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Event Schedule

Film Guide

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ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto is holding a nationwide contest for students to submit their films related to disability and Deaf experiences. Submissions are accepted from high school and post-secondary students of all ages who have lived experience and live in Canada.

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Who Are We?

Lora Campbell

Artistic Directorthey/them

Lora Campbell is a Canadian Screen Award nominated, disabled, trans-nonbinary creative, educator and trans/disability rights advocate from Newfoundland. A graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadian Film Centre, National Screen Institute and Banff Centre for the Arts, they have created award winning content for over a decade. They have directed on the Emmy Award winning television series ODD SQUAD (PBS), Canadian Screen Award Nominated THE FABULOUS SHOW WITH FAY AND FLUFFY (Amazon Prime/Family Channel) and the upcoming AUNTIE B’s PLACE (CBC). They have created educational programs for and participated in arts management for many organizations including the Inside Out Film Festival, St. John’s International Womens Film Festival, and others.

Nivie Singh

Festival Managerthey/them

Nivie Singh aka dj5rivers is an entrepreneur, sound selecta, community builder & spoken word poet hailing from Tkaronto. They have been involved in resistance and arts spaces for over (11) years across the Nation(s) mainly working in Music and Digital Media sectors. Their work reimages BIPOC story telling, governance models and redistribution of information and funding. Passionate about working within anti-capitalist, anti-racist frameworks, Nivie's work is dedicated to building a bridge across communities, abilities and skill sets while centering community care and futuristic innovation. For more on their work outside of RAFFTO check out Pineapple Express Media.

Angelo Muredda

Jurorhe/him

Angelo Muredda is a Toronto-based teacher, film critic, and programmer. His writing on film has appeared in outlets such as Cinema Scope, The National Post, The Walrus, and Film Freak Central, and he is a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association. He has curated screening series and workshops for the MNJCC and the Royal Cinema. He holds a Ph.D. in English on representations of disability in Canadian literature and film from the University of Toronto. He teaches in the Department of English at Humber College, where he is also Reviews Editor for the Humber Literary Review.

Elspeth Arbow

Jurorshe/her

Elspeth Arbow is the Docs For Schools Coordinator at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and holds a specialist degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Toronto. She cares about connecting all kinds of people to all kinds of films for the purpose of education, entertainment, and identification. As a person with a myriad of chronic illnesses, Elspeth spends plenty of time watching movies, so naturally, she turned it into her job. When she can, she enjoys dancing, eating in restaurants, and productive complaining.

Robyn Grant-Moran

Jurorshe/her

Robyn Grant-Moran (Métis) is a Toronto based writer, artist, and podcaster. While studying classical singing at York University, Robyn became fascinated with Indigenous representation in opera which lead to studying theatre criticism. After graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Robyn began writing for theatre publications focused on elevating voices of those historically underrepresented and in 2019, Robyn won the inaugural Nathan Cohen Award for emergent critics. Her writing has been published in Intermission Magazine, The Dance Current, The Toronto Star, as well as the Globe and Mail. Robyn cohosts the Canadian Opera Company’s podcast Key Change, as well as being a member of their Circle of Artists, working for greater diversity and inclusion of Indigenous voices in opera. When not writing, Robyn is often making beaded jewelry as the Salty Magpie, and still riding out the pandemic with her wee rat dog in their box in the sky.

Michelle Asgarali

Jurorshe/her

Michelle Asgarali is the series producer and writer of Breaking Character, AMI’s new character-driven docuseries offering a candid look at disability in the entertainment industry. The 10-part series premièring April 27th, 2022, follows six performers with disabilities hustle to make their mark on stage, screen and the runway in Toronto-- aka Hollywood North. Her big break came only three years after working with THA Media as the casting and social media producer of the award-winning Employable Me Canada, following neurodivergent job seekers as they prove their disability doesn’t make them unemployable. Born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a rare neuromuscular disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness, Michelle is no stranger to the challenges of navigating the complex world of inclusive storytelling. She used her unique perspective to carve out a career in documentary and TV development, creating entertaining content accessible to all. Something Michelle hopes to foster in others within the industry. In a recent collaboration with ReelAbilities TO, she co-presented a workshop with Ophira Calof on documentary filmmaking from the perspective of Disability for the University of Toronto. In 2020 Michelle guest-curated a special shorts program at the North Bay Film Festival co-presented with ReelAbilities. Person Before Ability exploring disability representation through the language of film, where she organized and moderated an accessible Zoom Q&A with six filmmakers from Australia, Los Angeles and Ontario.

