Professional Jury
Sarah Baril Gaudet
A Montreal-based documentary filmmaker, Sarah Baril Gaudet’s narratives are shaped by her relationship to place and feminist issues. A graduate of UQÀM, she directed Là où je vis (2017), which was selected for the FNC and Sheffield Doc/Fest and won the Grand Prix at the Vues du Québec Festival. She then directed Passage (2020), her debut feature film, which was selected for the Gala Québec Cinéma. In 2021, her short film Les bienveillants gained international recognition (a special mention at Hot Docs, nominations for the IDA Documentary Awards and the Canadian Screen Awards) and was acquired by The New York Times. In 2023, her second feature film, Celles qui luttent, was presented at the RIDM and later aired on Télé-Québec. She is currently developing the feature film Haute saison, produced by Nemesis Films, funded by SODEC, and supported by EURODOC.
Jean Sébastien
A professor in the Department of Literature, Arts, Art History, and Film at Collège de Maisonneuve, Jean Sébastien teaches literature and has taught film and comics. He conducts research and has published works on Indigenous fictional audiovisual works and comics.
Maxime Thibault-Leblanc
Maxime Thibault-Leblanc, who serves as the research and advocacy coordinator at the Quebec Network for Migrant Agricultural Workers (RATTMAQ), holds a master’s degree in sociology from UQÀM. He is a member of the Interuniversity and Interdisciplinary Group on Employment, Poverty, and Social Protection (GIREPS).
Student Jury
Valérie Bergeron-Blouin
Passionate about film and social justice, Valérie Bergeron-Blouin is taking a break from her career as an Indigenous law attorney to explore, through her studies in documentary filmmaking, new ways of thinking, communicating, and advocating.
Leah Elbourne-Weinstock
Leah Elbourne-Weinstock is an emerging filmmaker from Montreal, Quebec, working in screenwriting, directing, editing, and sound design. After earning a DEC in film from Cégep de Saint-Laurent, she is now in her third year of film production at Concordia University. Leah is equally interested in both documentary and fiction, and is particularly inspired by films that blur the line between the two. She is fascinated by the ways in which we seek love and a sense of belonging in contemporary life, exploring themes such as grief, memory, and catharsis in her personal projects. In 2025, her film Nightbirds won the Jury Prize and the FNC Special Mention at the Kinorino Film Festival.
Mia Lainey
Mia Lainey is an emerging filmmaker from the Wendat Nation. She currently works at Kassiwi Media, an Indigenous media production company. She also holds a certificate in screenwriting and a bachelor’s degree in communication — film from UQÀM. Through her projects, she has discovered the authenticity and power of documentary filmmaking and enjoys experimenting with the various forms it can take.