Sidrah Laldin – Executive Producer / Writer / Director
Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, Sidrah Laldin was raised in Al-Khobar in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Her family moved to Mississauga, Ontario, in her late teens while she attended Emma Willard School, an all-girls boarding school in upstate New York.
After film school at York University in Toronto, Sidrah worked as community-based filmmaker developing videos and educational media for the non-profit sector in Toronto while also developing documentary and narrative projects. She pursued graduate degree at York University with a focus on stereoscopic 3D (S3D) cinematography. Her master’s thesis explored how on-set parameters in S3D live and animated productions affect viewer perception in context of binocular vision.
A filmmaker-turned-into-theatre practitioner, Sidrah also studied acting and directing in Toronto and New York. While in New York, she trained under the tutelage of various members Broadway and off-Broadway community. After her training, she pursued her love of directing and drama by working as a crew member on off-Broadway productions, notably at The Mint Theatre in downtown Manhattan.
After relocating back to Toronto, she developed Afsah Theatre, an initiative devoted to developing, producing, and supporting voices of Canadian artists and communities with ties to Muslim regions and its diaspora. She had also been a teaching artist for ten years, providing film and media making workshops to youth in Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and racialized women from immigrant communities. Sidrah has managed to complement her filmmaking career with interest and passion in healthcare. She is currently a final-year medical student at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
A Poem From Anna is her first narrative fiction film in which she is the executive producer, writer, and director.
Irena Huljak – Associate Producer
Irena Huljak was in the Off-Broadway production “Shakespeare in Space “ (Mint Theatre). She has enjoyed playing roles such as Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet” (Classical Theatre Brooklyn) and Beatrice in “The Changeling” (Annex Theatre). Recently she produced a web-series “Open“. She has just finished a development project about the modernization of “The Trojan Women” renamed “Fallen”.
You may have seen her in television shows such as American Gods, Anna, May Day, and The Boys and in films such as Brother. She is thrilled to be part of The Hillside Homeside Festival through Pat the Dog, a theatre creation catalyst which has been a sanctuary for her.
She has been granted an artist residency at the Chateau d’Orquevaux in France and Artscape on Toronto Centre Island. She loved working on A Poem from Anna. It was a project that challenged her creatively.
Ryan Singh – Consulting Producer / Assistant Director
Ryan Singh is a multi-talented Guyanese-Canadian filmmaker. His critically acclaimed short, Mom premiered at the Reelworld Film Festival in 2013. Ryan has worked on major studio productions for Netflix, NBC, FOX, CBS, Amazon, Apple, Hulu, Disney, Rogers, Bell Media as well as notable channels across the Caribbean and Africa.
Ryan’s acting credits include The Expanse (Syfy, Amazon Prime Video), Designated Survivor (ABC, Netflix), Kim’s Convenience (CBC, Netflix), and Alexander Payne’s feature film Downsizing.
His recent documentary Memento: A South African Artventure and sci-fi short H.E.N.R.I. have played at more than 40 festivals across 6 continents. Ryan previously worked on the critically acclaimed Deborah Ellis’ adapted novel, The Breadwinner, a Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated animated film directed by Nora Twomey and executive produced by Angelina Jolie. He’s secured the option to Deborah Ellis’ new book, The Greats.
Ryan is currently directing and producing Ray of Hope, a story about the Tamil-Canadian community’s journey from trauma as they make Canada home