“grwm as I commit cheeky vehicular manslaughter on my way to my first brand partnership meeting… eeeeeeek!” (Headcase follows a wannabe influencer who falls in love with a decapitated head after she accidentally runs over a cyclist while filming a video for social media.)
Spencer Zimmerman is a Canadian director and screenwriter from Saskatoon, SK, based in Vancouver BC. He graduated with a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Capilano University in 2021. He has produced both feature and short films, screening to much acclaim at the British Film Institute, the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts and CineYouth, run by the Chicago International Film Festival, and he has worked on projects such as Longlegs and The Monkey for Neon, Dicks: The Musical for A24, and Gunpowder & Sky’s Dust. He serves as the Jr. Production Executive for Oddfellows Pictures. His short film Darkside qualified for the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards after garnering awards from across North America, including a Leo Award, an Audience Choice Award from NFFTY and nominations for Best Direction and Best International Film at the British Film Institute’s BFI Future of Film Festival.
Pat Moonie is an Australian actor and writer based in Vancouver, with a career spanning both the professional and independent film and theater scenes. He began his journey as a writer with the 2010 short film Lucky in Love and has been immersed in the industry ever since. A founding member of the production company Key Conspirators, Pat produced and hosted Script Nights in Melbourne, a monthly event dedicated to rehearsed readings of new scripts at various stages of development. T oday, Pat is an award-winning actor, working between Melbourne and Vancouver on a range of projects. His notable film and TV credits include Resident Alien, Jack Irish, Cake (Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Lorne Film Festival– Winner of Best Short Film), Winning the Fox Hunt (Best Actor, Canberra Film Festival), and Zero.
Siobhan Connors is an actor, producer and programmer hailing from both New Zealand and Australia where she has worked widely in a variety of arts based structural development and leadership roles. She is an award-winning theatre producer and festival producer, has coordinated hundreds of interstate tours throughout Australia and sat on various arts and culture advisory and programming panels for city councils, arts, and philanthropic foundations. Her various positions include Festival Producer for Poppy Seed Theatre Festival (Melbourne’s second largest theatre festival), Programming Coordinator for Regional Arts Victoria, Arts Advisor for City of Port Phillip Council and Artist Liaison for Showcase Victoria. She has sat on funding and programming panels for multiple council Cultural Development Funds, The Australian Children’s Theatre Foundation and Showcase Victoria. Siobhan was a participant mentor for Melbourne Fringe and was selected to be one of 12 women for Melbourne Theatre Company’s Women in Theatre mentorship program (Australia’s most subscribed professional theatre company). She has co-founded two theatre companies and been cast in over 50 theatre, film and television productions including the 2022 Leo Award-winning short film Darkside and iconic Australian TV shows Romper Stomper and Neighbours.
Jessica To is a producer based in Vancouver, BC. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, she was an actor before relocating to Canada to pursue a behind-camera career in Film and TV. In 2022, Jessica was part of the inaugural GEMS Emerging TV Producers Program, where she received mentorship and further developed a selected TV series project. The Racial Equity Screen Office later chose her to be a delegate at Content Canada and the Toronto International Film Festival, where she was able to pitch her project to prospective studios and networks. In 2023 she was chosen to be a participant in the Canadian Academy of Cinema and TV’s second cohort of the Executive Residency Program, where she has been recognized as an emerging leader in the industry. In 2024, she was a part of the Reelworld Producers Program, Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab, and the Whistler Film Festival Power Pitch.
Jessica is drawn to stories centering around personal journeys and self-discovery, with a focus on female and BIPOC stories. Her 2023 short film Operation: Stuplloyd was a DGC Greenlight finalist and has gone onto screen at a dozen film festivals both locally and internationally. It will have its national broadcast debut on CBC in 2025 and will consequently be available on CBC GEM. Upcoming independent feature film Lake George, where she served as an Associate Producer, had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in New York in 2024. Her other production credits include Final Destination 6: Bloodlines, The Watchful Eye, Mixtape, Are You Afraid of the Dark? and the popular To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before film franchise. Jessica is currently developing a slate of feature films and TV series.
Vanessa Wakely is a lawyer, actor, writer and producer based in Vancouver, BC. She brings over 10 years’ experience in corporate and commercial lawyer to her newfound passion for film. Having worked in the insurance industry for a subsidiary of Zurich, Vanessa has relevant expertise in Intellectual Property Law, Privacy Law, contract negotiation and drafting and insurance industry standards. As a creative, Vanessa is pursuing acting, writing and producing. She he has worked as a Production Assistant on Disney’s Night at the Museum 2 and in covid safety on Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. Her projects currently in development include a short film, a web series and a TV movie.
Sarah Dacey began her career as an Assistant Director for a children’s theatre program, overseeing musical productions. She went on to join Disney Cruise Line as an Entertainment Host, performing as over 30 unique characters and hosting more than 15 events around the ship. In this role, she developed strong skills in live event coordination, audience engagement, and improvisation, creating memorable experiences for diverse audiences.
In 2017, Sarah relocated to Vancouver and had a successful tenure at BRON Studios as the Senior Coordinator of Non-Scripted. In this role, she contributed to the development, production, and post-production of various documentary projects, including Reggie (2023), Loudmouth (2022), and The Pathway (2022). Transitioning from studio work to on-set production, she has since worked on notable projects, including A24’s Eternity (upcoming release) and Disney+’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Season 2), which has just finished filming.
Driven by her creative passions, Sarah has produced the animated short Cat and Moth (2021) and the live-action short Gilded (2022). She continues to expand her expertise in the entertainment industry, infusing each project with her dedication to storytelling.
Sarah is deeply passionate about producing, finding fulfillment in bringing compelling stories to life and fostering creative collaborations. She is excited to explore new opportunities where she can contribute her skills, creativity, and passion to impactful projects that inspire and engage audiences.
Brook is a Canadian filmmaker from Edmonton, AB, who worked as an Associate Producer and Location Manager for “Headcase”. She first discovered her passion for the arts through school theatre, where she worked as a stage manager while also dabbling in set design and directing. She moved to Vancouver to pursue a career in the film industry where she discovered her passion for the elements of production design and producing. She has completed numerous projects as a producer and production designer and is currently working on her own projects including a proof of concept for a series and writing and producing features and shorts while collaborating with other film professionals.
Hailing from South Africa, Werner is an effects veteran with 30 years of film experience as a sculptor and designer. Werner founded the Langley based FX company Amazing Ape Productions Ltd in 2015, which services the local and Canadian film industry with concept art, prosthetics, props, bodies, creature and robotic suits, and custom set builds. His credits include The Monkey, Longlegs, Goosebumps, Elysium, The Last of Us, and Star Trek Beyond.
