Our Instructors

Nicole Bazuin is Toronto based filmmaker and visual artist whose short films have screened across Canada and the United States. A graduate of Ryerson University's film program and a recipient of the Universal Studios scholarship and HSBC filmmaker's award, she strives for creativity, technical excellence and innovation in her work.

Nicole teaches 100% Hands-on Film Exercises for Absolute Beginners, Practical Movie-Making For Educators

Molly Crealock's photography takes on the visceral, human elements of the subject/photographer relationship and delivers honest, finely composed images, paying close attention to the natural play of colours within the frame. Crealock's work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions and published in magazines and newspapers including The Toronto Star, This Magazine and Adbusters. She has been Chief Photographer at Dandyhorse Magazine since its inception in 2008. Crealock has a background in the environmental field and considers environmental sustainability in all aspects of her work.

Molly teaches Portraiture Photography

Kathleen Cummins is a filmmaker, media arts educator, and academic.  She has written, directed and produced short films that have been broadcast and screened internationally.  Her films have received funding from the Ontario Arts Council, the NFB, CBC and TVO.  In addition to her own filmmaking, Kathleen has worked in the film industry on award-winning documentaries and feature films, notably David Cronenberg’s Crash (1996).   As a media arts educator Kathleen has taught at York University, Sheridan College, and the University of Toronto at Mississauga. She has also lead film workshops at WIFT and LIFT.  She is currently finishing her doctorate at York University.   

Kathleen teaches Documentary Filmmaking: An Introduction and Writing a Short Screenplay

Thomas Dean is a classically-trained pianist and multi-instrumentalist. He helps people discover the power of getting their music out through the non-intimidating-yet-exhilarating Ukulele through his enthusiasm and through his potent “accelerated learning” approach.

Thomas teaches Ukulele to Renew Passion and Vitality

Micah Donovan is a multi-media artist and television host whose work has appeared in major publications as well on Discovery Science, Food Network Canada, and Cooking Channel. He is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and the Kansas City Art Institute, where he studied printmaking, sculpture, and photography.

Micah teaches 35mm Black and White Photography: An Introduction, Composing and Creating Dynamic Images, Black and White Darkroom Techniques 101, Black and White Darkroom Techniques 201

Julian Frid is an teacher who has been lucky enough to have a diverse and extensive improv education. He began as a player, coach, volunteer, trainer then judge of the Canadian Improv Games and has trained with the Bad Dog Theatre Company, the Second City and was a player, teacher and coach for the Impatient Theatre Company. He has performed across various stages in North America, including the Dirty South Improv Festival in South Carolina and the Del Close Marathon in NYC. His past few years he has been funneling his talent into the improv team Sex T Rex and has toured Ottawa and Montreal in the Fringe festival, and performing sets there on whims. He has trained with some of the best, notably Kevin Patrick Robbins, Julie Dumais, Sean Tabares, Alex Tindal and outside of Toronto: Bill Arnett, Armando Diaz, Carrie Burnett and Zach Ward to just name a few. He recently notched off performing with Colin Mochrie from his bucket list.

Julian teaches Improv Your Life: Listening, Acceptance and Point of View

Peter Genoway is an award-winning artist and filmmaker, with much experience in short-format fiction. In addition to writing, directing and editing his own films, he has contributed his skills to various projects in both the camera and art departments. His most recently completed short film, Night Moves, was made with a Media Arts production grant from the Ontario Arts Council and has been screened internationally. His current project, Masks, was recently short-listed for the National Screen Institute's prestigious "Features First Program".

Peter teaches Film Directing 101

Tony Gray picked up photography as a boy, taking apart (and often failing to rebuild) his father's old cameras. Since then, his principle interests have grown to encompass fine art, colour, travel and night photography. He believes these areas afford a photographer wonderful opportunities to blend the vision, creativity, connection and otherness that give photography such artistic and expressive power. He holds a BA in philosophy (UofT) and a PhD in philosophy (MIT) and currently works at the University of Toronto. His photos, along with those of his students, have been exhibited in Boston and Toronto. Tony has taught photography classes at a variety of levels for 15 years.

Tony teaches DSLR Photography: An Introduction, Fine Art Photography

Fiona Griffiths (MFA, MA), is an acclaimed multimedia artist with an extensive performing & touring experience in dance, theatre and clown. A graduate of Concordia University and The University of London, UK; Fiona has taught in many university theatre programs including the graduate programs of York and Yale Universities. She studied and taught with Richard Pochinko, and has coached many clowns including Mump and Smoot, Pochsy and Christel Bartelse. Recently Fiona has performed with the Intersection Project and 24 hours of Butoh...or not. As well as running independent workshops, Fiona currently teaches at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre, University of Toronto, Hart House & the Clown Farm.

Fiona teaches Clowning Around with Shakespeare
 

Nick Harauz is a local graduate from the University of Toronto, and winner of the Canadian Film and Television Production Associations’ Global Mentorship Program. Nick has been involved in the film and video production industry for more than 10 years.

