Rock Demers is Founder (in 1980) and President of “Les Productions La Fête” and creator of CONTES POUR TOUS, Rock Demers has been involved in all facets of cinema (critiquing, distribution, export, operation, production). In early 50’s, he co-founded the magazine Images and established many film clubs. In 1958, after having studied teaching, he quit the country in order to travel across Europe and Asia for two years. On return to Canada, he joined the team that had just established the International Film Festival of Montreal. He became its Director General from 1962 to 1967. He was one of the co-founders of Cinémathèque québécoise in 1963 and established Faroun Films in 1965. In 1968 he devoted himself to Faroun Films, whose distribution of films for the youth rapidly expanded to more than ten countries. With the export of the film Martien de Noël and other films, such as Les Mâles (Gilles Carle), La Vie rêvée (Mireille Dansereau) and Les Smattes (Jean-Claude Labrecque), Faroun Films became the most important ambassador abroad for the nascent film industry of Quebec. Thanks to the brilliant success of the initial CONTES POUR TOUS, whose exceptional quality was appreciated by the public and the critics (215 national and international awards in under 30 years), the collection now consists of 24 titles and has brought Rock Demers numerous prizes, both national and international, among which are Prix Albert Tessier (Quebec), Companion of the Order of Canada and Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (France).
Sheetal Lodhia has been working to foster relationships between academic institutions and the world-at-large, championing interdisciplinarity, collaboration and broad purchase for knowledge. She has a history of involvement in the media, education, nonprofit and social innovation sector, working with grassroots organizations, arts-education groups and policy organizations in strategic planning, community engagement and grant acquisition. A doctoral graduate in English Literature from Queen’s University, she has researched and taught in cultural studies, colonialism and critical race theory, Renaissance literature and history of medicine. She has produced radio documentaries and a film documentary short. Sheetal just completed her term as Executive Director of The Institute for the Public Life of Art and Ideas (IPLAI) at McGill University. She also founded Black Leg Productions, a company that is one-part creative production and one-part think tank. As a matter of course she writes, edits, reads, watches TV, games, crafts, noodles, teaches and harbours fantasies of becoming a pro-tennis player.
Ameesha Joshi has an M.F.A in Film Production and has written and directed several short fiction and documentary films that have screened in film festivals around the world. Her first feature film, With This Ring (2016) a documentary ten years in the making is about champion women boxers from India. It recently won Best Emerging Director Award at the Asian American International Film Festival in New York and Best Documentary at the New Jersey Indian International Film Festival. Her work is often inspired by her Indian heritage and she wants to create stories about characters that challenge expectations.