Lantern Films, founded in 2015, is dedicated to producing artist-driven, visually compelling documentaries. Our filmmakers retain ownership of their work and creative control. We provide substantial support through extended development phases and remain actively involved on the ground during production. At Lantern Films, we believe that exceptional documentaries emerge from a thoughtful, critical, and deeply engaged creative process.
JESSICA HALLENBECK (she/her)
PhD, MCIP, producer, OWNER
Jessica Hallenbeck is a documentary filmmaker and community planner. With an undergraduate degree in media and film from Queen’s University, she has worked in documentary for 20 years. Jessica holds a PhD in geography from the University of British Columbia She serves on the boards of DOC Northwest, and DOC National.
jessica@lanternfilms.ca
Brenda Xiong (She/her) Office Production Assistant
Brenda Xiong was born in Chongqing, China, and later moved to Canada to complete her education in Business Administration. Her creativity and passion for storytelling led her to discover her true calling in documentary filmmaking. To pursue this path, Brenda graduated from both the Digital Film Production and Documentary Film Production programs at Langara College in 2020, refining her technical skills and deepening her understanding of the craft. In 2021, Brenda became an active member of the documentary community by joining DOC BC (now the DOC Northwest). As a filmmaker, Brenda focuses on capturing personal stories, emotions, and life experiences within the broader context of their socio-cultural and historical backgrounds. She sees herself as a lifelong storyteller and seeker of truth and knowledge. With her background in Business Administration, she brings strong organizational skills and a detail-oriented mindset to ensure smooth production workflows. Brenda firmly believes in the transformative power of storytelling, recognizing the importance of sharing personal experiences and collective memories. It is her unwavering conviction to share these narratives with audiences, knowing that together, we can make stories matter. brenda@lanternfilms.ca
Tanya Castaneda (She/her) Administrative Assistant
Tanya was born in Mexico City, moved to British Columbia, Canada in her early 20's. She holds an MBA and has extensive experience with Project Management. She is an avid traveler and has visited over 13 Countries mostly backpacking. Her hobbies are MUA, swimming, tennis, hiking, camping and traveling. Her favourite make up skills are gore, fantasy make up and runway alike. She has worked with different film companies as an MUA, Admin Assist & bookkeeping and also worked as an extra for several demos and movies as well. admin@lanernfilms.ca
Lyana Patrick
Director, Writer, Nechako, The Train Station,
The Tomahawk, A Place to Belong
Banchi Hanuse Smayaykila Films
Director, Writer, Nuxalk Radio
Sean Stiller
Director of Photography, Nechako
Caroline So Jung Lee
Director, Writer, Co-Producer, Chinatown Feast
Martyna Czaplak
Line Producer, Nechako, https://www.adanacfilms.ca/
David Tomiak Elemental Post
Colourist, The Empress of Vancouver
Rosemary Georgeson
Director, A Place to Belong
DAN BRITTAIN
Composer, Compositor, Animator
Behind the Facade Series, The Empress of Vancouver
Marie Clements MCM
Executive Producer, Indígena
Baljit Sangra Viva Mantra
Director, Have You Forgotten Me ?
Peter Robinson
Location Sound Mixer, Nechako
Siku Allooloo Akia Films
Director, Writer, Co-Producer, Indígena Director, Writer, Co-Producer, Cinematographer, Spirit Emulsion
Tyler Hagan Experimental Forest Films
Co-Producer, Nechako
kerriann cardinal Sweetgrass Stories
Producer, Deb Mearns: Still Here
Nathaniel Lyman CFA Law
Lawyer, The Empress of Vancouver, Nechako, Behind the Facade
Humberto Corte Parlante Sound
Sound Mixer, Sound Designer, Behind the Facade
KELSEY SPARROW
Illustrator, The Train Station
Joella Cabalu
Director, Ode to a Seafaring People
Ramsay Bourquin
Location Sound Mixer, Nechako
Alex Shamku
Location Sound Mixer, Nechako
Homer Mora
Location Sound Mixer, Indigena
Aurora Brachman
Director of Photography, Indigena