Ben McEvoy - Executive Director

Ben McEvoy combines his experience as an interactive media/animation producer, educator and entrepreneur in a variety of entertainment, education and training projects both in Canada and internationally. He is the interactive lead for Optix Digital Pictures with a focus on transmedia content development and services for a broad cross section of entertainment and branded properties.  Ben is currently a director on CASO and is faculty in the Animation Arts Centre at Seneca College. In association with his education and project management experience, he is also a seasoned creative professional, with over 10 years as a designer and producer for interactive and animation as principal of Ben McEvoy Creative Projects, he has produced interactive and animation projects for a number of clients including CTV/Bell Media, Discovery Channel, History Channel, and Breakthrough Entertainment.  

Mike Weiss - Film/Speaker Programming

Mike Weiss has directed and produced several short animated films that have been screened in festivals worldwide. His professional experience includes stop-motion animation, having animated several TV shows, commercials and many independent productions. In 2009, Mike co-founded a Toronto-based animation festival called Naked Frames which focuses on promoting independent animation and music videos. Mike teaches workshops on independent stop-motion filmmaking and puppet building through the Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS). He is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Classical Animation program (2002).

Barnabas Wornoff - Speaker Programming/Marketing

Barnabas Wornoff is an independent director, animator and professor of animation. His animation credits include Teletoon's "Total Drama Island," Disney XD’s "Jimmy Two Shoes," "Danny Phantom," Nickelodeon's "Wow Wow Wubbzy," Teletoon’s "The Dating Guy" and Comedy Network’s "HOTBOX."  He produced a satirical animated feature about Dean Del Mastro VS the musicians and artists of Peterborough called "Peterborough Time.” Further television credits include writing and animating the opening for CTV’s Lost in Canada and 4 episodes of his own sketch comedy and animated series called "The Super Popular Show" which placed at the Banff Television’s Audience Choice Awards. Barnabas is currently animating at 9 Story in Harmony on “Wild Kratts.”

Rich Duhaney - Marketing/Communications

A director at Smiley Guy Studios in Toronto, Rich has applied his varied creative talents as Production Designer, Stop-motion Animator, Digital 2D animator, Animation Director. 10 years in the industry and dozens of shows and shorts later, Rich's credits include Disney's "JoJo's Circus", Teletoon's "The Dating Guy" and ShutUp Cartoons "Teleporting Fat Guy". Rich graduated from Sheridan College's Classical Animation Program in 2002.

Mark Jones - Operations

An award-winning 20-year veteran of the new media field, Mark Jones has worked as an educator, producer, artist, and writer. Having worked at Pearson Education for ten years, he then went on to form his own company, CyberStage Communications, which began as the publisher of the first consumer arts magazine that examined the intersection between art and technology. Since then, he has worked for a wide variety of clients on groundbreaking projects, including for Gottschalk + Ash International, The Toronto International Film Festival, eyeon Software, The Learning Partnership, Vera Frenkel, and others. From 2000-2004, he was Executive Director of OnTarget, an Ontario-wide initiative providing career development and education support programs for the digital technologies industries. He has been on numerous committees and boards, including those for The McLuhan Multimedia Festival, InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre, SIGGRAPH, and Pixel Gallery. In 2002, he was awarded the ITAC Community IT Hero of the Year Award, the Canadian New Media Award as Industry Advocate of the Year. Today, he serves as Chair of the School of Creative Arts and Animation at Seneca College, overseeing programs in animation, new media, graphic design, photography, and broadcasting. He holds an M.A. in Communication and Culture from Ryerson and York Universities.

Alexandra Moorshead - Event Producer

Nicola Dufficy - Event Planner

Nick Boos - Web Developer

Julie Nguyen - Communications Coordinator

Julie is a passionate and dedicated individual who has nearly seven years of experience in the animation industry. What initially started as an internship at Elliott Animation in 2006, turned into a full time position at their sister company Fresh TV. Julie began as an intern on Disney's animated series Yin Yang Yo and became the voice records coordinator on Fresh TV's hit animated series 6TEEN & Total Drama Island for TELETOON. After almost two years in animation production, she was asked to join the creative team at Fresh TV as the executive assistant to the partners. Julie is also currently the office manager.

