About

Laura Di Girolamo is a writer for publications such as Exclaim! Film and Nasty Women’s Press, a social media professional in the arts, not-for-profit, and tech industries, and performs at stand-up storytelling shows in Toronto. She attended York University and Seneca College and has a BA in Communications and Film Studies (where she specialized in female representation in TV and genre films), and a Creative Advertising diploma. She’s worked with film festivals such as Planet in Focus and the Regent Park Film Festival, assisting with festival sponsorship, social media community management, PR and festival press coverage. Laura is a film and TV geek, an obscure pop culture junkie, and an intersectional feminist. Some of her skills include untangling wires, remembering how to spell peoples’ names, and competing in classic Simpsons trivia pub nights. Her love for horror films likely began the year she turned 13 and watched The Craft about three times a week.

Krista Dzialoszynski has been working in the film industry for the past 9 years. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a BA in Cinema Studies and attended Humber College’s Film & Television Production program where her interest in cinematography led her to work on commercials, short films and music videos. She was on the lighting team of Bruce McDonald’s feature film Pontypool, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She then moved on to co-write, direct, shoot and edit the feature film Hills Green with her partner Ryan Glover. The film premiered at the 2013 ReelHeart International Film Festival in Toronto where it won Best Canadian Film and the Indie Spirit Award. In 2015 Krista began managing the camera department at VICE Media’s Toronto office where she also led discussions at some of their screenings. In the same year she made her acting debut in Derek Mungor’s slasher You Are Not Alone, where she camera operated while acting to give the film it’s unique first person perspective. While petrified by supernatural horror films as a child, Krista now loves being in a darkened theatre with a crowd full of genre junkies and seeks out such experiences often. When not watching films, working on scripts, taking photos, or enjoying an adult beverage, she can be found working at Dazmo Camera.

Originally from Barrie, Ontario, Nadine grew up with copious amounts of Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which led to her passion for genre cinema and television. She moved to Toronto to pursue a career in the film industry. In 2012, Nadine received a BA in Film Studies, with a specialization in Screenwriting, from York University. Soon after, she received a postgraduate certificate from Humber College in Television Writing and Producing. Her prime interest is in screenwriting, and like absolutely every other person in the film industry, she is working on a script that she hopes is read and gets millions of dollars because her idea is the greatest most original idea that ever was. Her most recent project is Bad Investment, a short film she wrote and co-directed with her creative partner Melissa O’Neil. The film is very serious – it’s about terrible fashion choices and how they can ruin lives. In her spare time, Nadine can be found either working at the Canadian Media Producers Association, hanging out with Jimmy Stewart (her puppy), jive-dancing and/or practicing her Spanish so her extended Mexican family won’t disown her when she sees them next.

An Acadian from Clare, Nova Scotia, Melissa is an event coordinator with over 6 years experience in film festival production. After moving to Toronto, she graduated with a BA in Cinema Studies from York University, which led to her programming position with the Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival. She has worked for organizations such as TIFF, Hot Docs, and as a programmer for the South Western International Film Festival. Most recently, Melissa was the Assistant Festivals Manager and Senior Programmer at REEL CANADA. In 2016, she and her creative partner Nadine Brito co-directed their first short film Bad Investment, based on her formerly crappy romantic life. She is currently living out the Canadian dream at Historica Canada working on the Heritage Minutes team. Her passion for genre film likely began due to questionable parenting, when her dad sat her down to watch The Shining at age seven “because he thought she would like it” (He was very right). In her spare time, Melissa can be spotted drinking beer, endlessly quoting TV shows, and crying at the sight of puppies.