Ebony R. Gooden

Jurorshe/any

Ebony R. Gooden is an emerging artist, filmmaker, and activist based in Calgary, Alberta. With a passion for storytelling and a commitment to social justice, Gooden uses film as a means of exploring and exposing the experiences of marginalized communities.

Gooden received a BA in digital communication and visual/multimedia arts from Gallaudet University, a bilingual institution for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Washington, D.C. Since then, she has become an emerging filmmaker and has been the recipient of numerous grants from organizations such as the Canada Council for the Arts and the Calgary Arts Development. Gooden's films often focus on issues facing the Black Deaf community, as well as broader themes of identity, communication, and relationships.

In addition to her filmmaking work, Gooden is a co-founder of the SURVIVANCE Collective, an collective that aims to support and promote the work of Black Deaf artists. She is also a board member of the QuickDraw Animation Society and an EDIA consultant for Inside Out Theatre, both based in Calgary. Gooden's dedication to her craft and her commitment to social justice have made her an unique filmmaker and speaker. She has been invited to speak at numerous events and has served as a panelist and consultant for organizations such as the Calgary Development of Arts and the Black Arts Development Program.

With a growing body of work and a reputation as a passionate and insightful filmmaker, Ebony R. Gooden is poised to become a major force in the world of independent film. Whether she is exploring the complexities of the human experience or shining a light on issues that are often overlooked, Gooden's work is a testament to the power of storytelling to create change and foster empathy.

Connor Yuzwenko-Martin

Jurorhe/him

Connor Yuzwenko-Martin (he/him) is a Deaf creator and a fourth-generation settler with ancestry in Ireland and Ukraine. Both nations have a long and complicated history of working alongside or against the Indigenous peoples of Treaty 6, which include the Tsuut’ina, Nehiyawak, Anishnaabe, the Nakota Sioux, and the Niitsitapi. Connor is a public relations specialist, actor, producer, and playwright. He has nurtured a lifelong passion for theatre and accessibility, beginning in grade school with simple skits and continuing into his young adulthood with his first professional engagement as a rookie improvisor at Rapidfire Theatre. To date, he has worked with organizations including Edmonton Fringe, Intrepid Theatre/Victoria Fringe, Theatre SKAM, SOUND OFF Deaf Theatre Festival, Nextfest, RISER Edmonton, Tiny Bear Jaws, Good Women Dance, Outside the March, Quickdraw Animation Society, and Sync Canada. Currently he is slowly and gently launching The Invisible Practice, a hybrid Deaf arts collective and public relations agency based in amiskwaciy’waskahikan. The Invisible Practice will be premiering Carbon Movements, a solo Deaf contemporary movement performance, in March 2023, and has already produced and premiered After Faust as part of the RISER Edmonton 2023 season. Connor relentlessly explores the intersections between Deaf/Disability experience, art, advocacy, and leadership. He is also a certified Access Activator through Tangled Art+Disability’s training program. In 2021, Connor completed his Public Relations diploma from MacEwan University and also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Alberta (2014).

Anthony Q. Farrell

Writing Mentorhe/him

Anthony Q. Farrell is a BAFTA-winning, Emmy-nominated writer/producer who has worked in Canada, the US, and the UK for over 15 years. He is currently the creator, showrunner and executive producer of CTV's half-hour comedy Shelved. He has served as executive producer and showrunner of CBC's Run the Burbs, Overlord and the Underwoods, The Parker Andersons/Amelia Parker, and the BAFTA-winning Secret Life of Boys. Anthony's writing credits also include NBC's The Office, Nickelodeon's The Thundermans, and Little Mosque on the Prairie. Anthony was honoured as Showrunner of the Year at the Writers Guild of Canada Awards in 2022, after receiving the same title from Playback in 2021.