Luis Marmelo - Technical Director

Natali Topalovska - Volunteer Coordinator

Natali is an emerging professional and artist in the animation community. She is a graduate from the University of Toronto, degree in Film, Political Science, and European Studies. Natali immerses herself in animation through various classes and workshops such as the Pixar Artists’ Master class.She is taken by the timeless appeal and resonance of story through animation and the wonderful way that it engages and speaks to both adults and children.

Sara Schmidt - Film Programming

Sara has a decade of experience in the broadcast & media industry, with expertise in Production, Digital Media, Marketing, Events, Programming, and Distribution. A Ryerson University Film graduate, Sara's critically acclaimed work has screened at prestigious festivals internationally. She loves being part of TAAFI's programming team. Her days are spent in the Distribution Department at Breakthrough Entertainment.

Tara Donovan - Film Programming

Tara's passion for observing and interpreting life and motion turned into a career that now spans more than 2 decades. With a diploma in Classical Animation from Sheridan College Tara began her animated adventures at Richard William's Studio on the Thief and the Cobbler. Her career in TV, films, games, commercials, and independent projects has brought her into collaboration with many other fantastic artists across Canada and in Europe.

Aron Dunn - Pitch-A-Palooza Coordinator

Over the course of his career, Aron has developed and/or written animation for Disney XD, Teletoon, YTV, Astral Media and the CBC. He has also held senior development roles with some of the countries most prolific producers including Breakthrough and Portfolio Entertainment.

Barry Sanders - Pitch-A-Palooza Coordinator

Iris Wu - Graphic Designer

Iris Wu is a passionate communication designer specializing in digital and print design, branding, and motion graphic. She received a Bachelor's degree in Communication Design from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and is currently working at a digital design studio in Toronto. Her recent work includes the development of brand identities, web design, print collateral, ad campaigns, editorial design, etc for clients such: Kit Kat, Smarties, Biore, Jergens, Mother Parkers Coffee and Tea, Martinson Coffee, Toronto Animation and Art Festival International (TAAFI), Indigo Books and Music, Kobo Books, Sporting Life, Glovebox CMS, Toronto Santa Claus Parade, The Grid, Toronto.com, Pikto Photography, Sklar Furnishing, Lee-Ann Belter Bridal, Experimetal Jewellery and more.

Jeanna LeClair - Production Artist

Aaron Hong - Production Artist

A graduate of the Seneca College animation program, Aaron Hong is an in-demand art director, concept artist and character designer working primarily in the Toronto area. His projects span across broadcast, feature film and interactive arts. A key member of the Smiley Guy creative team, Aaron’s client list also includes; DHX Media, 9Story Entertainment, Cookie Jar Entertainment, Mondo Media, College Humor, HBO Canada and Ganz Interactive.

Grayden Laing - Event Journalist

Baran Mong

M.R. Horhager

Ted Heeley

Mat Garbulinski

Stephanie Ramon

Industry pro and cartoon fanatic, Stephanie Ramón is an experienced storyboard, character and concept artist having worked in both film and TV. She is a key member of the Smiley Guy creative team, working closely with the development department on Vampire P.I. and other original Smiley Guy content. Stephanie is the head organizer of the Cartoon Enjoyment League (CEL) a monthly meetup for animation fans to check out the latest animated releases.

Heather Gilroy

Heather Gilroy is a co-founder of CEL (Cartoon Enjoyment League) and a reviewer of animated films!  

Ashley Lo Russo - OCAD Ambassador

Beatrice Imrie - Humber College Ambassador

Danielle Hodgson - Cambrian College Ambassador

Jacob Whyte - Max the Mutt Ambassador

Karen Wood - Loyalist College Ambassador

Marie Sanginesi - Centennial College Ambassador

Meg Simmons - Seneca College Ambassador

Pierre Vanderweerd - Sheridan College Ambassador

Rachel Beniuk - Durham College Ambassador

Sebastiean Stark - Algonquin College Ambassador

Steve Cirku - St. Clair College Ambassador