TIFF Rising Stars

Devery Jacobs was born in Kahnawà:ke Mohawk territory and is an actor and filmmaker. She is best known for her award-winning performances in Rhymes for Young Ghouls (13) and The Sun at Midnight (17). Her recent short film, Rae, won The Ellen Monague Award for Best Youth Work at the 2017 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and screened at the 2018 Palm Springs International ShortFest. Her upcoming credits include roles on the TV shows Cardinal (17– ), American Gods (17– ), and The Order (18– ).

Lamar Johnson is a dancer and actor from Toronto. He has performed at the Apollo Theatre in New York City and was one of the hosts of Pop It! on TVOKids. He has appeared in TV shows such as Degrassi: The Next Generation (01–15), Rookie Blue (10–15), Saving Hope (12–), and The Next Step (13–17). Recent film credits include Kings (17); The Hate U Give (18), which is receiving its World Premiere at TIFF 2018; and the upcoming films X-Men: Dark Phoenix and Native Son.

Michaela Kurimsky is a Toronto-based actor, award-winning filmmaker, and professionally trained singer with the Royal Conservatory of Music. In 2014, she graduated from Ryerson with a BFA in film studies. Since then, she has been involved in filmmaking both behind and in front of the camera. She has mentored with Aaron Poole, John Gordon's The Dirt Underneath Actors’ Space, and LS&CO Studios. Kurimsky will make her feature acting debut in Firecrackers, which is having its World Premiere at TIFF 2018.

Jess Salgueiro is an actor, singer, playwright, and performance artist based in Toronto and Los Angeles. Recent TV credits include roles on Orphan Black (13–17), The Strain (14–17), Letterkenny (16– ), Kim's Convenience (16– ), Workin' Moms (17– ), and the upcoming The Boys. Her recent feature films include Mary Goes Round, which premiered at TIFF in 2017; Mouthpiece, which will premiere at this year’s Festival; and the upcoming No Sleep ‘Til Christmas. Salgueiro also runs an online feminist publication called bitchesbewitches.