over a dozen best screenwriting awards in the past few years, as well as numerous producing and directing awards for his many short films. Ron is the Chairman of the Board of The Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion; proud member of the Casting Directors Society of Canada; Producer’s Roundtable Organization and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

Shanik Tanna

Hello. I’m a creative producer based in Toronto with over 10 years of experience building brands and creating visuals that people love. My approach incorporates brand marketing, creative production, filmmaking, graphic design, photography, and social strategy.

Right now, I work as a creative producer at Shopify, and lead a creative collective called Recess that utilizes workshops, content, and events to empower creatives.