Solara (she/her) is a Vietnamese-Chinese writer, director & artist currently creating and residing in Vancouver, Canada as a guest on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territory.

Solara expresses herself primarily through film, writing, and movement. She enjoys conversing with others in English, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and tender smiles. Her creative process is currently informed by trauma, feminine identity, nostalgia, violence, and the human experience. Her ability to meet deadlines is thanks to her personal manager & cat companion, Mei Mei.

Juan Imperial (He/She/They) is an emerging Filipinx Queer, Non Binary Femme artist with roots in Vogue and Waacking. Juan has been spreading the joy of vogue to QTBIPOC for 6 years through Van Vogue Jam Arts Society. They see its powerful potential to be a vessel for liberation, protest, joy, and family and dedicates most of their time and energy to building up these communities. Currently, Juan is in the process of threading their ancestral and spiritual practices with dance and is discovering how these practices can help forge pathways to liberation in the body and in the community.

Lauren Brady is a multidisciplinary artist born in Calgary, Alberta, on Treaty 7 territory. Lauren began her artistic journey training in various dance styles at age 3. In 2021 she graduated from the BFA in Acting program with distinction at the University of Alberta and entered the Edmonton and Calgary arts community. Lauren is known for her work combining contemporary dance and Pochinko clown. She has created several works in festivals across Alberta. Works include clown and choreography for, The Nextfest Festival, Fluid Festival, The Common Clown Festival, Play the Fool, and various self-produced film projects.

Thomas Kassian is a queer emerging Amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton) based stage and film actor who holds his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting degree from the University of Alberta. Alongside this he is also a graduate of Citadel’s Young Musical Company program, receiving extensive training in acting, movement, and voice. Thomas loves to collaborate with new and familiar faces as he is driven by his passion for the arts which has brought him to perform in many stage and film productions across Alberta. He has produced and directed many film projects including the Telus STORYHIVE documentary "Queer in the Burbs".

Kevin Jin Kwan Kim is a Korean-Canadian editor and director based in "Vancouver, BC," the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. His directorial work has been recognized both locally and internationally, having played at festivals in Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and more. Due to his background as an editor, his work tends to be rhythmic and capture emotions by finding the most powerful connections between shots. He highly values collaboration in his work and aims to tell stories based around real individuals and events.

Jullianna is a dancer and interdisciplinary artist based in Vancouver on the traditional and unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. As she finishes her BFA Honors in Dance from Simon Fraser University, her interests lie in the passage of information and non-verbal communication expressed from one body to another through movement, sound, and media.

Having grown up on the lands of the Musqueam, Tsawwassen and Kwantlen Nations (otherwise known as Richmond), Seth now attends Capilano University and is in his third year of study completing his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. Frequenting the jazz scene in the lower mainland, Seth enjoys his time playing in bands and quintets alongside his amazing friends and learning new instruments whenever possible.

Ankita Alemona is a performing artist, director and producer rooted in Kalaripayattu (an ancient form of martial arts from South India), dance and theatre. She is a disciple of Lakshman Gurukkul, Shatrughnan Gurukkul and Radhika Gurukkul of Hindustan Kalari Sangam and Kalarigram. She is also the founder of Nautanki Creations, a collective that shares ideas through artistic forms of expression and develops opportunities for cross-cultural engagement between artists working in Canada and India, her two home countries. Her artistic work has been supported by numerous artistic institutions including Soulpepper Theatre Company, Toronto Dance Theatre, Sampradaya Dance Creations, Canada Arts Council and Ontario Arts Council.

Raam Kumar is a Kalaripayattu performer and instructor from Kerala, South India. He is also a contemporary dancer, choreographer and physical theatre performer. Raam Kumar is the great grandson of the renowned Veera Shree C.V.Narayanan Nair, the founder of the internationally renowned institute C.V.N Kalari Sangam and the Kerala Kalaripayattu Association. He has worked as a long-time instructor at Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, one of India’s foremost contemporary dance institutions and is known for integrating elements of Kalaripayattu into his choreographic work; he has taught many students the practice of Kalaripayattu, and worked with an incredible number of dancers over the years.

My name is Pete Kytwayhat, I am from Treaty 6 territory as a registered member of Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation Band. I currently reside in Vancouver which occupies the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I am a father to a wonderful 7-year-old awâsis. I am also a 4th year Film and Media Production major at the First Nations University of Canada.

