Toronto Youth Shorts
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HENRY C.M. WONG - Festival Director
Henry is no stranger to the local festival circuit. Besides being the Founder of Toronto Youth Shorts in 2009, he has also worked with Reel Asian, Canadian Film Fest, and Planet in Focus. Henry produced the Rockie Awards, an international program competition for the Banff World Media Festival, for four years. Outside of his festival work, he has provided event coordination and support to the Canadian Film Centre and the Scarborough Walk of Fame and regularly takes part in community and youth-based initiatives in the arts. Henry is the recipient of a 2016 Legacy Award as well as a 2010 Chinese Canadian Youth Achievement Award for his contributions to the Toronto arts community.
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VICTORIA KUCHER - Programmer
Victoria is a screenwriter, producer, actor and comedian. For the past 10 years she has worked with TIFF and imagineNATIVE Media + Arts Festival, and 8 years with Images Festival, along with working alongside various other Toronto based film festivals. She has a BA in Theatre from York University, and is a graduate of The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (NYC). Dedicated to creating new comedic content featuring women, for screen and stage, Victoria was a featured screenwriter/producer in the 2020 WIFT Scripted Series Incubator and the 2018 Women On Screen Digital Series program. Victoria is Co-Founder and Executive Producer of the women’s film cooperative, Counterbalance Collective.
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KELLY LUI - Programmer
Kelly is a community arts facilitator who is constantly interested in the ways digital media can be a site and tool for social change. She is a graduate from the Masters of Environmental Studies program at York University with a focus on critical food pedagogy, film, and critical theory. Kelly is a lover of film though she doesn't nearly watch enough content. She is a fan of horror, the Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended edition), and transmedia films.
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VINCENT MARTINO - Programmer
Vincent Martino is an independent filmmaker and a recent graduate of York University’s Film Program. Born and raised in Toronto, Vincent started making films on VHS with his friends when he was just a kid. In 2009 he started the production company Renegade Bros. Productions with his longtime friend, and they have since created dozens of short films. Vincent also works at the City of Brampton as their Digital & Video Content Specialist.
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NORA MARKU - Programmer
Nora Marku is the Director of the Albanian Film Association, based in Toronto (established in 2017). She holds a BFA in Film Production from York University, and has worked extensively in the film and cultural sectors in both Toronto and Kosovo. Most recently, she’s spent time working at the Toronto International Film Festival, and serves as a pre-screener for the DokuFest Documentary and Short Film Festival, based in Prizren, Kosovo. Nora is also an organizing member of Albanians Active Now, a non-profit group which organizes events to raise awareness on global social issues, and how they pertain to Albanians. She currently works as a live captioner with Ai-Media. 
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LYNN MATE - Programmer
Lynn Mate is a recent U of T graduate in Physics and Cinema Studies. An active part of the Toronto film community, she has volunteered with the Canadian Film Fest, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and Hot Docs. She loves both documentary and narrative film genres, and aspires to write and direct her own films.
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IRENE LOPEZ - Marketing Coordinator
Specialized in the live entertainment industry, Irene's past work includes musical theatre productions, tour management and music/art festivals within North America, The Caribbean, South America, and Asia. She is an experienced casting director working with artists and creatives from London’s West End to New York’s Broadway scene. With a passion for arts and film, Irene has collaborated with young cinematographers to create original content and entertainment for audiences at large.
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ROSE KIM - Junior Programmer
Rose is a first year Media Production student at Ryerson University. She is passionate about digital design, videography, and writing. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the guitar and ukulele and have recently found a love for baking. She excited to be part of the Junior team again and look forward to working with the rest of the team.
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​DARINA STOITCHKOVA - Junior Programmer
Darina is a high school student studying film. In her spare time, she watches old spy movies, performs magic tricks for her cat, and writes website bios about herself in the third person.
Email: torontoyouthshorts [at] gmail [dot] com