Registration is now open
for the
Digital Actor Showcase
See Details Below
To purchase a credit for this showcase, you first need to create a profile. You can then purchase a credit from your profile page, or if you are already signed in, you can purchase a credit by clicking here.
The showcase opens November 1st and will end at midnight on November 30th or when 250 submissions have been reached (whichever comes first). Go to the “Getting Started” page to learn more about creating a successful submission.
– The top 40 actors from this showcase will be able to choose the agent they would like to have a one-on-one meeting with.
– Each participating agent will be sent ALL the submissions from the showcase (regarless of placement) for review. After the showcase, all the submissions will be sent to EVERY agency in the country. (you will have a chance to opt out of this if you don’t want your submission shared with everyone).
– All actors recieve at least 2 reviews of their work from the panel of industry professionals (3 reviews if you get into the top 50).
– All feedback will be given to all the actors, and the results will be delivered a maximum of 3 weeks after the close of the showcase.
During the meetings after the showcase, actors and the agents will be able to choose what they would like to focus on. The meetings are meant to be an introduction to the agent and actor. While there is a chance that an agent could take you on as a client after the meeting, you should not expect that outcome.
Optional Coaching from the Panel:
When you submit your scene you will be asked if you would like to have a one-on-one zoom coaching session with a panel member of your choice.
You will be able to between a 30min coaching session for $40, or a full hour session for $75.
How you choose to use this coaching is completely up to you.
– Choose to ask questions about the feedback you got in the showcase.
– Record a new version of the submission scene and find out how you integrated the notes you got from the panel into your performance.
– Use the time to shoot another scene or audition with the coach.
It is really up to you.
New to this showcase:
showcase an email will be sent out for these 10 complementary spots to all participants. Click here to learn more about Cara and the amazing work she does.
Agent information:
We are really excited to have such a great line-up of agents taking part! Each of them comes to the table with diverse backgrounds and all of them agree that fostering emerging talent is crucial to the life of our industry! Each agent is donating their time to this showcase and none are being compensated for their participation.
Although each agent has a “home” city, most represent actors from all across the country and even the world.
Toronto based:
Michele Charlton – Meridian Artists
Michele Charlton is a Talent Agent with Meridian Artists with over a decade of experience in arts management. Brought up on musicals and Lucille Ball, Michele knew at a young age she wanted a career in the arts. After graduating Queen’s University with a degree in Drama & Film she spent many years producing theatre before joining the team at Meridian in 2018. For Michele, the world of agenting is the perfect intersection between business & art and she’s a firm believer that well supported and inspired artists produce the best work.
Julia Schneider – Ambition Talent
Julia Schneider has been involved in the Canadian entertainment industry for almost 30 years. A former child actor turned talent agent and producer, Julia draws on her experience in front of and behind the camera to bring a unique perspective to her work in the industry.
Julia began her career as an actor at the age of 13, appearing in television series and feature films for over a decade. She later worked as an assistant to acclaimed casting director Stephanie Gorin at SGC, gaining valuable insight into the casting process and the creative and collaborative demands of the industry. She went on to work in talent management within the modeling industry before joining Ambition in 2008.
Now a partner at Ambition Talent and head of the TV/Film department, Julia has spent the past 18 years representing actors across television, feature film, and high-profile theatre productions. She is passionate about discovering emerging talent, helping actors develop and navigate their careers, and advocating for their
interests through strategic career guidance and contract negotiations. Over the years, she has been recognized for discovering some Canadian top talent.
Alongside her agency career, Julia has developed a strong interest in film production. She produced her debut short film, Bach Ma, set on a remote island in Vietnam. The film screened at more than 10 festivals internationally, including the Raindance Film Festival in London, UK, and received the Best First Time Filmmakers award at the Montreal Independent Film Festival, as well as Best Editing at the Female Filmmakers of Berlin festival. She is currently in post-production on her second short film, Follower, a thriller produced in Los Angeles.
Vancouver based:
Owen Owen Owen – Evangelista Talent Management
Owen spent the better part of three decades as an Executive VP across a variety of sectors. He is also a public speaker, advocate, and co-owner of two restaurants — one, a Euro movie/deli lounge with a twist, and the other focused on stand-up comedy. Owen is also a jazz and classically trained musician with expertise in 143 styles of music. He was inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame in 2015 and has performed and competed globally since high school.
After a nine-year hiatus from the Film Industry as an Agent, Owen returned to the industry in early 2022 with a very different perspective on the business.
Owen is not your typical agent. He wears many hats: agent, manager, reader, life coach, psychologist, psychiatrist, gatekeeper, best friend, #1 fan and cheerleader — and semi-lethal protector. ;)His main goal is to change the way the agent/actor relationship works. Communication and the ongoing development of his actors are paramount to his ever-evolving approach in this constantly changing industry. More importantly, to get you in the room!!!
