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WESTCOAST Creators Chat – VI² – VAFF Industry Insight Series #1 (Nov 8)

Join Us with Ava Maria Safai (Filmmaker),
Milton Ng (Filmmaker)
and Steph Song (Producer, Actor)
to share their journeys from shorts to feature & TV series.
Moderated by Jeremy Xu, producer & Actor.


Screening Time (Click on the time/ticket box below to purchase)
Co-Presented by

Sponsors:

BIO: Steph Song began Werewolves of London with one simple mission. For Werewolves to become known as a fountain of great concepts.
After a 20 year career as an actor where she was nominated for Best Female Lead four times and Best Supporting Actress twice in Canadian Film Awards, Steph turned her attention to creative development.
Her first project as Executive Producer was on TV drama “Blood & Water” for Omni Channel and Rogers Canada. The show was nominated twice for Best Dramatic Series at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Steph is now bringing her vast experience in front of the camera to create a bagful of unique and exciting concepts for film and TV.
BIO: Milton Ng (he/him) is a Chinese-Canadian who was destined to take over the family restaurant but chose a career in film. Milton moved to Vancouver in 2009, and directed short films like “NEXT LIKE” nominated for Best Canadian Short at Vancouver Asian Film Festival. He starred & directed in “TOWEL BOY” Best Action/Comedy short New York’s Urban Action Showcase & web-series “FOLLOWERS” won Best Directing & Best Comedy Web Series at Utah Web-series Film Festival. His horror short, “TUMBLE”, Finalist at Tokyo International Short Film Festival, Seoul International Short Film Fest, LA International Horror Fest. Milton has also produced over 250 comedy sketches online, garnering over 10 million views + performs stand-up comedy in Vancouver. He recently won Whistler’s Power Pitch in 2024 for his upcoming feature film, “NEW DIAMOND RESTAURANT.”

BIO: Ava Maria Safa is a Canadian-Iranian filmmaker based in Vancouver, known for mixing sharp genre instincts with heartfelt, character-driven storytelling. She’s the artistic director of The Harlequin Theatre Society and a proud champion of underrepresented voices.

Her short film ZIP made history as the first Crazy8s selection to receive a standing ovation and went on to screen at Oscar-qualifying festivals including Uppsala, CINEQUEST, Athens, and Calgary. The short earned her a Leo Award for Best Picture Editing and numerous accolades at festivals such as WIFF, CIFF, and Blood in the Snow. Her debut feature Foreigner, backed by Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program, is a bubblegum-tinged coming-of-age horror set to hit some of the top genre festivals in the world.

Ava Maria recently shadowed directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein on Final Destination 6. When she’s not behind the camera, she can be found in front of it — or somewhere in a sound booth making music that’s just as dramatic as her films. avamariasafai.com

BIO: Jeremy Xu, Born in China and raised in Canada, is a Chinese-Canadian actor and producer whose feature film Lola Dust premiered in New York. A member of the Directors Guild of Canada, he was selected for TIFF’s 2025 Real-World Producers program recognizing emerging voices in film.

Credits

Festival passes

This year, VAFF FESTIVAL, screening programs in person and virtual will be organized into various series in order to better highlight the diverse content in our festival. These Series include Spotlight Series, Documentary Features Series, Narrative Features Series, Westcoast Shorts Series, Canadian Shorts Series, International Short Series, Animation Series, VAFF Industry Insight Series and Special Events.

vaff28 venues

Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas

88 W Pender St 3rd floor, Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9

Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas

88 W Pender St 3rd floor, Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9