Catherine MacKinnon
Festival Director
@catmackinnon
Catherine is a co founder and Festival Director of TIDFAF since it’s inception. She is internationally known for her work in short films, television, films, documentaries and feature films. At the 2003, World Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec, Catherine was nominated for the Best Canadian Student Director, an award sponsored by Kodak for her short film, “I’m Not From Hear”. The film went on to win 5 awards and screened in several of Canadian Festivals, as well as in United Kingdom, Finland, Russia, and the United States. In the fall of 2009, Catherine co-produced her biggest career project, “The Hammer”, which won 8 Festival Awards based on a biopic of a real life UFC Fighter, Matt “Hammer” Hamill. www.thehammerfilm.com
Catherine performed in “Vagina Monologues”, in Toronto, with Vanessa Vaughan, Rachel McAdams, and Shirley Douglas. In Los Angeles, with a talented group of actresses as a fundraiser benefit for the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness. She contributed her “Atmospheric Vocals” in a horror flick, “Silent Hill”. She can been seen in “Kenny Vs Spenny”, Season 5. “Voices of Chornobyl”, a Co production of Deaf West Theater & Anateaues theater in L.A. She loved being part of the “ASImprov”ensemble showcase. She is currently attached in several of film projects. Catherine graduated with a B.F.A in Film Studies from Ryerson University, School of Image Arts. Catherine is a proud card carrying member of ACTRA since 2005.
Catherine’s role in TIDFAF: Sponsorship Co ordinator, High Schools Boot Camp organizer scheduled for January 2013, Volunteer Relations, Festival Logistics & Public Relations, etc!
Frank Folino
Associate Director of Sponsorship, Development and Finance
Frank Folino was born Deaf in Toronto and he graduated with Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science at York University with his research fields relating to the political economy and political power on Canadian federalism.
He joined as Team Lead for International Grand Marshall at Pride Toronto, a not-for-profit organization that hosts Pride Week, an annual festival held during the last week of June in downtown Toronto. Pride Toronto exists to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Toronto’s LGBTTIQQ2SA communities and is one of the leading cultural events of its kind in the world with a total economic benefit in 2009 of $136 million. In addition to his work at Pride Toronto, he is currently Vice President for the Canadian Association of the Deaf, an organization that promoting and protecting the rights, needs, and concerns of those who are linguistically and culturally Deaf across Canada who uses American Sign Language (ASL)/English and Langue des Signes Québécoise (LSQ)/French.
He received the volunteer award from Festivals and Events of Ontario (FEO) in March 2009, an organization that promotes economic tourism in Ontario for his huge efforts in promoting Pride Toronto and he also received Ontario Volunteer Service Awards from Ontario’s Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration in June 2010 for his volunteer recognition in the Province of Ontario.
In his role as an Associate Director of Sponsorship, Development and Finance, he is responsible for festival logistics in the area of sponsorships at the Toronto International Deaf Film and Arts Festival and brings a fresh new strategy to achieve the festival goal.
Kelly Halligan
Arts and Entertainment Manager
Born in Toronto, Kelly graduated with a B.F.A in Illustration from Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. She is currently a freelance Illustrator & artist. She developed and created logos for several of Deaf organizations in Canada. Kelly’s illustrated art work, was awarded by the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Rochester, NY. Kelly’s illustrations can be seen in the following books: “A Parent’s Guidebook: ASL & Early Literacy”, & “ASL Eye Spy Handshapes”, “The Smart Princess and other Deaf Tales”, & “Baby’s First ASL”.
Kelly was cast as “Darlene” as one of the 6 deaf actors, for the 1981 film entitled “Clown White”. It was also the first closed captioned film ever to air on CBC. At the recent, Deaf History International Conference, July, 2012, the deaf actors, producer and film editor were in attendance, a historic reunion, 32 years later.
Kelly’s current role with TIDFAF is: Film Jury Programmers Co-ordinator, Arts Submission organizer for the Canadian Deaf Arts in collaboration with Deaf Culture Centre. She’s thrilled with a return of the High School Youths Booth Camp scheduled for January, 2013. At the 2006 festival, Deaf Culture Centre and TIDFAF hosted the International Deaf Art Exhibits and it was met with a great success. She also worked as an Key Art Department co-ordinator for films “I’m Not From Hear” and other film productions in Toronto.
