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Cast



Ava Louise is a professional provocateur who has turned online outrage into millions — it’s hard to find an internet scandal she isn't behind. A veteran of dead end jobs, Jumanne Struggled finds an audience online by creating risky content targeting the same companies he works for. Jadasaur keeps fans engaged by blending her quirky sense of humour with sexualized content. Peter Teatime draws in followers by treating the urban landscape as his personal gym. Whether he's dangling from a skyscraper or jumping between buildings, fans keep watching to see which death-defying stunt he’ll attempt next. The perpetual class clown, Jake Hillhouse built a fanbase as "The Pain Mime", putting himself through painful experiences without making a sound.




On-Screen Experts/Commentators


Dr. Jamie Cohen holds a PhD in Cultural and Media Studies and specializes in memes and digital culture and he is an assistant professor at CUNY Queens College teaching Digital Activism, Social Media, Aesthetics and Advertising Inequalities. His expertise covers the fields of new and digital media and where they intersect with culture — both IRL and in digital spaces. Donna Rockwell, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with private practices in both New York and Suburban Detroit. She is a leading mindfulness meditation teacher, specialist in celebrity mental health, and an activist in contemporary humanistic psychology. Brittlestar, AKA Stewart Reynolds, is Canada’s social media dad. His comedic and family-friendly videos have been seen more than 600 MILLION times on various platforms. With a global fanbase, an invitation to the White House, speaking engagements all over North America and collaborations with celebs such as Ryan Reynolds, Gordon Ramsay and The Property Brothers, Brittlestar is living the social media celebrity dream… not bad for a Dad from the suburbs. Jenna Drenten is Associate Professor of Marketing in the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University Chicago where her current research explores how digital technologies and social media platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter) present new opportunities for consumers to express their identities and navigate life transitions. Her research examines multiple facets of digital culture and identity, from individual consumer behavior to systemic macro-level structures.




Partners




NFB

The NFB is Canada’s public producer of award-winning creative documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories and participatory experiences. NFB producers are embedded in communities across the country, from St. John’s to Vancouver, working with talented creators on innovative and socially relevant projects. The NFB is a leader in gender equity in film and digital media production, and is working to strengthen Indigenous-led production, guided by the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Telus Fund

TELUS Fund finances exceptional content that promotes the health and well-being of Canadians. The Fund is made possible thanks to the vision of TELUS Corporation and the incredible success of TELUS TV with more than 1.1 Million customers in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec. The Fund is an independently governed, not-for-profit corporation certified by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission as a Canadian Independent Production Fund eligible to administer TELUS Corporation’s financial contributions in support of Canadian programming. Since launching in 2013, The Fund has committed over 25M to more than 100 projects.




North of Now is an award-winning Vancouver, BC based production company specializing in Documentary, Web Series, Animation and Commercial film. Working in a broad range of genres with a diverse group of clients, our production team has the experience and imagination to bring any idea to life.





Organizational Support






CHEO Research Insititute

Dedicated to the best life for every child and youth, CHEO is a global leader in pediatric health care and research. We are redefining what it means to be a hospital. Exceptional and integrated care is what families, children and youth deserve. We are committed to partnering with them and the community to provide this care — where, when and how it’s needed.




Youth Mental Health Canada

YMHC is a community-based, youth-led charitable non-profit organization focused on youth, family and community engagement for mental health education, support, advocacy and change. We advocate for needs-based, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed mental health supports, services and educational accommodations and direct funding to families to support young people with chronic mental health disabilities.




Production Team




Tyler Funk
Director, Producer, Executive Producer

Tyler Funk is a father of two and an award-winning filmmaker, whose work has screened at prestigious festivals around the world including SXSW, The Webby Awards and more.

Tyler has also directed over 40 broadcast and digital commercials for brands such as Ford, Coca-Cola, LEGO, and Huggies. He has created numerous documentary and narrative series and recently directed the feature-length documentary 'Anything For Fame' for the multiple Oscar-winning distributor, the NFB.

Tyler was raised in Banff, Alberta, around his parents' grassroots theater company. He holds a degree in Film Production from the University of British Columbia and is the founder of North of Now
Sebastian Mercado
Editor, Producer, Executive Producer

Sebastian Mercado is a producer for North of Now Films. He has produced more than 50 projects during the last 10 years, and brings a deep expertise of all aspects of production.


Chris Lorenz
Writer

Chris Lorenz is a Vancouver based writer whose work ranges from series to narrative films and documentaries. A longtime collaborator with North of Now, “Anything For Fame” is his first feature film project.
Peter Planta
Cinematographer

Peter Planta is a Filipino-Chinese director of photography based out of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Growing up surrounded by North American culture but raised watching Asian cinema, he likes to bring a multicultural perspective as well as empathy and inclusion to the stories he tells and how he tells them.


Shirley Vercruysse
Producer, Executive Producer (NFB)

Shirley Vercruysse is the Executive Producer of the National Film Board of Canada’s BC & Yukon Studio, where she leads the team producing documentary and animation projects. The studio’s new releases include the feature-length documentaries The Magnitude of All Things and Sovereign Soil, along with recent releases The Whale and the Raven, Because We Are Girls and the musical documentary The Road Forward. Short works include the documentaries Now Is the Time and Highway to Heaven, the animated films Old Dog and The Zoo, as well as the Webby Award-winning docu-series True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball.