Autumn Scott (Chair) has always had a convergence of interest between politics and the world of film. Upon obtaining her honours specialization, she started her career with the Government of Ontario before moving to the Legislative Assembly. Currently, Autumn works in government relations for the Toronto International Film Festival. Throughout her professional life, she has served as Director of Publicity on various film festival and theater boards and has successfully secured over two million dollars in grant revenue. She is an award winning actor and director, and has spent her life working in the creative industry. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Global Affairs. She/her.

Nedda Sarshar (Vice Chair) is an Iranian-Canadian writer and filmmaker based in the Greater Toronto Area. Her short film idea, Unibrow, was the winner of Reel Asian’s So You Think You Can Pitch competition and a recipient of the Canada Arts Council Concept to Realization grant. Her other short Rachel and Raha (a short film about queer women of colour and their immigrant families) is currently in the festival circuit, premiering at the Canadian Film Festival, and winning Best Short Film at the Toronto LGBT Film Festival and Best LGBT Short Film at the Toronto Short Film Festival. She has completed the inaugural BIPOC TV and Film Kids Writing Program, and was a finalist for the IGP*BIPOC TV and Film Accelerator program where she was chosen as one of five (out of 90) applicants to pitch a pilot script to a production company. She is also a prose writer, who has been published in places like Huffington Post Canada and short-listed for contests like the Edna Staebler Personal Essay Contest with the New Quarterly. Her poetry has been selected for the “Best Canadian Poetry 2023”. She loves telling stories about diasporas, identity crisis’ and star-crossed lovers. She is thrilled to be on the Board of Breakthroughs Film Festivals and to find new ways of championing emerging women and non-binary filmmakers! She/her.

Rabiya Mansoor (Treasurer) is a Pakistani-Calgarian comedian, writer, actor, producer, and recovering lawyer. They have worked on projects for CBC Gem, Crave, WildBrain, 9 Story, Big Bad Boo, Shaftsbury Kids, and more. Her current projects include: digital dramedy series GET UP, AISHA (2023); ½ hour mockumentary LAYLA IS RELEVANT (JFL ComedyPro Stand Up & Pitch Finalist); and ½ hour comedy QUEER GUIDE TO MATCHMAKING (Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Fellow; Reelworld E20). They also produced, co-wrote, and co-starred in the critically acclaimed, multi-award winning sketch show, DON VALLEY GIRLS (Toronto Fringe Patron’s Pick; David Seguin Memorial Award; Why Not Theatre’s RISER Toronto; Buddies in Bad Times Queer Pride Festival). If you got this far, her bank password is Yugioh!. She/they.

Asya Twahir (Secretary) is a media enthusiast who enjoys having critical conversations about film and TV. She graduated with a HBA from University of Toronto Mississauga in political science and is currently pursuing her MA in Communication and Culture during which she aims to produce a documentary about independent filmmaking. She has also worked in communications, community development, and advocacy. She aspires to bridge her interests and experience in film and community politics. Asya enjoys connecting with her community; her Kenyan background and Omani upringing has allowed her to bring many different perspectives into every interaction she has. She is thrilled to be part of the Breakthroughs Board and is excited to support the festival and the communities it highlights. She/her.

Daraksha Rehman is an Emerging Indian-Muslim filmmaker. She is an Alumni of the Toronto Film School's Film Production program and is currently at York University, majoring in Film Production BFA with a minor in Human rights and Equity studies. Daraksha is the founder and owner of Real-N-Reel Films, an Advocacy based film production company inspiring global change through films and initiatives; Her first short narrative, Hudood (boundaries), is inspired by actual events of Honour killings in Canada is currently in post-production with hopes of developing it into a feature film. Daraksha has been actively involved with many not-for-profit organizations based in Toronto on social causes since she was 15. Daraksha is also developing a feature-length documentary on Indian Women home-based workers/unclassified workers with local non-profits in India. She is currently leading a "Canadian Nightmare" campaign about gun violence in North America, directing and producing a short documentary on gun violence amongst youth while having other projects in multiple stages of production. Her passion is telling lesser-known BIPOC and women-led stories that educate society, bringing action to less-known social causes while closing gender gaps. She hopes to continue her social work career by bridging her films to Advocacy. She/her.

Sunita Miya Muganza is an award-winning writer and director passionate about stories. Her love for storytelling began at her local church as an artistic director for 12 years. In 2016, she founded her production company, Grassroots International Productions, also known as Gripmedia Films. In 2017, she was selected for the POV Media Program. She directed her first short documentary, Badassery, a film about unapologetically black female DJs pursuing their passions and crafting their careers in a male-dominated industry. Since then, Sunita has produced and directed several projects, including Intersection, Love & Green Tea, Connexion (Season 2: Play), Cool Beans, and Good Girl.

