Carl Bessai
Born: Canada
The director first attracted attention with his debut feature Johnny about a gang of disenfranchised kids living in Toronto.
The movie - which won a special jury citation at the Toronto Film Festival - was the first to be shot in North America using the Danish Dogme 95 technique.
"It's a fascinating way to do a film - I wanted to clear out all the stuff between the actors and the director, and get back to straight filmmaking."
His second feature Lola again dwelt on identity and went on to screen at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals.
Other work includes the documentaries Out of Orbit, about media guru Marshall McLulhan, and Indie Truth.
Recent feature work includes the third part of the series - Emile - starring Ian McKellen as a professor revisiting the family he abandoned in Canada.
