2020 Festival Jury
Thank you to our 2020 Jury, which is chalk full of experienced professionals in the film and media industries from Ottawa or with Ottawa connections, for reviewing the submissions and giving constructive feedback to our filmmakers!
Stef Armstrong
Stef Armstrong is a Producer in Vancouver, BC. She is currently working on season 2 of the Freeform series Motherland: Fort Salem. She recently produced a short film called Daydream (Sony), which premiered at the 2019 NAB Show in Las Vegas, and was featured in Film and Digital Times Magazine. Stef has also worked on such television shows as Beyond (Freeform), Siren (Freeform), Charmed (CBS, CW), and on the films Ghosting (Freeform), Noelle (Disney+), and Secret Society of Second Born Royals (Disney+).
Robert Bockstael
During his nearly 40 years in the industry Robert has worked as an actor and director in theatres across Canada garnering many accolades and awards, among them the Ottawa Critic's Circle Award for Best Actor. Series television and feature films have taken him around the world, earning him more recognition, including two Gemini Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in the hit series North of 60. Robert has voiced dozens of animated series from X-men to Sailor Moon. He is also an acting coach, has written and directed numerous short films and is a published author.
Heidi Lasi
Heidi Lasi is an award-winning director, producer and writer and, while the subject matter of her productions has varied widely, her focus on compelling storytelling, captivating characters, and visually stunning cinematography provides a distinctive through-line to all her work.
Her work includes the documentary The Oasis Affair and the web series Brothel Justice. Currently, she is developing The Tom Tyler Mysteries, based on the book series by Maureen Jennings (Murdoch Mysteries), a comedy series Girl Friday (starring Gina Phillips), and documentary Know Her Name (with Zainab Muse).
Nathan Estabrooks
As a director and producer of micro-budget features and multi-million dollar productions, Nate has an exceptionally wide and practical film experience to draw from. A graduate of the prestigious Norman Jewison Canadian Film Centre, he is a founding member of Space Tigers Inc, a production pipeline offering VFX and post production services in Ottawa. In addition Nate is a longtime instructor and workshop educator at SIFT, DIGI60, SawVideo, Algonquin College and the Ottawa Acting Company.
Lynn Tarzwell - Screenplay Jury
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