Her Contribution as an Associate Producer to the 2022 documentary Sex With Sue earned Sunita her first Canadian Screen Award in 2023 and a Banff International Rookie Award nomination for the 2019 CBC Doc Series Devout and Out. She is a Reelworld Film Festival’s E20 Program (2022) and Hot Docs Accelerator Lab Program (2021) Alumni. She/her.

Onyka Gairey is a Black queer writer. She believes that storytelling is humanity remembered. Onyka was a semi-finalist in the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s 2023 PITCH THIS! competition. She was the Script Coordinator on CBC’s MIXED UP and participated in an animated writing summit with Wildbrain. Onyka has published short stories in Penguin Random House’s anthology GRIOT and poems on the Art Gallery of Ontario’s online publication, Foyer. Onyka was the Project Management Coordinator for The Black Academy Skills Development Program and assisted Black Canadian professionals in developing their expertise in the TV/Film industry. She is an alumna of BIPOC TV & Film’s Kids’ TV Writing Incubator and The Nia Centre for the Arts’ Black Pen program. She is currently drafting stories that center Black protagonists in extraordinary worlds and circumstances. She/They.

Michelle D’Alessandro Hatt is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and actor based in Toronto and South River, Ontario. Brave Little Army, Michelle’s directorial debut, was made with an all-female crew under her shingle, Black Lab Film Company. The story of how four girls become lifelong friends in the aftermath of domestic violence, Brave Little Army premiered at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival in 2018 and has since been a selection of over 45 festivals, including the Canadian Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival, and the Oscar-qualifying Bogota Short Film Festival. The next film in her female-driven fantasy trilogy, Brave Rebel Army, will be completed in 2024, thanks to the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council. Michelle’s work is a metaphorical examination of how trauma is processed and healed. Rather than retraumatize audiences with graphic violence, she prefers to use elements of magical realism, providing audiences with an inventive, surreal lens on trauma, and the healing fantasy of processing and acting on the terror and rage it provokes. Michelle is currently developing her first feature as a selected director of the Fall 2023 Women in the Director’s Chair Career Advancement Module, with support from Telefilm Canada - Brave Army Redux, a dark fantasy thriller about gender-based violence. Michelle is a voting member of the Canadian Screen Academy, a member of Women in Film & Television Toronto, and honoured to be part of the Breakthroughs team. She/her.

Alice Wang is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto. Keeping their parents happy with a degree in psychology from the University of Toronto, they have now transitioned to filmmaking and enjoy writing stories they’ve always wanted to tell. Alice has worked as a production coordinator at CBC Kids, Industry Producer at Canadian Film Fest and is currently the Manager of Programming at Regent Park Film Festival. ¼ of Videatur Collective, they’re passionate about supporting youth from underrepresented communities in film. An RBC Emerging Director’s Award recipient, a participant of the BIPOC TV and Film Episodic Lab and part of the 2023 Reelworld Emerging 20 cohort, Alice gravitates towards telling stories about loss, acceptance, and belonging with nuanced perspectives on family dynamics and self actualization. They/she.

With over 15 years of experience in the global entertainment industry, Alicia Insanally has been a driving force behind the marketing and strategic success of numerous iconic titles across the world's most renowned intellectual properties at Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, where she lent her expertise to top film franchises like the DCU, Middle-Earth Saga, and The Wizarding World, as well as for network and specialty TV shows on HBO, BBC, and Netflix.

In her latest endeavors at Wattpad WEBTOON Studios and as a freelancer producer, Alicia is passionately dedicated to fostering greater diversity at every level in the entertainment landscape. Her commitment is reflected in a focused effort to bring more authentic content to screens around the world from emerging creatives with fresh perspectives. She/her.

Hayley Rivier-Gatt is a Toronto-based communications strategist, podcast producer, and designer. She is the co-founder of Anti-Heroine Media, a creative communications studio that foregrounds storytelling for social change. Bridging feminism and design, Anti-Heroine Media applies an intersectional lens to communications, centering accessibility and inclusion to reduce barriers for those who are structurally excluded. Prior to Anti-Heroine Media, Hayley worked in the nonprofit space to build digital advocacy campaigns, design dynamic media products, and produce compelling podcasts. Hayley completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Film Studies at Carleton University, with a specific focus on intersectional gender representation in recent cinema through the depiction of anti-heroine characters. She recently participated as a member of the Selection Committee for the Gender Equity in Media Festival, and spends much of her free time binge-watching horror films, doing crosswords, and taking on unnecessarily complicated baking projects. She/her.

Julianna Udvari is a product designer and film buff who enjoys creating meaningful human connections through shared experiences. As a Product Designer at Secret City Studio, she collaborates with immersive entertainment studios, startups, and technology companies to design digital and in-person experiences that bring people together around shared stories. She's interested in storytelling that fosters a sense of belonging, particularly for underrepresented communities, in mediums such as film, music, theater, and design. Julianna is thrilled to be part of the Breakthroughs team. She/her.