FESTIVAL JURY
Each year, Toronto Youth Shorts bring to the festival established voices in the film, media, and entertainment industry to determine the slate of annual festival awards.
Each year, Toronto Youth Shorts bring to the festival established voices in the film, media, and entertainment industry to determine the slate of annual festival awards.
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Kelly Boutsalis is the Associate Programmer, International, Canadian Features at the Toronto International Film Festival. As a freelance writer, she has written about film and television for The New York Times, NOW Magazine, ELLE Canada, Flare, Realscreen, and POV Magazine. The bulk of her journalism focuses on telling positive Indigenous stories. Originally from the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve, she moved to London, Ontario, for a BA in comparative literature at Western University, and then Toronto for Humber College’s postgraduate journalism program. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two small kids, one named after their grandfather and the other for a member of Wu-Tang Clan.
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Vanessa Esteves is an accomplished writer, director, executive producer, and content creator, currently serving as Head of Production at Nelvana Studios. With a proven track record in the children’s entertainment industry, Vanessa has creatively overseen a wide range of projects across all genres. Most recently, she co-created the animated series Super Wish, further solidifying her reputation for producing engaging and innovative content. Her leadership and creative vision have helped shape numerous successful children’s programs in the world of animation and family entertainment.
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With extensive editing experience on more than 75 feature films and more
than 350 hours of television content ranging from dramas to comedies, Yvann Thibaudeau has established himself as an exceptional editor in the Canadian and international cinema panorama. His tireless quest for excellence has allowed him to maintain remarkable quality in his works, rewarded with multiple prestigious distinctions. He is particularly recognized for his work on award-winning works such as Starbuck (2012 Bobine d'Or Genie Prize, 2012 Jutra Billet d'Or Prize) and on successful TV series like Transplant and 19-2 for CTV/NBC or the sticky with Amazon, without forgetting his notable contribution to many romantic comedies like French Girl and What if. Throughout his distinguished career, Yvann has been honored with four major awards in Quebec and has been the subject of numerous nominations, including seven times for the Canadian Screen Awards and seven times for the CCE Awards, proof of his talent and impact. significant in the industry. Over the years he’s worked with Paramount, NBC, Netflix, Amazon, Crave, Bravo, CTV, CBC, and more leading him from LA to Paris passing by Toronto and other major cities. He has served on many juries’ panel across Canada and is a member of both the CCE and 514 Aqtis-Iatse. He was recently inducted into the prestigious Marquis who’s who in America Biographical registry. Always aiming further, Mr. Thibaudeau now aspires to broaden his horizons towards production. Building on his impressive career, Yvann Thibaudeau is resolutely focused on the future, promising that the best is yet to come. |
T24 PROJECT JURY
Three past winners of the Visual Thesis Award will determine this year's winner.
Three past winners of the Visual Thesis Award will determine this year's winner.
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Alex Kingsmill is an award-winning Director, Cinematographer, and Visual Effects artist based in Toronto, Canada. He owns and operates Beyond Wonderland Films, a Toronto-based visual effects and production company. Alex sits on the board of directors for Charles Street Video, a not-for-profit arts organization with a mandate to promote arts-based film and video work in Toronto and abroad.
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Philbert Lui is a film programmer, grant officer, and occasional artist/filmmaker. He currently serves as the Program Officer of film and audiovisual programming at The Japan Foundation, Toronto. He has worked with the Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter, Kollaboration Toronto, and the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival.
Whenever possible, Phil temporarily abandons time and space to dive into his endless watchlist of films, comics, music, and video games, often with a bag of chips nearby. He is grateful to the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival for their encouragement in the early days. It really all started with them. |
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Rebecca Whittaker is an experienced professional in the media industry, having worked in both television production and talent management. Now an independent content creator and video producer, she brings a wealth of expertise and creativity to her projects. Rebecca is a previous winner of the Visual Thesis Award for her participation in the T24 Project Challenge and is excited to bring her unique perspective to this year's judging panel.
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Orhan Sumen is an experienced filmmaker and editor based in Toronto, Canada, with over a decade of expertise across various areas of filmmaking, including directing, writing, production design, and editing. Born in Turkey, Orhan worked as a project manager at the Media PR company BEZE PR in Istanbul for two years. In 2009, he moved to Canada to attend Humber College's Film and Media Production program. He worked on YouTube show How To Cake It as lead editor before being promoted to Head of Production, helping to grow the show into a thriving baking brand. Orhan also collaborates with Dr. Siobhan Deshauer on her popular channel Violin MD, where his editing expertise contributes to creating engaging and educational content about the medical field. His work in YouTube editing has garnered over 600 million views across various projects.
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