Ophira Calof

Writing Mentorshe/they

Ophira Calof is a multi-award winning disabled writer, performer and consultant who works to “crip the script,” centring disability knowledge and experience. Their credits include TallBoyz (CBC), Kids In The Hall (Amazon Prime), sketch comedy revue Generally Hospital (Canadian Comedy Award Nominee) and their solo show Literally Titanium, which has been featured in both academic and performance spaces as a case study in accessible production. They are currently story editing for an unannounced CBC comedy series.

Ophira is also the creative director for the Accessible Writers’ Lab, a national initiative presented by AMI, RAFFTO and sponsored by the Canada Media Fund, to experiment with what an accessible tv writers’ room might involve. Ophira was also the accessibility process lead for AccessCBC, and the curatorial committee lead for the 2022 ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto. They have taught workshops internationally on storytelling, writing, music, accessibility and disability narratives, and created the courses Sketch Comedy with Ophira Calof and Crip Storytelling, a series in partnership with Centre of Independent Living Toronto and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre.

Ophira graduated from Second City’s Writing and Sketch Conservatory programs and the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Emerging Creator’s Unit. They were featured in the Second City 2018 Toronto Diversity Fellowship Showcase, are the 2018 recipient of the Tim Sims Encouragement Award and received the 2021 Cahoots Theatre Promising Pen Prize. They are currently a TV writing fellow for the 2022 RespectAbility Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities.

Jesse Griffiths

Acting Mentorhe/him

Jesse Griffiths is a Casting Director. After over a decade of working as an actor in film, TV, and theatre, Jesse made a pivot and began his career in casting. He opened Jesse Griffiths Casting with the goal of combining his passion for the arts with his knowledge of local talent. His focus is, and will always be, to push for more inclusion and diversity in the casting process. He devotes part of his time to the development of the next generation of artists and has taught at Toronto Metropolitan University, Sheridan College, ACTRA Toronto, and leads a monthly workshop for Toronto's BIPOC community. He is a mentor at the Canadian Film Centre’s Actors Conservatory, a member of the Casting Society of America (CSA), serves on the Executive of the Casting Director's Society of Canada (CDC), and is on the professional advisory committee for Seneca College, George Brown College, and Toronto Metropolitan University. He is the proud recipient of the ACTRA Toronto Sandi Ross Award. Jesse is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University with a BFA in Theatre Performance.

Alexia Vassos

Acting Mentorshe/her

Alexia Vassos is an actor currently based in Toronto. An alumna from the Theatre and Drama Studies joint program between the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, she holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and an Advanced Diploma in Acting. Since graduating, she’s appeared both on stage and screen in a variety of theatre productions, commercial campaigns and TV/film ventures. In her recent endeavours, Alexia has been able to combine her love of the arts with her passion for disability advocacy, moderating events, participating on panels and facilitating workshops that focus on accessibility within the industry and reflect her experiences as a disabled artist. Upcoming project: Richard Three, Shakespeare in the RUFF.

Charlie Bystrom

Writing Menteehe/him

Charlie Bystrom is currently in the 4th year of his BA in English Literature at the University of British Columbia. He has previously worked as a Production Assistant on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW), Batwoman (CW), and Fire Country (CBS). As a TV writer and viewer, Charlie enjoys shows with character-driven plots of any genre. He aims to have all of the Disabled characters he creates be portrayed by a Disabled actor. Charlie hopes to one day write a script that will break a record for the highest number of Disabled cast and crew on a production.

Louisa Phung

Writing Menteeshe/they

Louisa Phung, writer and director for stage and screen, is based on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples known as Vancouver, BC. Shortly after being diagnosed with ADHD at 40 amid the lockdown, her writing career took off to include developing her first stage play with VACT’s MSG lab, completing her first feature-length screenplay with Reign Films and developing an immersive stage play incorporating video projection, animation, and performance with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. Louisa sat on the DGCBC’s EDI Committee for six years and is extremely excited to participate in RAFFTO’s inaugural screenwriting mentorship program.