Nick teaches Digital Video Editing with Final Cut Pro: An Introduction

Peggy Jane Hope studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts, Ryerson Theatre School and the Humber Jazz program. She has a long list of performance credits and has recorded and performed in a variety of locations across Canada.

Peggy Jane teaches All-in-One Actors Workshop: Acting, Voice and Movement

Jo Leslie has a rich and varied experience in dance and theatre as choreographer, movement director, dramaturge, director, coach, animator, teacher and writer. Recently she has worked with choreographers in hip hop and new dance, provided dramaturgy for Kitchenband productions and Skidmore ( performance artist), and coached on The List (Nightwood theatre). Her theatre credits include many at the NAC, Caravan Theatre in BC, regional theatres and The Stratford Festival, where she was also company movement coach. Jo was principal movement teacher at The National Theatre School from 1990 to 2001 and leads workshops for community groups and professionals across Canada. She co-founded STUDIO 303 and the vernissage performance series in Montreal. Upcoming projects include dramaturgy for The Deitrich Group at World Stage and movement for the new opera Elephant Man in Sweden.

Jo teaches Free Up, Owning the Space from Within and Without

David Macniven has many years of experience as a professional actor and writer and has performed off-Broadway in the hit Toronto production of Bitter Girl. He has served as an elected leader for the Performers Union, the Alliance of Cinema Radio and Television Artists and as a Director on the Creative Arts Savings and Credit Union Founding Board.

David teaches Acting on a Film Set

Annette Mangaard has written and directed fifteen films in more than a decade as an independent filmmaker. She has recently been nominated for a Gemini for Best Director of a Documentary for her one hour film, GENERAL IDEA: ART, AIDS, AND THE FIN DE SIECLE (for TVO, Bravo, SCN, Knowledge) about the celebrated Canadian artists collective which premiered at Hot Doc’s in Toronto then went on to garner accolades at festivals in Vancouver, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and  Asolo - Italy (among others).

Annette teaches Video Cameras 101

Kevin McCormick is one of the most sought after acting instructors in Toronto, having worked with thousands of artists over the years and is currently the Director of the acclaimed Equity Showcase Theatre and Artistic Director and Curator for the Creative Classes - Empowerment Through the Arts at Hart House. Kevin also teaches regularly for Equity Showcase Theatre, The Actors Tutorial and co-ordinates and teaches within a unique arts program at the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University. Other teaching highlights include York University, The Ryerson Theatre School, The Canadian College of Dance, The National Ballet of Canada, Young Peoples Theatre, The George Randolph Studio Dance Theatre, Leah Posluns Theatre School, and The University of New Brunswick. Mr. McCormick has produced and directed a variety of productions and has held the position of Artistic Director for two Ontario Summer Theatres. He is a founding member of the Toronto Association of Acting Studios where he has also served as President.

Kevin teaches Art of Acting: Finding Personal Liberation & Authenticity, Freedom from Self-Consciousness

Frank Merino has traveled around the world working on award-winning film and television productions. Working in both Canada and the United States, Frank is also well established within the corporate, commercial and educational markets, where he moves seamlessly between film, video and live stage productions.

Frank teaches Film Lighting 101

Kevin Munro is a graduate from Sheridan College’s Media Arts program and a Toronto-based freelance sound engineer (Broompole Productions). He has recorded location sound and mixed audio for numerous films, documentaries, and commercials that have been broadcast and screened across North America.

Kevin teaches Film Production Sound 101

Laura Jane Nelles. LJ has been a professional actor and director for 25 years and has taught acting in a variety of settings including private studios, the Toronto Board of Education as a guest artist and at York University and the University of Guelph- Humber. She has been teaching communication to health care professionals at the University of Toronto for 10 years. LJ and is currently pursuing a PhD in theatre at York University with a focus in voice and actor training where she is being mentored by David Smukler. She holds an MFA in acting and directing.

LJ teaches Voice for Successful Communication

Rick Palidwor has had numerous short films and videos broadcast in Canada and abroad and he is the producer and co-director of the award-winning feature Sleep Always. Rick has taught filmmaking at Hart House, York University, George Brown College and Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) for many years. Rick is currently Manager of the Creative Classes at Hart House.

Rick teaches Documenting Fieldwork, Movie-Making 101, Documentary Shooting Exercise, Production Planning, Post-Production Planning

Alex Shuper works predominantly as an editor and his documentary credits include The Five Cent War, The Last Mogul, Comedy Gold, and most recently T.C. McLuhan's The Frontier Gandhi; his narrative film editing credits include the critically acclaimed deadend.com and The Mad. Alex also directed the feature Edge Codes, a documentary about film editing.

Alex teaches Film Editing Concepts and Theories

Dagny Thompson is a U of T grad who now works in the independent and mainstream film and television industry.

Dagny teaches 100% Hands-on Film Exercises for Absolute Beginners, Practical Movie-Making For Educators