Andrew Nisker (Director/Producer/Writer)

Filmmaker and activist, Andrew Nisker spent many years honing his cinematic chops working for Canada’s top broadcasters including CBC, CTV, CHUM Television and Global.

Andrew had two feature length, comedic screenplays commissioned by Broadway Video (Saturday Night Live) and TMN (The Movie Network).

The various documentary, lifestyle programming he produced, wrote and directed have been broadcast world wide. Andrew has interviewed hundreds of subjects like Oscar Award winner like Cate Blanchett, sex therapist Dr. Ruth and billionaire Donald Trump. He has shot a wide range of stories all over the world which has taken him to diverse locales like Auschwitz, shanty towns in Cambodia, the world's largest motorcycle rally in South Dakota, hedonistic beaches of Jamaica and the snow-capped mountains of British Columbia.

Through all his adventures, his proudest moment, aside from the birth of his son Sebastian, is his continued work creating social issue documentaries that entertain and educate global audiences. His award-winning film Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home has been embraced by over a million viewers and continues to receive press coverage and screenings world wide. Garbage! premiered on the Sundance Channel in July, 2009.

Garbage! inspired the growth of an online community of “Revolutionaries” at www.garbagerevolution.com which in turn led Andrew to embark on a lecture tour for the film. He has lectured on college and university campuses, been a keynote speaker at corporate functions and has an extensive tour planned in 2010.

Presently, Andrew is overseeing operations at his distribution company Take Action Films for his latest feature documentary, Chemerical, which was released in December 2009.

Navin Khanna (Producer)

Navin Khanna is an entertainment lawyer and has assisted with the production of film, television and new media projects for over ten years.

He regularly acts for Canadian, U.S. and foreign producers, broadcasters and telecommunications companies. Navin has also studied film and acting for many years, including at the Ryerson Polytechnic University Film Studies program.

Navin was the executive producer on Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home.

Navin is a frequent writer and speaker on intellectual property and new media matters, including engagements by the Toronto International Film Festival on "Creative Financing – Digital Film Distribution", the Canadian Institute on “Protecting Digital Content Rights”, and as a guest lecturer for The Canadian Film Centre new media training program.

Bernice Kim (Associate Producer)

Bernice has been working in film for the past 4 years.  Over the years, she’s taken on many roles and jobs.  Her more recent roles included managing distribution for Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home, working as a production manager, and now Chemerical: Redefining Clean for a New Generation is Bernice’s first film as an Associate Producer. She is excited about her role, and the potential of this film.

Aren Hansen (Editor)

Aren Hansen is an editor and filmmaker living in Toronto, Ontario. Over the past ten years, his work has ranged from dramatic features to documentary shorts, from sketch comedy to charitable PSAs and even one sock puppet opera, The Perfect Match.

Only (dir. Ingrid Veninger/Simon Reynolds), the feature film he edited last summer recently screened in competition at Slamdance 09, earlier screening at the Toronto Int. Film Festival, the Vancouver Int. Film Festival, Rome 08 and winning the Audience Choice Award at Australia's Possible Worlds Film Festival. Last year, a Canadian Film Centre project, Song of Solomon (dir. Emmanuel Shirinian) made it's U.S. premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In 2006 Hansen had two beloved bikes stolen and was inspired to direct a short documentary cursing bike thieves. White Vans premiered at the Atlantic Film Festival and went on to Hot Docs, the Vancouver Int. Film Festival, Cinequest San Jose, Brooklyn's Rooftop Film Festival, Upsalla Sweden and a dozen others. In late 2008, Aren travelled to New York and began work on six short documentaries to be weaved into a contemporary dance performance titled, Around The Block (choreographer Day Helesic), which premiered in March at Vancouver, the first of a four city Canada tour.

Aren recently finished editing 13 episodes of the premiere season of Hotbox (creative prod. Vivieno Caldinelli), a crazy sketch comedy show airing now on the Comedy Network. He also just finished Chemerical (dir. Andrew Nisker), a film about a family transitioning to natural household products.

Currently, Aren is completing Modra, a feature drama by Ingrid Veninger. It's the story of two 17 year olds who spend a challenging week together in Slovakia. Shot in Slovakia using a majority of non-english speaking locals, the film is already being described as 'Herzogian'.

Aren grew up in Vancouver, spending most of his time making music and films; Terry Gilliam and Jimmy Page were his storytellers of choice. He studied audio engineering and 3D animation before setting off on a trip around the Middle East at 20. He returned, picked up the camera again, and immediately won Vancouver's 24-Hour Film Contest. He spent the next few years working as a freelance editor with many great Vancouver directors before joining Gemini Award winning director Tony Papa at Avanti Pictures for three years. Aren moved to Toronto in 2006 to attend the Canadian Film Centre's advanced Editors' Lab training program and loves it here.

Brendan Canning (Composer)

Brendan Canning  is a founding member of Broken Social Scene and a veteran indie rock performer who has been a member of various notable bands including By Divine Right, Blurtonia, Valley of the Giants, Len, and hHead. In July 2008 he released a solo album called “Something for All of Us...”, the second release in the "Broken Social Scene Presents" series. The first single from the album is titled "Hit the Wall" and was released on May 5, 2008. It is available for download on the Arts & Crafts website. As part of Broken Social Scene, the band scored the film Tracy Fragments.  Chemerical marks the first time he has worked with Andrew Nisker.

Smiley Guys Studios (Animation)

Smiley Guy Studios (SGS) is an award-winning full-service production company with expertise in animation, design, writing, sound, music, and multi-media. Founded in 1998 by graduates of the Canadian Film Centre, SGS has since grown in size and capability, with expertise in vector-based animation and computer-generated imagery. It has been successfully producing its own Gemini-winning convergent series, Odd Job Jack, while also collaborating with clients on a variety of animated TV, film and new media projects.

SGS boasts an impressive suite of capabilities, from pre-production (scripts, concept art, storyboards, leica reels) to post-production (editing, final render, transfer) and sound (casting, recording, mixing, and mastering). SGS maintains an all-digital workflow through its proprietary online production management system (“MPMA”); from script to offline to online, SGS can deliver in standard and HD formats.

SGS's clients include The Comedy Network / CTV, NBC, Teletoon, NFB, NASCAR, E1, Spinmaster, Molson Coors, CBC, Leo Burnett, Vivendi Universal, AOL, J. Walter Thompson, Bravo, Ford, Kellogg, Kids in the Hall, Warner Bros and several professional North American sports teams.

The Smiley Guys are producers of the award-winning animated series Odd Job Jack (52x30). Last year the series received a Gemini, CFTPA Indie and Banff Rockie and Canada New Media Award for Best Cross Platform Project. Additional Accolades for Odd Job Jack include a nomination for Best Interactive Program (2006) and Best Animated Show (2005) at the Banff Rockie Awards, second prize for Best Interactive Design (2006) at Vidfest, Best Convergent Project by the Banff Institute as well as multiple Canadian Comedy Award and Gemini nominations including 2 for Best Comedy Series and 2 for Best Writing.