His philosophy is simple: Make your weaknesses your strengths and ALWAYS BE TRAINING (ABT).Owen will push you to be your best, encourage you to take risks with your choices, and never beat around the bush when it comes to feedback and constructive criticism. Blowing smoke up your ass doesn’t solve anything. If he loves your work, he’ll tell you. If he doesn’t, he’ll tell you that too.
Owen currently represents actors across Canada, the United States, China, Korea, Australia and Europe
Jason Ainslie – Principals Talent
Jason was born in West Vancouver where he began his career in the entertainment industry at the age of 12. In high school Jason was a part of the Canadian Improve Games. His team were B.C. champions and competed at Nationals in Ottawa at the Art Center. Jason continued his education through the University of British Columbia
and York University in Toronto. Jason was a client of Principals Talent and it was during this time he began working as an assistant to his agent. Within 3 short months (and at the age of 22), Jason purchased Principals Talent, which at the time represented approximately 40 actors. In the 25 years since, Jason has built
Principals into one of Vancouver’s premier boutique talent agencies covering all divisions – Film, TV, Commercial and Voice Over. Jason’s development of PT is a testament to his ability and drive. He has developed an agency and brand with a reputation for supplying casting with actors they need. His years in the business
have honed his eye for the right look and talent which have helped build Principals to what it is today.
The Panel
Artist2Artist is thrilled to have assembled such a talented and generous group of industry professionals to give feedback to all the participants and to help determine the top group of actors.
Montreal born Actor, Dean has been honing his craft for over 30 years in every medium this industry would let him. Best known for his recurring roles in Davinci’s Inquest and Stargate Atlantis, he has also had the privilege of recurring on Davinci’s City Hall, Intelligence, The 100, The Magicians and Superman and Lois playing the newly minted editor of the Daily Planet, Sam Foswell. Look for Dean in the upcoming Netflix series Sex/Life reccurring as Professor Sumner. Dean is a proud father of two rambunctious boys and is a laser eyed, diamond handed Hodler of Bitcoin. He encourages all to get on the lifeboat!
Brittany Willacy is an actor, musician, photographer and audition coach originally from friendly Winnipeg! Currently moonlighting in the country band “Chase Coulee,” Brittany also actively auditions and runs Greens Department Studio in Mount Pleasant, Vancouver. Some life highlights include working as a reader and camera operator for Vancouver casting directors Sean Cossey and JJ Ogilvy, touring coast to coast in the rock band Head of the Herd, and landing a recurring guest star for 3 seasons of Hallmark’s “Chesapeake Shores.”
Amos Crawley has been a professional actor since he was 4 years old. He has dozens of film, television and VO credits and has performed on stages across Canada as well as in New York and London. He has been an instructor and audition coach since 2010, teaching several age groups and levels.
With over 135 professional acting credits, Catherine (Cat) Lough Haggquist is currently gaining fanfare and acclaim in the supernatural drama genre of television, with a recurring role on Motherland: Fort Salem as General Petra Bellweather.
Cat is equally industrious off-screen. In addition to having served in four capacities – including Vice President – on the executive board of the Union of BC Performers and as a National Councillor of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, she founded Biz Books in 1996 to provide a dedicated source for film, television, and theatre materials. Over 25 years later, Cat still operates BizBooks.net and owns TheDramaClass.com – both of which inspire creatives to feel welcomed, encouraged, and supported in pursuing their industry goals.
The recipient of the 2008 Women in Film and Television Vancouver’s Special Jury Award, Cat is also very proud to have been named as the 2013 International Women’s Day Honoree by UBCP/ACTRA. She was recognized again by UBCP/ACTRA in 2017 with a Lifetime Membership, and in 2020 with the Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction Award.
Based in Vancouver, Geoff Gustafson has been featured in numerous commercial campaigns including Busch Beer, BMO, Volkswagen, Weisers and Visa. Geoff has played Norman Dorman on Hallmark’s Signed Sealed Delivered for the past 8 years. His work has garnered him three Leo nominations. He most recently appeared in “The 27 Hour Day” along side Autumn Reeser and Andrew Walker for Hallmark. Gustafson had a recurring arc on “Rogue” as well as “Once Upon a Time” and has guest starred on episodes of “Emily Owens M.D.,” “Psych,” “Package Deal” and “Bates Motel.” In addition, Gustafson worked as a series regular on “Primeval: New World” for SyFy. When not onset Geoff is an acting instructor and is responsible for developing curriculum and managing the full time acting programs at Vancouver Acting School as the Director of Performing Arts.
Nicole Oliver has worked for over thirty-five years in the entertainment industry as an actor, producer, director/voice director and educator. She holds a BFA from York University and an MA in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University.
