COCO
Simon Fothergill - Jimmy Coco / James
Having always felt the immeasurable power of Story, Simon was a born actor — playing make-believe for as long as he can remember. He took up studying acting in his early teenage years, and has pursued the craft ever since though he’d often tell himself it was only ever for fun. The most influential of his training would be the two decades he’s worked with David Rotenberg at The Professional Actors Lab in Toronto, the city where he grew up. It was David who gave Simon the push he needed to finally walk out from hiding in the wings and throw his hat in the ring, saying to him on break during class some years ago now “What are you doing, Simon? Get a fucking agent.”
Life is a story. Tell it like you mean it.
Jake Kovnat - Director
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Jake graduated with honours from the University of Toronto with a double major in cinema and philosophy.
Beginning his career in commercial directing, Jake has gone on to shoot award-wining campaigns for some of the world’s largest brands including LinkedIn, McDonald’s and HP.
Known for his films about idiosyncratic, colourful characters, Jake’s uniquely empathetic approach has made his work stand out.
His short documentaries have been screened at over 50 film festivals internationally and hundreds of thousands of times online, earning multiple Vimeo Staff Picks and recognition from major media outlets.
His latest film, “Jimmy Coco” is a short narrative which he wrote, produced, directed and edited, loosely based on some the of wild experiences he had growing up in Upstate New York.
Ian Macmillan - Cinematographer
The work of director of photography, Ian Macmillan, has been seen around the world at festivals such as TIFF, Slamdance, Raindance, Tribecca and Cannes to name a few. He has received several awards for his work as well as three CSC (Canadian Society of Cinematographers) Award nominations.
In addition to over a hundred music videos, dozens of commercials and countless award-winning short films, Ian’s portfolio includes six feature films and nearly a dozen broadcast digital series for platforms such as Fox, Global, Showcase and CBC Gem.
Macmillan also has an extensive resume of documentary and lifestyle television, including the CBC doc Betrayal, and broadcast series for VICELAND, Discovery, HGTV, SuperChannel, FOOD Network, YTV, & BRAVO.
