Organizers

Chrystene Ells - Artistic Director

Chrystene paints, sculpts, and puppeteers, and has directed and produced dozens of plays, films, animations, puppet events, and arts festivals in Calgary, San Francisco, and now Regina over the past 3 decades. She currently serves as artist in residence at Thom Collegiate with an Arts and Literacy program for Deaf youth, and guiding seniors in care residences in creating memory-based art projects. Chrystene holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts from the University of Regina, and has been honoured with the Governor General’s Gold Medal (Academic 2010), Lieutenant Governor’s Arts Award (Leadership in the Arts 2013), and the Mayor’s Arts & Business Award (Innovation, 2013). She is proud and happy to be a Saskatchewan artist. Welcome to the Caligari Project… and enjoy!

Berny Hi - Artistic Director

Filmmaker, performer, and visual artist Berny Hi is endlessly fascinated by nature and aspects of the human experience: beauty, sensation, and our unique perception of time and space.

Through Artist’s Residencies with Saskatchewan organizations and schools, Berny aspires to support unheard voices through creative, collaborative adventures and manual, hands-on processes.

With support from our province’s fantastic Arts Board, Berny has created multi-award winning films, often shot on glorious celluloid, that have screened throughout the world. His current focus is crafting films that pay homage to genre and movements throughout history, love letters to the cinema of our collective past. Never bored, Berny is a founding member of two artist-run non-profits: The Prairie Puppet Underground, creating and exhibiting visionary puppetry, and The Cabinet Collective. He finds that there is simply not enough time in a day.

“Thank you for being part of the creative celebration this season as part of Regina’s fantastic art scene. Enjoy the unnerving, uncanny, unveiling emotion and angst that is German Expressionism!”

Rowan Pantel - Artistic Director

A Visual Artist, Puppeteer and Designer - Rowan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan in Printmaking, and a Master of Fine Arts in Intermedia from the University of Regina. She regularly collaborates with other artists and community members on a variety of projects. As an arts educator she has worked as a Printmaking Instructor at both the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan, and has taught arts workshops ranging from puppetry to sculpture across the province. Rowan’s artwork explores oral story telling traditions and perceptions of memory, moving between different artistic mediums depending on the project. Her roll in the Saskatchewan arts community is varied as she exhibits her own art work, performs and creates as a puppeteer, is a founding member of the Prairie Puppet Underground, has designed sets for new Saskatchewan theatre work, curates arts exhibitions, and is the provincial Outreach Coordinator for the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange. Be sure to check out other projects that Rowan is involved at www.rowanpantel.com, including the International Puppet Underground Festival (3rd edition upcoming in June 2017).

Gerald Saul - Artistic Director

Gerald Saul is a filmmaker, educator, writer, and curator, based in Regina, Saskatchewan. He holds a BFA in Film and Video from the University of Regina and an MFA in Film Production and Theory from York University.

Michelle Brownridge -

Festival Coordinator

Michelle Brownridge is a visual artist, arts administrator and freelance communications consultant from Regina, SK. She graduated from the University of Regina in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (Honours) in Print Media.

Jeannie Straub -

Marketing Coordinator

Jeannie Straub is a digital artist from Regina, Saskatchewan. Straub creates original commissioned work for organizations, events and initiatives across Canada. Her company, ODIDODI Design House, focuses on visual design and marketing for nonprofits, cultural organizations and startups.

Misty-Lee Sellinger -

fund development

Misty-Lee Selinger has recently accepted a position as the Development Manager for the Globe Theatre. Prior to this, she enjoyed several seasons as the Operations Manager for the Regina Symphony Orchestra and as a coordinator for the Regina Folk Festival. Misty is thrilled to assist with The Caligari Project and is eager to witness the exciting events and activities that will presented over the coming months.