Veronika Swartz

Writing Menteeshe/they

Veronika Swartz is a deaf actor, burlesque dancer, comedian and writer with over a decade of experience. She has studied various styles of writing with established teachers such as Jen Whalen, Daniela Saioni, Dawn Whitwell and Albert Howell, as well sketch and improv with various instructors at Second City and others. For the stage she wrote and performed for the critically acclaimed Shameless Dames burlesque troupe for almost a decade in Toronto and writes and performs stand-up also. For the page, she has been published in Eye Weekly, Sex Life Canada, and is currently a contributor to The Beaverton.

Sivert Das

Acting Menteehe/him

Sivert Das is a biracial, visibly, and invisibly disabled immigrant actor, voiceover artist, writer, musician, comedian, and activist based in Toronto. He's a University of Victoria's performance program and Second City Conservatory graduate. He is the first physically disabled person of color to graduate from those programs. He has worked all over Canada as an actor and writer from BC to Ontario. He has written several plays and his writing has also been published by Intermission magazine. His work combines the absurd and the fantastical mixed with poignant social commentary. His activism focuses on raising awareness for Disabled and BIPOC communities.

Victoria Urquhart

Acting Menteeshe/her

Victoria is an award-winning Neurodivergent Mad, Queer, actor, writer and director. She frequently pursues projects that create access for audiences facing isolation, including the Julius Caesar Project, and the Shakespeare-In-Hospitals Program. Most recently, she directed/dramaturged WITCH: A semi-staged reading in the One Night Only Festival and entered development of her play, I, Can Fly through the support of RealWheels Theatre’s Writer's Circle, the Playwright’s Guild of Canada, Nightwood Theatre and the Canada Council for the Arts. She was also named a finalist for the 2022 Cayle Chernin Awards for her upcoming play, Don’t Say His Name. Big love to Jeff and Whitney.

Benjamin Faulknor

Acting Menteehe/him

Nichole Yamchuk

Development Officershe/her

Nichole Yamchuk is a dedicated advocate for the disability community, leveraging her personal experiences with hearing impairments and neurodivergence to fuel her passion for inclusion and accessibility. With 16 years of experience in the fundraising profession, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a wide array of fundraising strategies to her role as the Fund Development Officer for the Reel Abilities Film Festival Toronto. Nichole is deeply committed to supporting the growth and expansion of the festival, using her expertise to ensure its success. As the founder of Advocate Fundraising, she has a proven track record of assisting nonprofit organizations in achieving their fundraising goals. Her dedication to the disability community, combined with her fundraising skills, positions her as a valuable asset to the Reel Abilities team. Beyond her professional pursuits, Nichole is a proud member of the Ukrainian Canadian community, actively advocating for Ukraine and Ukrainian immigrants. She strives to bring attention to the ongoing war, working towards its resolution and seeking justice against Russian terror. A passionate traveler and adventurer, Nichole approaches each day with enthusiasm and positivity. As a vegan and self-proclaimed hippy, she lives in harmony with her values and embraces a sustainable lifestyle. With her diverse background, unwavering dedication, and proven fundraising expertise, Nichole Yamchuk is poised to make a significant impact as the Fund Development Officer for the Reel Abilities Film Festival Toronto. She embodies the same passion, advocacy, and commitment to inclusion and accessibility demonstrated by the talented individuals on the festival team.

Effie Biliris

Outreach and Volunteer Coordinatorshe/her

Effie Biliris is excited to be a part of the ReelAbilities team as the Volunteer Coordinator. She is a passionate advocate for inclusion in her work and day-to-day life. Having been a volunteer and staff-member at organizations such as Holland Bloorview and the Miles Nadal JCC, she is eager to support her RAFF volunteer colleagues. Additionally, Effie is a photographer whose work has been displayed at exhibits across Toronto including Artscape Youngplace, the MNjCC gallery and Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Effie currently is the Manager for the Wagner Green Centre for Access and Inclusion department at the Miles Nadal JCC and is looking forward to meeting and supporting all the volunteers of the festival.

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Give Me Liberty

Kyrill Mikhanovsky | Feature | USA | Narrative

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Give Me Liberty

Kyrill Mikhanovsky | Feature | USA | Narrative

Film Page

Give Me Liberty

Kyrill Mikhanovsky | Feature | USA | Narrative

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