Director

"Mark Vonesch is a filmmaker, arts based facilitator, and Director of Reel Youth since its inception in 2004. Mark has mentored the production of over 2,000 issue-based films in Canada, the US, India, Nepal and Vietnam. Under Mark’s leadership, Reel Youth has grown to be a nationally recognized organization, winning awards in film festivals around the world, and producing 100+ films that reach an audience of 100,000+ people each year. Mark is also the Regional Director for Cortes Island, representing his community at the Strathcona Regional District. In his off time, Mark can be found exploring the northern Gulf Islands of BC by sailboat."

Artistic Director and Facilitator

Erica is the Artistic Director and a facilitator and editor for Reel Youth.

Facilitator

"Tate is Sahtu Dene and a member of the Délı̨nę First Nation's Band. He was born in Yellowknife NWT on Chief Drygeese Territory, traditional lands of Yellowknives Dene First Nation. He is the grandson of Doreen Cleary and the late George Cleary, a former chief of Délı̨nę. He is the son of the late Gary Juniper and the late Cheryl Cleary. Tate has a diverse educational and professional background in finance, economics, the electrical trade, and video journalism. In 2021, Tate began a videography project that was grounded in authentic representations and portrayals of Indigenous people. He drove 40,000 kilometres to take portraits and record stories from Indigenous communities across America as part of his project, We Are The First. He is guided by the belief that authentic representation comes through conversation and listening, and seeks to demystify what it means to be a contemporary Indigenous person."

Facilitator

Stevie Nande is an actor and youth advocate from Fort Liard, Northwest Territories. A graduate of Algonquin College’s theatre arts program, he recently appeared in Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, portraying a father in the season finale. Nande has also acted in independent productions, including the short film Shacktown. Passionate about inspiring Northern youth, he uses his platform to encourage others from small communities to pursue careers in the arts. Stevie started as a youth participant in Reel Youth's programs and now works as a facilitator traveling to communities across Canada to deliver programs.