MATT KENNEDY is a UBC Acting Conservatory graduate and an international award winning filmmaker. He began his film career in 2003 and has been teaching our SFU program since 2006. Matt has also worked at Tarlington Training Acting Studios and has appeared in numerous theatre productions around Vancouver. During the school year he can be found teaching acting at Mulgrave School as their Theatre Director and their in-house videographer and filmmaking expert.

LEVENTE MIHALIK is a Capilano University film school graduate and an international award-winning filmmaker. He began his film career in 2004 and has been teaching film since 2007. Levente has also worked at Tarlington Training Acting Studios as well as Vancouver Film Studios. In 2018, he received his UBC BEd, and in 2023, his UBC MEd in Media and Technology Studies. He currently teaches for the Surrey School District and was recently honoured as one of "B.C.’s most enterprising young business leaders” in the BC Business 30 Under 30 list.

DEMI PEDERSEN is a UBC Acting Conservatory graduate and an award winning actor. She began her career in theatre at the Vancouver Island University in 2010. Demi has been running acting camps since 2016 and joined the Young Moviemakers family in 2018. Besides acting, she also plays the drums professionally for various organizations including Awkward Stage Productions. During the school year she can be found playing in orchestras and drinking coffee at her local coffee shop.

LUCAS NASU NIELSEN is an award-winning filmmaker and a student at Mulgrave School who started with Young Moviemakers as a participant at just 7 years old! After three years of volunteering he was quickly hired as staff in 2019. Lucas has since been recognized for his talent in filmmaking winning "Best Technical Film" at the 2018 48 hour ZOOM Festival, as well as "Best Junior Comedy" at the 2019 BC Student Film Festival. Besides filmmaking, he is quite the athlete and can be found playing hockey, basketball, and golf during his spare time.

MONTANA ROSALLE is an accomplished Improv performer associated with the Actorium, Instant Theatre, The Improv Centre and has made notable appearances with the esteemed improv ensemble 'The Fictionals’. Beyond the stage, Montana can be found running his non-profit initiative, YVR Dungeon Masters, a project he founded in 2017. 

CALEB DYKS is an actor and multi-disciplinary artist originally from Ottawa, ON. He is a graduate of Studio 58’s acting program and sits on the Board of Directors at Pi Theatre. When Caleb isn’t acting, you can catch him working as a Front of House Manager at various theatres across Vancouver. With over 8 years of experience working with children & youth, Caleb is looking forward to his first summer with Young Movie Makers.

CHRIS HICKS is a distinguished graduate of Mulgrave's Film program, soon to unveil his talent to Vancouver's film industry. He garnered widespread recognition at the 2022 Zoom Film Festival, where he swept the awards, including his passion, Best Cinematography. Beyond film, Chris loves music and the great outdoors.

SARA ABDU WADOOD Is a visual artist who is deeply passionate about animation and teaching young people. She turned her passion for painting and drawing into a profession, eventually founding the Afghan Girls Animation Team in 2013. Sara studied Animation and Architecture at Baskent University in Turkey and later pursued English for academic purposes at UBC in Canada. Alongside her studies, she immersed herself in animation concept art at Vancouver Film School. Throughout her career, Sara has collaborated with prestigious organizations such as The Washington Post, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Malala Fund.

ZACH WOLFMAN is a UBC Acting Conservatory graduate and an award wining filmmaker and improv artist. He began his theatre career with Byng Arts' Drama program and joined the Young Moviemakers family in 2016. Zach is an alumni of UBC Improv and the College Improv Tournament. He has completed Canada's National Voice Intensive and was a finalist at the Canadian Improv Games. During the school year he can be found teaching improv at the Actorium and directing and performing with Instant Theatre and Off Key Musical.

ARNEL ALIWALAS is an Electronics Technologist Gradute, robotics enthusiast, Aikido black belt and Royal Canadian Air Force Tactical helicopter pilot. (We're not kidding!) He is a former instructor at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and joined the Young Moviemakers family is 2017 as a business advisor and Production Manager. Arnel has vast experience in business management and has been an invaluable asset to Young Moviemakers. In 2018 he received his Bachelor of Education from UBC and can be found teaching for the Surrey School district during the school year.

TOBIAS HARRISON began volunteering with Young Moviemakers at the SFU Summer program during 2016 and was hired as a Director the following year. He has worked on several projects for some of Vancouver's top bands as well as projects for Neon Rider Producer Danny Virtue and his charitable events. Tobias continues to further his knowledge of film through his work with Young Moviemakers and is currently completing his Bachelor of Fine Arts in film at Toronto's Ryerson University.

