Jury Members
JOFFRE FARIA SILVA
Born in Brazil, Joffre currently resides in Toronto where he is a writer, director, producer, and a Nabet 700 member in the film and television industry. His passion for filmmaking led him to study Film Studies at Concordia University in Montreal. Here he was able to hone his craft and develop his talent, ultimately graduating with honours. In his experience as a filmmaker, Joffre’s short and feature-length films have been shown in more than one-hundred film festivals, garnering thirty plus awards around the world. Joffre’s passion for storytelling is evident in his work. His focus on heartfelt, grounded, and meaningful characters is derived from his life experience and thoughtful, genuine nature. He is currently producing his next project, “Aging Queens,” a short film about Angel, a down-on-his-luck drag queen and his unlikely friendship with Madelaine, an elderly woman experiencing the first stages of dementia.
CHRISTIAN ANDERSON
An award-winning Afro-Latinx writer & director based in Toronto, Canada. A graduate of York University’s film production program, Christian’s work, centers queer diasporic voices and experiences through unique and immersive storytelling. Christian is also an alumnus of Oya Media’s Emerging Filmmaker’s program and the Nia’s Centres Creative Connect community. Their work has been screened at Inside Out’s 2023 festival, the 2015 & 2020 Regent Park Film Festival, the 2022 Stella’s Place’ Get Reel Film Festival, and in Winnipeg at the 2018 & 2019 Afro Prairie Film Festival. Their work has also been screened at other locally hosted screenings such as Canema’s Black History Month screening in 2018 and The Humming Collectives’ 2019 Short Film Screening.
LEANDRO MATOS
An experienced Brazilian writer and creative executive with over 150 produced scripts for television and film, and a track record of collaborating with renowned industry leaders such as 20th Century Studios, Netflix, and Disney+. Throughout his career, Leandro has assumed various roles across a diverse range of projects, including development, production, and marketing. As a writer, he has worked on 15 TV series, including two created by him, and the Brazilian version of Drunk History for Comedy Central. In development, his contributions extend beyond the realm of writing, encompassing crucial decisions at every stage of production. He is currently part of the 2023 Canadian Academy Executive Residency cohort and acts as a screenwriting mentor for the Being Black in Canada program. Recently, he was part of his first writers' room in Canada, had a feature released in theatres and finished CMPA’s Mentorship Program for Diverse Producers. He remains dedicated to expanding his creative horizons and delivering exceptional storytelling experiences.