Acting for Film & Television

Andrés Soto (known on-screen as Alexander Soto) is an actor, producer, and mindset coach. He is an instructor in the acting department at Vancouver Film School and founder of The Acting Blueprint. He also runs the Frente a Camara workshops, which seek to teach on-camera skills to actors in Latin America. Andrés has worked behind the camera for multiple casting directors in Vancouver, including Kris and Kara, Murdine Hirsch, and Kathleen Widdows.

Andrés studied Communication at the University of Costa Rica with an emphasis on production. He also has a degree in Motivation and Leadership from the Costa Rican Institute of Technology and studied acting at Vancouver Film School. As a producer, he created (along with Jatniel Azofeifa) the largest kids TV show in Central America: Ondivedu. As an actor, he is known for 50 States of Fright, Riverdale, Dragged Across Concrete, Deadly Class, and Arrow. He has also appeared in multiple television commercials, including Coca-Cola, Bose, Crayola, Captain Morgan, London Drugs, Babies 'R Us, and Coors Light.

Sam has worked as a dancer, actor, and choreographer for the past 10 years. He has had the privilege of performing, choreographing, and adjudicating all across North America and Europe. Sam has appeared in award-winning short film Eleftheromania, starring Olympia Dukakis, and in national marketing campaigns for Save-on-Foods. In the spring of 2020, he partnered with the Kamloops Music Collective and began producing/directing online musical theatre content for young audiences. He is thrilled to bring you his first-hand knowledge and industry experience, along with his passion and dedication for arts education.

Omari Newton is an award-winning professional actor, writer, director, producer, and a senior instructor at the Vancouver Film School. Notable film & TV credits include: Lucas Ingram on Showcase’s Continuum, Larry Summers on Blue Mountain State and lending his voice to the Black Panther in multiple animated projects (Marvel). Most recently, Omari has a recurring role as Nate on Corner Gas (the animated series) and a recurring role as Corvus of Netflix’s hit new animated series The Dragon Prince.

As a writer, his original Hip Hop theatre piece 'Sal Capone' has received critical acclaim and multiple productions, including a recent presentation at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Additionally, Newton’s work in Speakeasy Theatre's production of Young Jean Lee's The Shipment earned him a 2017-2018 Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor, as well as a nomination for Best Direction.

Alison has been acting, directing, and teaching for over 11 years. She played the coveted role of “Nurse Tiffany” in New Zealand's primetime clinical drama Shortland Street, which is still shown in over 70 countries.

Missy Cross is an award-nominated actor, director, and theatre producer who has appeared in Legends of Tomorrow, White Raven, and She Who Must Burn. For the past 8 years, she has toured in the neo swamp rock band Wooden Horsemen and has performed across Canada in countless music festivals, including the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. She is the founder of the Mindful Actor Workshops which combines Chakra philosophy and acting processes.

A VFS alumnus, Missy has since taught camera, voice, acting, singing and directed over 10 grad films for the acting department. Behind the camera, she has also worked as a Script Supervisor and 1st AD. She has produced 6 theatre productions in Vancouver and created the Performance Boutique - a gathering of female identifying creatives sharing original works based on a theme.

A descendent of Ukrainian, Austrian, and British immigrants, Sean Bayntun grew up, and currently resides, on the ancestral and unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples (Burnaby).

Having grown up steeped in classical music, Sean made his orchestral debut as a solo pianist at 16 with the White Rock Symphony, and at 18 performed as a soloist with the VSO. He graduated from UBC with a BMus before attending Rice University (Houston) on full scholarship studying with Dr. Jon Kimura Parker. With Dr. Parker’s encouragement to explore genres and performance beyond classical piano, Sean played Otto in Design for Living and music directed Bat Boy: The Musical.

Returning to Vancouver in 2006, Sean joined a pop/rock band as a keyboardist/writer and began freelancing as a session and performance musician and has performed and/or written countless songs.