SONJA JACOBSEN is an award winning writer and has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing from UBC. She began her career in acting at Tarlington Training in 2006 and started writing her own novels in 2010. Sonja is an alumni of UBC’s Improv Team, has coached the Improv team at Kitsilano Secondary and joined the Young Moviemakers family in 2017. She is currently studying at the Humber College Comedy Writing and Performance Program in Toronto.

TAESIA MIHALIK is a graduate from the University of the Fraser Valley’s Applied Business and Technology program and began volunteering with our Young Moviemakers weekend program in 2015. She joined the Young Moviemakers family in 2018 and works as a Production Manager, Volunteer Coordinator and is the head of our Leadership Program. During the year Taesia can be found teaching our programs as well as planning various Young Moviemakers events, including our annual "Young Moviemakers Red Carpet Gala".

SEBASTIAN MARIN is an award winning filmmaker who began his career at our Young Moviemakers SFU program at the age of eleven. Sebastian joined the Young Moviemakers family in 2016 and has since won awards including "Best Picture" at the 2017 BC Student Film Festival as well as receiving the coveted "Most Passionate Filmmaker" award at the 2017 BC Z00M Festival. Sebastian is currently completing his Bachelor of Fine Arts in film at Toronto's Ryerson University.

MALACHY FERGUSON began his career at our Young Moviemakers SFU program at the age of nine. He won the Young Moviemakers "Best Actor" award in 2015 and began volunteering the following year. He was hired as a Director in 2018 where he quickly blossomed as a filmmaker. He is currently a student at the University of Victoria and can be found performing with his band "Couldn't Sleep" on the weekends.

JUN HYUNG KIM is an award winning filmmaker who began his career volunteering at our Young Moviemakers SFU program in 2015. Showing great skill and leadership, he quickly became the “wunderkind” of Young Moviemakers and was hired the following year. Jun has since developed a wide range of filmmaking skills, and even became the in-house videographer for his church. In 2018 he received his Bachelor of Education from UBC and can be found teaching for the Burnaby School District during the school year. 

BEN TAYLOR is a Carson Graham student and an award winning filmmaker who began his career at our Young Moviemakers SFU program at the age of 9. He has since created countless Young Moviemakers classics and has been recognized outside of our programs with awards such as "Best Technical Film" at the 2018 48 hour ZOOM Festival, as well as "Best Junior Comedy" at the 2019 BC Student Film Festival. After a few years as a volunteer Ben was hired as staff in 2019. When not making films he can be found skiing for whistler free ride club or working on his photography skills.

ANDERS REELY is a student at Burnaby North Secondary and is currently enrolled in the Ace-It Film and Broadcast Industry Training Program. He started with Young Moviemakers as a participant at 11 years old, where he created many films including the instant classic "Unicorn Hair” which was nominated for Best Picture at the 2017 Young Moviemakers Gala. After a year of volunteering he was quickly hired as staff in 2019. Besides filmmaking, he can be found dabbling in photography or producing FIRE hip-hop beats. 

BRONWYN HENDERSON is a UBC Acting Conservatory graduate and an award winning actress who joined the Young Moviemakers family in 2019. When not making films she can be found working in the local Vancouver theatre scene. She recently produced and starred in a production of The Russian Play by Hannah Moscovitch at the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Bronwyn has also appeared in the short film La Cartographe, which was screened internationally, at festivals such as VIFF and the Locarno Film Festival. In 2017 She was awarded with UBC’s Beatrice Johnson Wood Scholarship in Theatre.

NATHANIEL LETKEMAN is a Heritage Online School student and an award winning filmmaker who began his career at our Young Moviemakers ICC program at the age of 12. In 2018 he not only won the Young Moviemakers “Best Picture” award for his film Midnight Man, but also “Best Actor" and the "Audience Award" at the 2018 Real-2-Reel Youth Filmmakers Showcase. After a few years as a volunteer Nathaniel was hired as staff in 2019. When not making films he can be found practicing martial arts, playing the electric guitar, writing songs, and collaborating with other musicians.

PRANITI CHANDRAPANDEY is a graduate from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary but was also enrolled in the Britannia Film Academy District Program during her senior year. Her film “Humans of Translink” even received a Special Achievement Award at the Vancouver District Film Festival. After two years of volunteering with Young Moviemakers, Praniti was hired as staff in 2019. When’s she’s not making films, Praniti enjoys reading young adult fantasy and dancing.