Producer and Interdisciplinary Artist
Inanna Magdalena Cusi
Inanna Cusi is a France born Mexican-Austrian-Canadian filmmaker who has has directed and produced award-winning films and video art. After studying film at Simon Fraser University, directing multiple short films and producing an indie feature, she expanded her knowledge of analog motion picture darkroom developing. Through a mentorship at Cineworks, she learned from experts to develop 8mm and 16mm film projects. Her 16mm film Walk and Talk won a Leo Awards for best cinematography, and her Public video art Glitter loop has been shown at several screens across the city. She is now pursuing a Critical Ecological Practices MFA at Emily Carr University aiming to combine her interdisciplinary arts with a sustainable, renewable, and recyclable approach to materials and media use. She has produced a variety of video art, experimental narratives, and documentary films with a passion for making Canadian cinema for the theaters.
Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996 to parents of Iranian ancestry, Bijan Karim is a Vancouver based filmmaker, screenwriter and actor who has made feature and short films. Bijan brings a multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural lens to indie cinema, frequently weaving Middle Eastern poetry and martial arts philosophies into his storytelling. He is a member of Writer’s Guild of Canada, and he a UBCP member. He holds a BFA and MA in Contemporary Arts from Simon Fraser University and has worked as a Teaching Assistant. Operating at the intersection of low-budget ingenuity and bold creative vision, he has written, directed, and starred in three independent feature films. Driven by existential themes and experimental narrative strategies, his work offers a blueprint for navigating the contemporary grassroots filmmaking landscape.