My name is Sydney Vidler. I am 16 years old (born in 2006) and I live in British Columbia or more specifically, Port Moody. I started doing ballet when I was two years old and carried that forward for many years. I got into other types of dance growing up and by eight years old I was dancing competitively. That is around the time that I started practicing modern and contemporary dance. I found myself with a big passion for it and have been working on it ever since. Dance will forever be a big part of my life.

My name is Chanel Hulston and I’ve spent most of my 18 years in Calgary, Alberta. For as long as I can remember, creative expression has been an integral part of my own self discovery. I've experimented with writing, editing and filming, and It has especially been an asset to my street dance. Experimenting with these activities enriched my understanding of not only who I am, but additionally, the various types of self expression that is available. I have always valued using movement and film as a mode of communication and my main goal is to communicate this with others.

My name is Isabella Tarasoff. I’m 17 years old and currently live in Calgary, Alberta. The most consistent aspect of my life has been art and I’m very appreciative of all the outlets I have been introduced to. Starting technical dance at the age of four and continuing my dance journey as it has evolved over the course of my life where I now hope to pursue a career in it. One of the major shifts in my life was being introduced to street dance! As I’m starting my creative career as a dancer, artist, choreographer, I’m excited to further develop my knowledge on all aspects of art and dance.

Aurora is a 16-year old self-taught artist. She enjoys expressing herself through many hobbies, including drawing, archery, sculpting and swimming! She has an avid passion for psychology and conservation, and often tries to blend the two in different art forms to share her ideas with the world. Aurora hopes that her film ‘Crooked’ will allow other young people to see the beauty within themselves, and to know that you don’t have to be perfect to be worthy. We’re all a little crooked.

Ella McCartney (she/her) is a youth artist from Vancouver Island. She is an aspiring creative and this film is her first published project in the world of visual media and recorded movement. She hopes viewers will enjoy their individual interpretation of her film.

Sarah is 18 years old and has been a dancer since she was only 2 years old. She found her passion for film making when she was 13 and has been a film producer for her school dance program, as well as local dance studios for the past 3 years. After recently graduating high school, she is looking to further her education of film making and push the limits of her creative mindset.

Liam started dancing at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet when he was four years old and has been dancing ever since. He started with Gabriola Pilates and Dance in 2012 and joined Dancestreams this past year. Liam has performed in 15 productions including ballet, contemporary, hip hop and musical theatre.

Liam has been making short films since he was 10 after his Dad introduced him to iMovie. He’s entering grade 11 and he currently goes to Dover Bay Secondary School.

My name is Anika Takahashi, and I'm a motivated, disciplined, and goal-oriented high school student who always aspires to be the best version of myself. I adore playing badminton, dancing, and photography are a few of my interests. I've always been motivated to try various media art forms and desired to succeed in that field. One day, I came across the F-O-R-M program, which offered me an excellent opportunity to learn more about filmmaking as I enjoy pushing my limits and discovering different media types.

My aspirations as an artist (and filmmaker) is to give voice to as many stories as possible—the complexities of the human condition unraveled in experiences of people themselves. In short, I'm a high school student who is passionate about the creative arts. In addition to producing film, I also enjoy writing, dance, painting and drawing. Often found binging animation students’ thesis films on YouTube, I find myself being inspired by any and every little thing. This time, I’m working with Alaya Butler, a talented university student in Mississauga, to tell a powerful story about being a woman.

Jenna Wadden (she/her) is an emerging dance artist from Vancouver, BC which is situated on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She is currently in her second year of studies at the University of Calgary and is working towards her BFA degree in dance. Before starting university, Jenna trained with The Landing Dance Centre. She has also attended summer intensives run by Modus Operandi and the AMOK project for the past 2 years. Throughout her adolescence, Jenna enjoyed creating short films and is excited to be debuting her first film on recorded movement.

Valeria Mondragon Vargas is a 16 year old who was born and raised in Mexico City and currently lives in British Columbia, Canada. When she was 5 years old she developed a curiosity about art and start taking painting classe. Since then she has learned to draw, paint, weave, make crafts, etc. Valeria has always wanted to work in something related to art. During the pandemic in one of her art classes, she fell in love with the idea of making movies and series while studying storyboarding. Now she is pursuing her dreams by making her official first short film.