THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
THE WATER SERIES

CREATOR

Filmmaker Naomi Jaye’s roots in visual design brings a distinct charm to her storytelling that often focuses on the the comedic side of human frailty. Her debut feature film THE PIN opened in theatres across North America to rave reviews, The New York Times declared, “It is almost bewildering to think what this first-time feature director could build with a larger budget.”

Alumnae of the prestigious TIFF Studio, Torino Film Lab, Berlin Talents, and TIFF Talent Lab, Naomi’s second feature film THE INCIDENT REPORT is adapted from Martha Baillie’s Giller long-listed novel of the same name. Financed by Telefilm Canada, it is set to be released in 2024. Naomi is also developing a UAE/Canada project The Common Father, a film about a woman’s journey in search of her past from Madrid through Mumbai to Amman.

It was while completing her MFA at York University that Naomi expanded her screen-based practice to include video installation. Her latest installation MRI is an immersive exploration of the effects of medical imaging on the body and was recently mounted at the Meridian Arts Centre. NOW Magazine called it “hypnotic, deeply personal and a must-see”. Her new installation practice is strongly influenced by her background in theatre design.

Naomi continues to explore installation and expansive cinema at Queens University where she is completing a Ph.D. Naomi is a lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University.

INSTALLATION PRODUCER

Creative producer Petek Berksoy is most at home at the junction of intention and execution, collaborating with artists and art industry stakeholders to create unique and inspiring screen-based stories.

Her collaboration with Naomi Jaye has resulted in the successful mounting of MRI at the Meridian Arts Centre, the upcoming remount of Miriam’s World at Theatre Passe Muraille, and the ambitious mounting of THE WATER SERIES, a three-part immersive journey exploring grief, fear, hope, and healing to be premiered in Toronto, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2023.

Petek honed her technical coordinator and project management skills at international film and music festivals and biennials through her work with Istanbul Arts and Culture Foundation, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, 2010 Istanbul European Capital of Culture, and International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.

In addition to production coordinating and assistant directing at a number of independent features, tv series in Toronto and in Istanbul, Petek was lead production manager at The Canadian Film Centre,

Petek is developing a project based on Sona Ertekin’s debut novel JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE FAULT about a female detective and a Bounty Hunter from Istanbul, traveling through Southeast Asia in search of a mysterious book.

Petek has also written, produced, and directed the award-winning short film ‘Eclipse’.

VIDEO CONTENT PRODUCER

Kurtis is a producer based in Toronto and a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Stern School of Business. He continues to jump with joy at the opportunity to create something with Naomi Jaye! Together, they have made Miriam’s World, and 2 out of 3 parts of The Water Series. In addition to his work with Naomi, Kurtis most recently produced a 6 part series for Bell called DISH IT, a horror short film called BLOOD LINE, and has a scripted series and feature film in development. Kurtis has produced short films that have premiered at various film festivals including TIFF, Frameline, InsideOut, and ReelWorld. He is most excited about continuing to tell new stories in new ways and collaborate with incredible people.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

David Nguyen is an award-winning cinematographer based in Toronto, Canada. With over 15 years of experience working in film and television, David combines his extraordinary camerawork with purposeful use of light and shadows to craft meaningful narratives. David has worked with several notable clients including CBC, TVO, Nike, Kraft, and the Director’s Guild of Canada.

CHOREOGRAPHER AND DANCER

Born and raised on beautiful Unama'ki (Cape Breton Island), Molly Johnson creates performance / images / film / texts / etc that propose alternative ways to be inside late-capitalist society. Her work has been presented at dance: made in canada, PS: We Are All Here, SummerWorks, Festival of New Dance, hub14, the Cape Breton Regional Library, and Halifax Fringe Festival. She has interpreted the work of artists including Nova Bhattacharya, Susie Burpee, Marie France Forcier, Sabina Perry, Heidi Strauss; originated choreography for films by Naomi Jaye and Philip Barker; spent a decade outdoors with Dusk Dances; and performed the work of Montréal’s Danièle Desnoyers / Le Carré des Lombes internationally from 2010-2017. Recent pursuits include an evolving live art work with Tina Fushell and Meredith Thompson called what remains and writing a book of essays about power dynamics in dance. In the space between art things, Molly performs weddings, helps people remember their loved ones, and looks after pets.

PRODUCTION DESIGN - MRI

Lorenzo Savoini is an award winning set, costume, and lighting designer for the Theatre, Ballet, and Opera. His work has been seen throughout Canada, as well as Internationally in New York, Chicago, London and Cuba. He has designed numerous productions for the The Stratford Festival of Canada, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Shaw Festival and regional theatres large and small. Most recently Lorenzo’s design for Mahabharata (Whynot Theatre) had its London,UK premiere at the Barbican Centre.

