We want to feature the editors of four Canadian films that are not only critically acclaimed in this year's festival circles but also reflect the great community spirit behind their creation. Whether it's the utterly independent visions of MATT AND MARA and UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE or the deeply necessary stories of the Indigenous community in ABERDEEN and THE STAND, this year's Canadian films, in all their shapes and forms, are not short of boldness and style.
Sara Bulloch is an editor and filmmaker in Winnipeg, Canada. She's edited films and series like ABERDEEN (premiered at TIFF2024), ALTER BOYS, SEEKING FIRE, ANCIENT BODIES, and many short films including I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY BODY which won Audience Choice Award at Gimli Film Fest 2023. Short films she's written/directed have screened with Toronto Jewish Film Fest, the8fest, Gimli Film Fest, and more. Her films often explore mental health, identity, and relationships. Her short film, HOT DOG GUY won a People's Choice Award at Vox Popular Media Arts Fest 2022. She's also a motion graphics artist and community organizer. From 2019-2023 she organized OurToba Film Network & Fest, a community group for women, non-binary and gender diverse Manitobans in film.
Xi Feng is a film editor based in Montreal. Having lived in China, Canada, and France, she has cultivated a unique blend of cultural and artistic sensitivity. Feng has worked as an editor on award winning films including CETTE MAISON, CAITI BLUES and most recently UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, which won the inaugural Audience Award at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes and is Canada's 2025 submission for the Oscars. Her filmography includes films premiered at major festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, Vision du Réel, HotDocs, etc.
Nathalie Massaroni is a Winnipeg-based editor and post production supervisor of more than 400 hours of television. Since graduating from the University of Winnipeg's film program, she has edited features and series including WINTERTIDE, ALTER BOYS, SEEKING FIRE, and ABERDEEN (which premiered at TIFF 2024). Nathalie has also edited other short form series and films such as D DOT H, TAILOR MADE, and I HURT MYSELF. If she's not working on a computer, you can find Nathalie at the dance studio or sipping coffee with a cat on her lap.
Ajla Odobasic is a Bosnian-Canadian film editor based in Toronto. Her credits include MATT AND MARA, THE WHITE FORTRESS, the TFCA Best Canadian Film Award-winning ANNE AT 13000 FT, A.W: A PORTRAIT OF APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL, and the CSA-nominated HELLO DESTROYER. Her work has screened at several festivals and platforms including Locarno, TIFF, the Berlinale, MoMA, CBC Gem, and the Criterion Channel. Ajla teaches editing in Humber College's Film and Television program.
Sarah Hedar is a Vancouver-based editor and story editor. Her patience and sense of humour keeps the challenges that so often bog down the creative process at bay. Sarah's award-winning work on provocative and original films spans both documentary and narrative projects, from features to shorts. Her keen eye for visual storytelling reflects her belief in the power of community, and the importance of continuously reassessing the status quo while building a world filled with empathy and hope for a brighter future. Her work has screened at festivals across the globe, but most notably, Sundance, TIFF, and VIFF.
Kelly Boutsalis is the International Programmer, Canada for the Toronto International Film Festival. She's also a freelance writer, and has written about film and television for the New York Times, NOW Magazine, Elle Canada, Flare, POV Magazine and more. She's also written about lifestyle, design, and culture for publications including Vogue, Toronto Star, Chatelaine, VICE and Toronto Life. Originally from the Six Nations reserve, she lives in Toronto. She is on the board of imagineNATIVE and a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association.
