Evaluation Juries

For 15 years, Danielle Rochette worked as a journalist and correspondent in Quebec for APTN National News, the Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network, the first national Aboriginal network in the world.

She has traveled throughout Quebec to meet the people of 11 different nations who are too often forgotten and invisible to the general public.

Thanks to her numerous stories, she has been able to make known not only the many issues facing Aboriginal communities, but also their creative potential in music, visual arts and filmmaking.

In 2018, Danielle also hosted APTN Perspectives, a program dedicated to documentary filmmakers.

A graduate of Concordia University, Danielle was born in Quebec City to a Huron-Wendat mother and a Quebecois father. Curious about her origins, she has been involved in numerous Aboriginal organizations such as Quebec Native Women and Terres en Vues, a society for the dissemination of Aboriginal culture who was the driving force being the International Festival Présence Autochtone.

Retired since 2019, Danielle has not ceased to be curious and passionate about native peoples and their many expressions of artistic and creative vitality.

Doreen Manuel (Secwepemc/Ktunaxa), MFA, is the sixth child of Grand Chief George Manuel and Spiritual Leader Marceline Manuel. She a residential school survivor, mother of three children and is an award-winning filmmaker. Doreen is the Director of the Bosa Centre for Film and Animation, and she serves on the Board of Directors for Knowledge Network, Women in Film & Television, Vancouver International Film Festival and Moving Images Distribution. She also serves on the Motion Picture Production Association of BC Equity and Inclusion Committee. She is an advisor to the Telefilm Indigenous Working Group, TELUS Storyhive - Indigenous envelope, and Matriarch advisor to IM4 virtual and augmented reality training program. Doreen is a founder and instructor for the Tricksters and Writers feature film screenwriting program and a founder of the Indigenous Digital Accelerator and the Filmmakers in Indigenous Leadership and Management Business Affairs program.

Jordan Molaro is the President of Nu Media Films and is a writer, editor, and director driven by an incredible passion for the art of filmmaking. Born and raised in the North End of Winnipeg Manitoba, Jordan was exposed at a very early age to filmmaking. At 13 he was cast for a lead role in the film “the Fragile”. The film captures the harms and effects of inhalants. As a recipient of a scholarship to the Manitoba Theatre of Young People, it sparked a keen interest within him to expand on creative writing.

This passion along with the Seven Sacred teachings kept him in check and in balance. It became quite apparent that Jordan’s life would be centered upon his passion for filmmaking. His works are often noted for their unique style, elegance, cultural significance, technique and the ability to relate his characters well with his audience.

Philippe is a member of the Huron-Wendat First Nation and Yändata’s founder and producer. He has a bachelor’s degree, Baccalauréat ès sciences, from Université de Montréal bringing together disciplines like Innovation management (HEC Montréal), digital music and First Nations Studies program. He is following a new professional development Certificate in Executive Production in Creative and Entertainment industries at McGill University. Mr. Sioui Durand graduated from Art et technologies des médias program in 2005. Before he founded Yändata’, he had a professional experience of more than ten years in audio post-production field. From radio, advertising, French dubbing, documentary and feature film, he collaborated with several recording studios and corporate clients.

From a very young age, I wandered around with a photographic or Super8 film camera and told stories with my images. I quickly became aware that Quebec’s First Nations were little known to non- Aboriginals.The idea of raising awareness about my world in a positive way came to me quite naturally from that time. It became more emphatic with the conflict at Oka-Kanesatake where I was raised, although my mother is Waban-Aki. My fondest dream is to discover and have others discover the world I come from, image by image. My favourite activities are to inspire a passion for creating films all across the province and speak with sensitivity about the Aboriginal communities I know, in particular about the situation of women and children. With my films, I set out to quell prejudice and especially to celebrate the power of the First Peoples and make it better known. To me, rapprochement is achieved through knowing each other. We have to take the time to get to know others – their culture and realities. Understanding leads to acceptance of our differences and similarities.

I have directed numerous documentaries in Aboriginal communities that were broadcast on APTN, TV5’s Canal Vie,Canal and CBC/SRC, CBC north (Mamuuitaau). I have directed three films on the status of women and children in other countries, on the theme of being born, living, surviving and dying in places that are hostile to life. This is how I came to be in a refugee camp, making the film Les enfants de la nuit [Children of the night], which was shown at festivals and broadcast by TV5 and TV5 Monde, as well as in Europe. I made a second film on this subject on the Mexican border in Ciudad Juarez, the city of the dead, a town without pity for women. It focused on Native women from the South, who were subjected to the worst atrocities imaginable in that city... The film is titled Désert de croix [Desert of crosses]. For over six years, I produced the television program Quand passe la cigogne [When the stork flies by] on the Canal Vie network. I also took part in the Wapikoni Mobile circuits for the NFB and acted as an instructor for the program La course de la Grande Tortue [The Great Turtle race] shown on APTN and Canal D. I am currently the director of a series of podcast documentaries presented at CKVL in addition to doing one report per week for the news."

Ryan Cooper is an Ojibwe, two spirited, LGBTQ+ Producer from Treaty One Territory Peguis First Nation, Ryan is a graduate of the National Screen Institute's CBC New Indigenous Voices program, The NSI Indigidocs program where he had the opportunity to producer an award-winning short documentary that went on to be programmed in festivals all around the globe.

Ryan is the creator of two web series, one titled Daybreak People that has aired on Bell MTS Fibe TV1 in 2019 and the ImagineNative/APTN pitch winning series iNdigiThreads. Ryan is producing two TELEFILM TALENT TO WATCH one of which is INdigiThreads and Alter Boys. Alter Boys is also a part of the CFC Netflix series accelerator program. Ryan was also named as one of Playback’s Ten to Watch for 2021.

Ryan has four projects in development which he acquired funding from CMF, Manitoba Film And Music, The Bell Fund and Canadian broadcasters and streamers. Ryan is also a part of this year's Banff World Media Festival & IPF producer Bursary with his project My Sassy Sasquatch.

Ryan is focused on producing and writing contemporary, cultural & modern stories in an authentic way through scripted and factual storytelling.