Michelle D’Alessandro Hatt – Actor/ Writer/ Director/ Producer

Michelle is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and actor based in Toronto.

Brave Little Army, her directorial debut, was made with an all-female crew under her shingle, Black Lab Film Company. Since premiering at the St. John’s Women’s International Film Festival in 2018, Brave Little Army has been an official selection of over 40 festivals, including the Canadian Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival, and the Oscar-qualifying Bogota Short Film Festival. Brave Little Army has won multiple awards, notably Best Short at Voce Spettacolo Film Festival (Matera, Italy), a Special Jury Mention at Festival Courts d’un Soir (Montreal, Canada), and Jury Awards at both Lady Filmmakers Festival (Los Angeles, USA) and Chinh India Kids Festival (New Delhi, India).

Michelle’s screenplay for the next film in her trilogy, Brave Rebel Army, was a semi-finalist in the 2021 short script competition at Lady Filmmakers Festival and Best Short Drama Screenplay Nominee at Atlanta Women’s Film Festival (2022). Brave Rebel Army is going to camera in 2023 with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council.

Michelle’s plays have been produced at Summerworks Theatre Festival, the New Ideas Festival and Toronto Fringe Festival. She has been an invited member of the Tarragon Theatre Playwrights Unit, and was the recipient of a Theatre Ontario playwriting mentorship with the prolific Linda Griffiths.

As an actor, Michelle has enjoyed lending her voice to countless brands, including Cadillac, Swarovski, Dove, Keurig, Coppertone, Fisher-Price, Peoples, and Jacob’s Creek Wines. Favourite on-camera credits include playing Tom Noonan’s muse in Tom Works Nights, the starring role of Lisa Fuillerat in the true story of her escape from an abusive husband in Forbidden: Dying for Love, and 1950s cannibal housewife Martha in the award-winning Guess Who’s Not Coming to Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner?  

Michelle is proud to be a voting member of the Canadian Screen Academy, and a member of Women in Film & Television Toronto. She has served on the selection committee for Berlin Feminist Film Week, a judge for the Nova Star Awards, and recently joined the board of directors for Breakthroughs Film Festival.

For professional development, Michelle has participated in the Film Industry Forum at St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Directing Masterclass at the Canadian Film Festival, the Director’s Foundation Certificate course at Raindance Canada, Writing Episodic Television at University of Toronto, and Screenwriting Masterclass with Scott Myers.

(Photo Credit: LV Imagery)

Sydney Cowper – Editor – BRAVE LITTLE ARMY & BRAVE REBEL ARMY

Sydney graduated from Sheridan College’s Media Arts program, with honors, focusing on Editing and Grip/Electric practices.  She is now a member of the DGC and an Associate member of the CCE. The relationship between the pace and emotion in Sydney’s work is influenced by her 12 years training as a pianist. www.sydneycowper.com

Sarah Zanon – Set Still Photographer/Poster Design – BRAVE LITTLE ARMY & BRAVE REBEL ARMY

Sarah Zanon is a Toronto based photographer and graphic designer, with a degree in Graphic Design from OCAD University and is currently working in the film industry.  Viewing the world through her camera eyepiece, she is inspired by all forms of art.  Her range of work in both photography and graphic design is very diverse—constantly exploring and discovering new aspects and gathering inspiration.” www.iamsarahzanon.com

Ashley Hallihan – Casting Director – BRAVE LITTLE ARMY & BRAVE REBEL ARMY

Ashley Hallihan is an established Casting Director with her fingers on the pulse of the Toronto film industry, with projects spanning feature films, television, music videos, commercials, and everything in between. www.hallhihancasting.com

Janal Bechthold – Composer – BRAVE LITTLE ARMY & BRAVE REBEL ARMY

Janal’s compositional style is diverse and innovative as she tends to combine musical elements and styles in a natural manner. Her comfort using non-traditional textures and tambres within her music makes for a fresh and intriguing sound. As an integral part of film and television projects, Janal’s music has appeared in numerous film festivals and broadcast both domestic and internationally. http://www.marcandomusic.com

Deanna Sciortino – Costume Designer – BRAVE LITTLE ARMY & BRAVE REBEL ARMY

Deanna Sciortino studied at the Ryerson Theatre School to gain a BFA with a specialty in costumes to begin her career as a Costume Designer. Over the years she has worked in the independent market designing low budget features and television shows including the 3rd and 4th seasons of Annedroides. While designing, she has also worked other areas of the costume department from stitching, to breakdown, and background coordinating. All this was to move closer to her newly gained membership within IATSE 873, where she hopes to be designing, bringing more Canadian designers to the forefront of film and television.  wardrobe, wardrobe supervisor, and onset wardrobe.  www.deannasciortino.com

Natasha Ponce – Assistant Art Director – BRAVE LITTLE ARMY; Art Director – BRAVE REBEL ARMY

Toronto-based set decorator/assistant art director Natasha is a graduate of The Toronto Film School and studied Graphic Design for three years at George Brown College. Her favourite genres are fantasy and horror and she has two stories in the works, both very heavy in set dec!

Emily Andrews – Consulting Producer – BRAVE LITTLE ARMY; Executive Producer/Producer – BRAVE REBEL ARMY

Emily currently  has a number of feature film projects and TV series in development. She remains active as an actor and producer in Canadian theatre, both independently and through her own company.

Robitaille – WAGGER / FETCHER / ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

The inspiration and model for the Black Lab Film Co. logo.

Jackie and Nella – PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Jackie and Nella joined us in the summer of 2022 and have proven to be instrumental in boosting morale, curating staff snacks and coordinating zoomies meetings.