WRITER / DIRECTOR -- Ryan Port
Born in Hitchin, England, Ryan spent his formative years with spells residing in both Canada and the United Kingdom. Ryan developed an interest in visual storytelling and creative writing at an extremely young age. A specific passion for film all started thanks to a friend introducing an
8-year-old Ryan to horror classics, such as; The Lost Boys (1987), The Monster Squad (1987) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). A graduate of the University of Lincoln's Film & Television program in 2004, Ryan has since worked internationally as a Production Manager and 1st Assistant Director. Now equipped with over 15 years of experience honing his skills alongside a wide range of celebrated international filmmakers, Ryan makes his directorial debut with the comedy/horror short film The Last Christmas (2021), a love letter to the classic 80s and 90s horror movies that inspired him as an artist and an individual.
PRODUCER -- Moe Rai
A graduate of both the University of Toronto and Toronto Film School, Moe Rai has been an established Producer within the Toronto Film & Television industry for over 10 years, working with the industry’s key players and major production houses, such as; Shaftesbury, Blue Ice and EOne. In addition to his vast experience in Film & Television Production, Moe possesses extensive experience within Marketing and Advertising, and is a qualified and highly regarded Trainer for organizations such as the Director's Guild of Canada.
A strong believer in knowledge transfer, Rai is also extremely passionate and active in providing Film and Television training and opportunities to underprivileged youths and their communities. Moe has collaborated on this level with Temple Street Productions, City Life Films, the Junior Chamber International and United Nations.
PRODUCER -- Mafalda Gugliuzzi
Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Mafalda was initially drawn to the performing arts and by the age of 10 was studying acting at local studios and performing in indie theatre and musical productions. During High School, Mafalda, began to develop an interest in the mechanics of filmmaking and upon graduation would shift her focus from acting and go on to study Film Production at Humber College.
Now with over 8 years of experience as a leading Toronto-based Production Manager & Line Producer, with credits such as Witches of Salem (2019), I Was Lorena Bobbitt (2020), The Haunted Museum (2021) and Miracle in Motor City (2021), Mafalda has now started to transition into Producing, with a number of acclaimed short film projects already under her belt, including; Driving Ian (2016), The 12th (2017) and Woodland (2021).
CINEMATOGRAPHER -- Fraser Brown, csc
Fraser's love of film started at a young age and led to him studying Film at Sheridan College. After completing his studies in 2003, Fraser immediately began working in Toronto's booming film industry. He first established himself as a capable technician before deciding to only pursue work as a Cinematographer. Fraser Brown has since quickly established himself as one of the highest regarded and most sought after Cinematographers in Toronto. He has won numerous awards for his work and has been nominated at the 2018, 2019 & 2020 CSA Awards. Brown's impressive portfolio includes a wide range of short films, music videos, commercials, feature films and television shows, such as Kim's Convenience (2016), Titans (2018), Hardy Boys (2020) and the new Peacock Original series, The Lost Symbol (2021).
PRODUCTION DESIGNER -- Chris Crane
Chris began working in the film industry in 2008 and has since firmly established himself as one of the most coveted and highly regarded Production Designers in Toronto. Chris has recently designed a number of high profile festival feature films, including; Run This Town (SXSW 2019), Operation: Avalanche (Sundance Film Festival 2016), Clara, (Toronto International Film Festival 2018, for which Chris was also nominated for a DGC Award for Best Production Design), and Toronto International Film Festival 2019 Official Selection Disappearance at Clifton Hill; for which Chris was once again nominated for a DGC Award for Best Production Design in 2020. Most recently, Chris has designed the incredible dark comedic series New Eden (2020) for Crave TV, the 5th Season of Baroness Von Sketch Show (2021) for CBC and will now begin designing CTV's upcoming comedy series Children Ruin Everything.
EDITOR -- Nick Montgomery
Nick Montgomery has served as editor for feature films, television and commercials for over a decade. Based in Toronto he began his career in cinematography and visual effects before transitioning to editorial, taking with him an appreciation for letting the images tell the story. Cutting his teeth on horror feature films, such as The Drownsman (2014) and Bite (2015), Nick also has a keen interest in upbeat, energetic shows like CBC children's TV series The Thrillusionists (2018) and hard-hitting, gritty documentaries, such as Secret Nazi Bases Discovery Science series (2019) and No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave (2020). With an affinity for troubleshooting and problem-solving, Nick endeavors to make post run as smoothly as possible to allow the director to focus on creative decisions they would like to explore.
COMPOSER -- John King
Composer/Producer/Songwriter/Guitar Player
Born in Taplow, John King was raised in Stevenage, U.K. John has always had a keen passion for music and film. Initially attracted to the guitar, John was largely self-taught in his elementary years, and went on to pursue other instruments and musical techniques during his secondary education in Hertfordshire. John began his professional career in 1999 as a guitar player in bands, performing international tours across the globe.
Now with twenty years of songwriting and composing experience, working with world renowned bands, producers and filmmakers across all genres, John King provides an original edge to his sound that takes audiences on a journey.
PRACTICAL FX & PUPPETS -- Butcher Shop FX
The Butcher Shop is Carlos Henriques and Ryan Louagie.
With 20 years of experience, The Butcher Shop is dedicated to the design and creation of unique and high-level makeup effects, creatures, prosthetics, human replicas, specialty props and gore effects.
The Butcher Shop's multi-award-winning photo-realistic effects work has been featured in over 100 ground-breaking independent films, television series, music videos, haunted attractions and Hollywood blockbusters and TV series, such as Death Race (2008), Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Defiance (2013), and Killjoys (2018).