Nicole has been nominated by her peers for several awards for her work on both the small and big screen. She won a Leo for Best Performance by a Female in a Web series, and she also received the UBCP/ACTRA award for Best Voice for her work in animation. Her credits in film and television include numerous leads in various MOWs, television shows, and feature films in both Canada and the United States (See IMDB.com for a more detailed list of credits).
Nicole also remains in high demand in the animation, corporate communications, advertising, and video game markets as both a performer and a director. She has provided her voice-over expertise to 100s of companies including AMERICAN EXPRESS and MCDONALDS, and she has voiced innumerable animation and video game programs and properties such as MY LITTLE PONY, THE DRAGON PRINCE, WORLD OF WARCRAFT, and the LEGO and BARBIE™ franchises. Recent voice directing projects include: ACOUSTIC ROOSTER (PBS), LEGO FRIENDS (YOUTUBE), and the multi Emmy® nominated MOLLY of DENALI (CBC/PBS).
She resides in Vancouver with her husband, and their two fur babies, Leonard and Zoey.
Andrés Soto Valverde is an actor from San José, Costa Rica. He began his career as an engineer and TV Producer. He created along with Jatniel Azofeifa the largest kids TV Show in Central America: “Ondivedu”.
He studied Communications and Industrial Engineering at the University of Costa Rica and Acting at Vancouver Film School. He is an instructor and Project Manager for the acting department at Vancouver Film School.
He is known for playing adult Travis on ShowTime’s Yellowjackets and Carlos on Riverdale. He has been a jury member of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival and Jessee Richards Awards. Other credits include School Spirits, The Man In the High Castle, Riverdale, 50 States of Fright and S. Craig Zahler’s Dragged Across Concrete.
Kimberly Huie an is an award winning actor, writer and producer. Recent and memorable screen credits include SELF MADE for Netflix with Octavia Spencer and PRIVATE EYES (Ion/GlobalTV) with Jason Priestly. Kimberly’s career has spanned across Canada and the US with an extensive list of television credits. Highlights include Grey’s Anatomy, The Blacklist, Rookie Blue, CSI Miami and Andromeda. Kimberly is a graduate of the Second City Toronto Improvisation program and trained at Circle in the Square Theatre School in NYC. A love of language and laughter inspired her short film, the intervention. It has shown in Film Festivals across North America and the Caribbean and won multiple awards. Born in Jamaica, raised in Canada, Kimberly Huie came of age in France. She speaks both French and English fluently and divides her time between Toronto and New York.
David Lewis Born and raised in Vancouver BC, David James Lewis knew from an early age that he wanted to be an actor.
At the beginning of his career David cut his teeth on commercials, independents and numerous short films. One of them being 1999’s “Shoes Off” which won the Critics Choice for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival. David continues to enjoy and contribute to the independent film scene and in fact finds it some of his most rewarding work to date.
Over the years David has worked opposite Ashton Kutcher and Michelle Pfeiffer in “Personal Effects”. “The Day the Earth Stood Still” with Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly and William H. Macy in the award winning film “Door to Door”. Previous television work includes “Dead Like Me”, “The L Word” “X-Files” “Supernatural” “Fringe” and every third Movie of the Week over the past 10 years. David has had recurring roles on “Girlfriends Guide to Divorce” “Rogue” “Motive” “Intruders” and “Dirk Gently Holistic Detective”. Also a writer David worked on writing and helping with the creation of the web series “Parked” as well as writing a variety of short films. One of them being “Stalled” which
went on to play in 23 film festivals worldwide.
He has a Leo award which he keeps next to his bed.
Jill Teed With a career spanning 4 decades and over 120 credits, Jill Teed has established herself as a formidable, (albeit perhaps annoying) presence in the entertainment industry. Currently based in Vancouver, her extensive body of work includes major theatrical release films, series regular/recurring roles and memorable guest appearances on episodic television. Her theatrical background is highlighted by a critically acclaimed and demanding one woman show, a feat that showcased her stamina and depth as a performer.
In addition to her work on front of the camera, Jill is a dedicated educator. As a teacher, coach and mentor, she passes on the wisdom gained from 40 yrs in the trenches, helping the next generation of performers find their voice and navigate the complexities of life in the arts.
When she is not on set or in the studio, Jill is an avid explorer of life. A polymath at heart, her personal passions include photography, culinary arts and travel. She tries to stay grounded through yoga and stays active through Pilates, swimming, skiing and sailing the Pacific Northwest waters…and beyond!
Kurt has appeared in over 100 film and television roles over the years including reoccurring roles in iZOMBIE, SUPERNATURAL, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, ROGUE, LEVEL UP, SANCTUARY and EXE’S and OH’s and has been nominated for a LEO for Best Male Guest star twice for his work in MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE and TIES THAT BIND. Kurt has also appeared on stage across western Canada and is a voice actor, writer, director and teacher. It is a highlight of his career to bring Artist2Artist to life!