KEN ROGERS is Director of the York University Motion Media Studio (YUMMS) at Cinespace, a 6,000 sq. ft, cutting-edge film studio in the heart of Cinespace’s Kipling facility, a partnership offering unique experiential education opportunities to York film and media students. Ken is also Co-Director of the MBA Program in Arts, Media and Entertainment at the Schulich School of Business and Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Arts at York University. He was formerly Associate Dean, Research at the School of the Arts, Media, Performance, and Design (AMPD) at York University (2015-2020). He is the author of The Attention Complex and has also published extensively on the social and cultural impact of emerging media technology. He is appointed to the Film, Television and Digital Media Advisory Board for the city of Toronto. He sits on the steering committee of Digital Media at the Crossroads, an organization and annual conference devoted to rethinking global media policy. Ken sits on York’s Pan-University Strategic Entrepreneurship Council at Innovation York. He is a founder and a core faculty member of AMPD’s new BFA in Media Arts. Established in 2017 the BFA in Media Arts is an academic program focused on expanded skills, work placements, and workforce development for the media and entertainment industries. He also teaches courses in film, television, digital media, game studies, media industry studies, and media and media cultural policy.
INGRID VENINGER is the Associate Director of York University Motion Media Studio (YUMMS) at Cinespace. She the holds an MFA from York University and has been a full-time faculty member of AMPD (School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design) in the department of Cinema & Media Arts since 2019.
Born in Bratislava and raised in Canada, Ingrid has produced fifteen feature films with premieres at TIFF, Rotterdam, Locarno, Busan, Slamdance, Whistler, Rome, Hot Docs, Karlovy Vary and MoMA in New York, amongst othters. Ingrid received the WIFTS International Visionary Award, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists EDA Award for “Best Director” and the Jay Scott Prize awarded by the Toronto Film Critics Association with retrospectives in Ottawa at the Canadian Film Institute and Santiago, Chile at FEMCine. A Director member of the Directors Guild of Canada and participant in the inaugural TIFF Studio, Berlinale Talents, and Rotterdam Producer’s Lab, Ingrid has been a mentor at the Canadian Film Centre and Screenwriter-in-Residence at the University of Toronto. An advocate for gender parity, Ingrid initiated the pUNK Films Femmes Lab to foster narrative feature films written and directed by Canadian women, sponsored by Academy Award winner Melissa Leo. On April 1, 2020, she launched a collaborative feature film project, ONE(NINE) wherein 9 women filmmakers from different parts of the world (China, USA, Germany, Spain, South Africa, and across Canada) co-created a feature film and interactive web project, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Currently, Ingrid is developing three feature film projects and is travelling to film festivals with her recent short works. Research interests: DIY-based methodologies, collective creation, authentic leadership, feminist film, hybrid cinema and new pedagogical modalities.
BETHANY MINOR is the Program Coordinator at the York University Motion Media Studio (YUMMS) at Cinespace. She holds a BA in Sociology from Concordia University as well as a Diploma in Dance from George Brown College. She is currently working towards a Project Management (PMP) certification.
With a background in performance art and early career work in customer service, Bethany has over 15 years of experience in coordinating between various artistic, event, non-profit, and educational organizations. Since 2018, her focus has been on film & television-based education and training.
As the Program Coordinator, Bethany manages operational support for the activities at the York University Motion Media Studio. Liaising between York U faculty, students, industry, community partners, and Cinespace Film Studios, she oversees and coordinates bookings, documentation, and event space requirements. She works closely with the Director and Associate Director to help organize and implement YUMMS policies and procedures.
Bethany is excited to be part of the team and looks forward to continuing to help develop the programs and offerings at YUMMS.
ROBERT ANTHONY SALVADOR is the Technical Coordinator at The York University Motion Media Studio (YUMMS) at Cinespace. He holds a Diploma in Broadcasting and Videography from Humber College and began his career as a TV Cameraman at Rogers.
Robert began working with several professional local equipment houses, which expanded his technical knowledge. he became a proclaimed “gear-head”. His most recent venture at Sheridan College had him working as a technologist with the ATVF program. To ensuring the Commonwealth Games live streams ran smoothly.
As the inaugural Technical Coordinator for the Motion Media Studio, Robert provides operation support for the stages, studios, and equipment. He works closely with the MMS team to ensure all technical needs are met for on-site activities and to ensure safety.
Chirag Prabhu is the Website and Social Media Assistant at The York University Motion Media Studio (YUMMS) at Cinespace. He is currently working towards an undergraduate degree in English at York University.
Chirag discovered a passion for creativity while volunteering at a senior’s centre in high school; they needed flyers to promote their annual Christmas market and he obliged. As a self-taught graphic designer and video editor, Chirag has worked with multiple small businesses and extracurricular clubs within The Schulich School of Business and York University.
As the Website and Social Media Assistant, Chirag creates and updates engaging content on the organization’s websites and social media platforms while adhering to brand guidelines. He is excited to be part of the team and ensure that the York University Motion Media Studio (YUMMS) remains a creative pillar within the student community.