Lorenzo is the recipient of five Dora awards for outstanding design and is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.​ Up next, Lorenzo will design Sound of Music (RMTC), De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail (a new musical for Soulpepper Theatre), My Fair Lady (Shaw Festival) and Hedda Gabbler(Stratford Festival).

www.lorenzosavoini.com

EDITOR

Emmanuel Albano is a filmmaker, educator and multimedia artist specializing in immersive experiences. His in-depth exploration of new technologies as new ways of expression have led him to create works from stereoscopic filmmaking to virtual reality experiences and audio-video installations. Albano’s VR work garnered several international awards.

Albano started his career in advertising after completing a degree in cinema in France. He is currently finishing a Master in film at York University where he built a projection dome as part of his research into dome-films.

As a post-production specialist he enjoys collaborating in creative ways with artists on immersive experiences. Albano is Italien, French and Canadian with a predilection for multicultural and ecologic projects.

COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGNER

Erik Arnesen has been active in the music community for 20 years, engaged as musician, composer, and sound designer. Most known for his predominant role in the folk/rock group Great Lake Swimmers as banjo/lead guitar player, Erik has participated in the recording of 7 full-length albums. Additionally, he is a founding member of Constellation Records recording artist, Siskiyou. Both projects have received numerous accolades including three Juno Award and two Polaris Prize nominations. He has toured extensively in North America, the UK, Europe, and Asia. When not working on-set as 3rd assistant director on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Umbrella Academy, Erik is busy composing and sound designing for features, short films, and installations. He is currently doing in a post-graduate in sound design and production at George Brown College in Toronto.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING MANAGER

Celeste Cole is an artist based in Toronto, Canada with a focus on photography. She explores her insatiable necessity to create with various mediums through collaborations. Things like graphic design, garment construction, and non-clinical mental health practices, strengthen her abilities as a creative director, program manager, and facilitator. When not pondering how to take art seriously without taking herself too seriously, she enjoys writing short story erotica.

FACILITATOR

Poet and performance artist Fan Wu is a Pisces Sun/Pisces Rising with a natural affinity for water and its symbologies. He is a poet and facilitator who has hosted workshops with the Art Gallery of Ontario, Dancing with Parkinson’s, and the Toronto International Film Festival. For him, pedagogy is the passion of experimentation. His current PhD work examines the strange affinities between Georges Bataille and Zhuangzi, two of the most powerful thinkers of non-productivity.tion goes here

Luci Dilkus has a BA in visual and theatre arts from York University, an MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Art where she was mentored by Tim Whiten, Suzy Lake, Ingrid Bachmann and Johanna Householder. She is a mixed-media artist who has explored notions of cultural identity through installation, performance art, performative photography and fibre. Her practice is diverse and includes pastel landscapes and ceramic sculpture and among her art making tools are needle, thread, crochet hook, clay, pastels, found objects and more. Mostly, she likes to play. In recent years her focus has shifted from exhibiting to therapeutic art. She is an Expressive Arts Therapist and is a Registered Psychotherapist (qualifying). She has always experienced art making as expression and as healing for both personal and social.

WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

My name is Vitina Filiberto (she/her). I am a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and member of The Ontario Expressive Arts Therapy Association. I have always been passionate about human behaviour and our inherent need for safety, love and belonging. My greatest teachers in life have been my lived experiences, with my most recent teachers being breast cancer and survivorship. I am a poet, writer, and visual artist and believe in the catharsis that the arts can offer, using them as a gateway to explore emotions, deepen understanding, and develop compassion for self and for others. It is through the process of art-making and by remaining curious, that alternative possibilities can be imagined.

MODERATOR FOR THE ARTIST TALK

Anisa Tejpar, a Dora Mavor Moore Award-winning dancer from Toronto, has performed works by renowned choreographers such as Guillaume Côté, Peggy Baker, Mauro Astolfi, Hanna Kiel and John Neumeier. She has danced with esteemed companies like Toronto Dance Theatre, Zata Omm, Human Body Expression and ProArteDanza. Anisa is the Co-Artistic Director of Hit & Run Dance Productions Inc. and works as an Associate Producer with Côté Danse. She teaches Consent + Boundaries for Dancers at Toronto Metropolitan University and is one third of The Platform. Anisa is recognized as an Intimacy Coordinator and Director, collaborating with The National Ballet of Canada and Ballet BC, and works in film and television. She serves on the Board of Directors for Canada's National Ballet School and contributes as a choreographer and host to Dancing with Parkinsons. Additionally, Anisa hosts Inside the Arts on Sauga 960AM.