FILM

Joanna Tsanis is an award-winning writer, producer, and filmmaker. Her directorial debut Imagine a World (2019), a satirical horror short, premiered at Toronto After Dark Film Festival in 2019 and screened in multiple festivals around the world including Mórbido Film Fest in Mexico City and Nightmares Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio where she won the award for ‘Best Director, Short’.

Joanna wrote and produced Eleftheromania (2018), a WWII-era short film starring Academy Award Winner Olympia Dukakis. The film screened at several festivals worldwide, including Raindance Film Festival. Joanna won the award for ‘Best Short Screenplay’ at Mindfield Film Festival, and the award for ‘Best Drama’ at Toronto Shorts International Film Festival.

Joanna recently directed the dramatic horror short Mourn, starring Lynne Griffin of the cult classic Black Christmas (1974). The film will screen at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles, the largest and longest running horror festival in the United States.

Formerly a comic book critic for the Toronto Standard, Joanna has a varied history with storytelling. She has produced numerous branded videos, both animated and live-action. Her branded documentary short Girls Helping Girls screened at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the 2017 Gabby Awards.

In addition to freelance producing, Joanna also works at the award-winning film studio Landed Entertainments where she produces both short and long-form content including a documentary on job recruitment in the United States, eight genre shorts, and a feature-length horror anthology film (currently filming).

Joanna actively lends her production experience to student filmmakers at Ryerson University where she ran an alumni film festival and managed a grant and mentorship program for film students in continuing education.