Festival Team
JOHANNA KERN, Executive and Artistic Director/Founder
Johanna brings her eclectic background in film, television, theatre and fine arts to Fantasy Worldwide. Having worked as an independent producer/director/writer on many film, television and theatre productions, she has utilized her versatile background to develop projects that captivate audiences. She is presently in post-production of Shadowland The Legend, the first feature film of a fantasy/adventure/family tetralogy www.shadowlandthelegend.com
Over the years, Johanna has made a number of dramatic short films, shown at film festivals around the world. She has written seven feature film screenplays and collaborated with other screenwriters on various writing projects. She is presently developing her next feature film project entitled Lavender and Steel. Johanna's work represents a unique vision that appeals to broad audiences and draws exceptional professionals to her productions.
Johanna's other credits include founding Kid Stage, an acting school for young performers -- based in Mississauga, and teaching over 250 students, five to twenty-one years old . She was also the Executive and Artistic Director for SMYK Theatre, and produced, wrote and directed musical plays with large casts of more than 300 actors and dancers. She wrote articles for Kinema, a journal for film and audiovisual media and she was a Producer/Host for Breakfast Radio Zet. Johanna holds an Honours B.A. (film) from Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto, and previously studied fine arts and dramatic arts and worked as a professional actress in Europe. She also completed intensive Leadership Training in Ottawa, Canada.
Johanna is the Director of Programming for two internet TV stations: Spacechannel http://spacechannel.tv and DragonWorld http://dragonworld.tv
IZABELA CIESINSKA, Programmer
Izabela has a background in film sales and acquisitions, having made numerous sales to some of Canada's top broadcasters. She also has a background in television and film production, having worked as an Assistant Director on several television projects, as well as an Associate Producer on Johanna Kern's latest feature film, Shadowland, The Legend . Izabela spends the rest of her time working as a screenwriter and a children's book illustrator. She holds a degree in Criminal Forensics, as well as a certification in Psychological Profiling.
RICHARD GEER, Copy Editor
After receiving his degree in creative writing from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Richard was featured in the New York Times, Rolling Stone and various local newspapers in the United States. Richard brings to Fantasy Worldwide over 30 years of his research and experience as a writer, performer, advisor, counselor, teacher, speaker and coach in creative writing. Richard's poems, short stories and dramatic writings have become an inspiration to many artists, both in the United States and in Canada. His long experience in creative writing became the springboard for scripting a comedy television show, We'll Get You Good! (presently in development), based on his theatrical play The Gospel According to Saint Boogy.
PAUL LEACH, Director of Communications
Paul brings to the festival a mixture of media-related experience. Born and raised in the GTA, Paul studied for a career in broadcasting, eventually ending up in the Ottawa valley hosting a radio program and promoting for a local station. After almost a decade of radio, PR, and even some mechanical work, his enthusiastic interest in the media's interaction with culture drove him back to university where he is currently studying for an arts degree in Communications.
SERGE SARKOYAN, Executive Assistant
Serge is a graduate of the New York Film Academy branch in Los Angeles, California, and has had extensive hands-on training with many different positions in all aspects of production. He has worked in the film industry for the past 7 years and is an aspiring director and writer.
BARBARA KWASEK, Box Office Manager
Barbara has many years of experience in the fields of child and youth education, and a lifelong involvement in and passion for the performing arts. She is the co-founder of Kid Stage , an acting school for young performers in Mississauga, Ontario, and a voice and dance instructor for the folk and ballroom dance group Lechowia. She has also produced and directed musical performances, featuring hundreds of dancers and actors on stage. Her involvement in film, television and theatre projects spans over many years.
Selena JAYATUNGE, WebMaster
Selena brings a very diverse background to our team. She has tenured at York University for many years as part of the Multi-Media faculty and is a highly respected guest speaker, interactive multimedia artist, innovator, lecturing and producing and performing live new media and multi media events within several countries throughout the globe. Selena has earned the respect of a rather discriminating peerage, and that of Hollywood as well! As an integral part of the multimedia crew at Paramount/Viacom Design and Entertainment, she was actively involved in creating leading edge digital interactive performance new media, web design, programming, 3d , video and print technologies. Moreover, the depth of her abilities and areas of expertise are clearly delineated by the eclectic and diverse demands of her contracts with clientele such as: Bell Interactive, CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway), and Ontario Hydro/Power Generation, to the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, and Paramount Canada's Wonderland...and...also has a love for astronomy, the moon, the stars and beyond...
KRISHAN JAYATUNGE, Web Designer
With a proven track record spanning over 10 years and four continents, Krishan has gleaned extensive experience both on the beaten track (Paris, London and Singapore) and off (Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan). He has worked with a wide variety of clientele - from small grassroots organizations (Morobe NGO Kibung) to large corporations (Cadbury Adams). His work has ranged from small, one colour, single sheet brochures to large-scale wall and signage graphics for the soon to be opened Library of Design in Singapore. His present work focuses primarily on web development using Flash, CSS, PHP and a good sense of design. He is comfortable working both in print and web based media and swims through both with ease. He is a Piscean.
( www.kroworks.com)
Peter Ovesny and Rene Navarro, Photographers
Ovesny / Navarro photography is a dynamic duo consisting of two
talented photographers, Pete and Renee, who together have over 20
years of shooting experience. They have the expertise and tools to
shoot everything from portraits and headshots, to weddings and
conferences. They specialize in both film, digital and medium format
photography with a studio conveniently located in downtown Toronto.
www.flickr.com/photos/35mmmonk ey/collections
www.flickr.com/photos/petecat /collections
