Thomas Waugh
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Cinema, Concordia University. Born 1948, London, Ontario. Teacher, programmer, writer, critic, activist, Graduate of Guelph Collegiate, Western University and Columbia University. Retired from Concordia in 2017 after 41 years teaching film and sexuality/queer studies, including Indian Cinema. Author, compiler or editor of 14 books, including I Confess: Constructing the Sexual Self in the Internet Age (co-edited Brandon Arroyo, 2019). Co-editor with Matthew Hays of 50-book series Queer Film Classics (2008-2030), including Fire (Shohini Ghosh, 2010). Katherine Singer Kovacs Book Award for The Conscience of Cinema: The Work of Joris Ivens, 1912-1989 (Amsterdam). Teacher Punjab Public School, Nabha (1970-72); Visiting Professor, Film Studies, English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad (2018-19). His 1989 interviews with Indian independent documentary filmmakers on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UU-U9TDQrD3eBKdW8LY9crqQ
Moneeza Hashmi
Moneeza Hashmi is a broadcaster, television producer, actress and a former general manager and director programmes of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). Hashmi has over four decades of experience working with public media. She is the Trustee of Faiz Foundation Trust, Pakistan and main organizer of Faiz Festival Lahore .She is the younger daughter of the prominent Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Mathieu Boisvert
Mathieu Boisvert is the director of the Centre d’études et de recherches sur l’Inde, l’Asie du Sud et sa diaspora. He is a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and his primary research interests lie a) in the articulation of religion and contemporary politics and b) in the study of marginalised communities in India. He is the author of Les Hijra : Portrait socioreligieux d’une communauté « transgenre » sud-asiatique, published at the Presses de l’Université de Montréal. www.cerias.uqam.ca
Binita Mehta
Binita Mehta is Professor of French Emerita at Manhattanville College where she taught courses in French language, literature, and film. She is passionate about cinema, especially French-language cinema. She has also written articles and given talks on films by South Asian diasporic filmmakers. From 2012-2016, she was a co-panelist at post-screening Q&As of French language short films at the Avon Theater in Stamford. CT. Since 2021, she has been a moderator and guest panelist at post-screening discussions of the film festival Francophone Short Films in Harlem. She will moderate the post-screening discussion at the 2024 Francophone Short Films in Harlem at the Maysles Documentary Center on April 19, the Lycée Français de New York on May 1, and will be a guest panelist at the festival’s post-screening Q&A at the Maison Française-Columbia University on Tuesday, April 23.
Manoj Singh
Manoj Singh, Director of the Not-for-Profit organization DC South Asian Arts Council Inc. Always had passion for arts, acted in prominent plays and short films. Busy managing year-round literary, music, dance, film festivals, and art exhibits. DCSAACI has a monthly newsletter and hosts discussions on South Asian social issues.
Rita Meher
Rita Meher, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Tasveer Rita Meher co-founded Tasveer in the aftermath of 9/11 to provide a platform for South Asians to tell their stories and create a more informed and just society through thought-provoking arts events. The desired outcomes are increased cross-cultural understanding, engagement of South Asians in meaningful community dialogue, and promotion of the work of South Asian artists. She was born and brought up in India, and lived in Japan before moving to Seattle. She is fluent in English, Hindi, Odia, and Japanese. Before becoming the ED of Tasveer in 2012, Rita was a video producer and editor for 12 years. She has produced award-winning public television shows and made her career debut on TV in Japan in 1995. She edited the award-winning Bangladeshi documentary “Threads” and made her first short film, “Citizenship101”, based on her own immigrant experiences. Rita has been honored by Northwest Asian Weekly as the Seattle Globalist of the Year in 2015, Rising Star in 2015, and Community Voice in 2016. She’s also been honored by the International Examiner with an Excellence in Arts Award in 2016. Under her guidance, Tasveer was nominated for the Seattle Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Arts in 2017. Her passion is to bring to light the stories of the South Asian Diaspora.
Sameea Jamil
Sameea Jamil is a Professor of Media Studies with a focus on International Communications and media content creation, particularly in film. Her work examines the impact of media on cross-border cultures. She contributed to the “Strengthening Journalism Education in South Asia” program, funded by the US government and US universities, using her expertise to develop a new graduate program at Kinnaird College For Women University, Lahore, which included hands-on training. Sameea has also been instrumental in initiating media programs at several colleges and universities. Her research continues to explore the role of media in society and its influence on power politics.
Ali Kazmi
Ali Arsalan Kazmi, is a Pakistani-Canadian actor, director and producer. He appears in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi language films and television series. Apart from acting he has also worked as a host, director, producer and model.