Jill Andrew
Director of Media
Jill Andrew BA (Hons.), BEd, MA, PhD (c.) is thrilled to be on board with TIDFAF providing media relations and sponsorship support! In 2012 Jill also led coordination of media and public relations for the 8th Deaf History International Conference (DHIC) held in Toronto, ON.
Jill is an award-winning journalist, equity, media, and body activist feminist educator, events host and public speaker.She is also proud to be one of several new owners of Toronto’s GLAD Day Bookshop the world’s oldest LGBTQ bookstore. Jill is the producer of Curvy Catwalk Fashion Fundraiser, BITE ME! Toronto Int’l Body Image Film & Arts Festival, Dining with Dames Girls Leadership & Mentorship Program, Fat In the City: Monologues of Corpulent Proportions and other creative projects.
Jill’s TV appearances have included City TV, CP24, OMNI, ET Canada, Global with print in Metro, Star, Vervegirl and T.O. Night Newspaper etc. Jill has been recognized as the Michele Landsberg Media Activism Award and the Endless Possibilities African-Canadian Women’s Award recipient among others. Most recently she’s received the Patrick Solomon Memorial Award in Urban Diversity. In 2010 Jill was 1 of 120 Canadian women hand picked by then Governor General Michaëlle Jean to participate in her and Canada’s first ever Governor General’s Conference on Women’s Security at Rideau Hall.
In her off time Jill is obsessed with lottery scratch tickets and cats and one day plans to host not only a talk show and direct a Girls Self Esteem Institute but to run a million dollar cat sanctuary. She’s got too many movies she loves to list a favourite but Dirty Dancing is definitely near the top. “No body puts baby in a corner!” For more on Jill visit: www.bitemefilmfest.com
David Bobier
Director of Development
David Bobier is the hearing parent of a deaf son and daughter and has been a strong advocate for the rights of deaf youth in education, health services and employment. He served on the Provincial Parent Council of the Provincial Schools Branch for several years.
Bobier has considerable experience in the arts and arts administration, as well as, having been on the teaching faculty of Fanshawe College, Mount Allison University and University of Windsor for a combined 13 years. As a practicing artist his exhibition career includes 18 solo and over 20 group exhibition projects across Canada, in the United States and the UK. He has been the recipient of a variety of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and New Brunswick Arts Council.
In addition to serving TIDFAF as Director of Development, Bobier is resident artist with the Inclusive Media and Design Centre, Ryerson University and TAD Inc. (Tactile Audio Display Systems); Co-Founder and Chair of the London Ontario Media Arts Association and Founder and Coordinator of VibraFusionLab, a London-based vibrotactile arts collective.
Nick Chilton
Volunteer Logistics Coordinator
Nick Chilton is a second-year ASL-English interpreter student at George Brown College. He graduated in 2010 from York University (Glendon College) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies, Philosophy and French. He was born and raised in downtown Toronto. He also serves on the Board of the Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, and volunteers with Ontario Association of the Deaf (OAD)-Deaf Outreach Program (DOP), Ontario Association of Sign Language Interpreters (OASLI) and Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada (AVLIC). In his spare time, he loves to travel.
Elise Whitworth
Webmaster & Event Promoter
@lisiwisi
Elise has over fifteen years of experience writing, developing websites, and event planning/promotions. She has been developing and managing websites for a variety of clients, from artists to international corporations, for over seven years. Her passions include her family, cooking, reading, films, event promotion work (Eventida), advocating for ASL (YesASL & ASL Families), and accessibility.
Jeri Cripps
Program Book Designer
Jeri is currently a kindergarten teacher and a freelance graphic designer. She is a creative design professional with a solid track record of achievement in graphic design, advertising, marketing communications, publications, packaging, printing and distribution. She enjoys taking on a broad range of responsibilities, seeing projects through to successful conclusions.