The VIMFF Team
A big thank you to our amazing team whose efforts in putting on this festival to promote mountain film & culture in our region are appreciated.
Festival Director
Alan Formanek
Programming Director & Partnerships Manager
Ivan Hughes
Festival & Marketing Manager
Johana Zelinska
Interim Festival Manager & Operations Coordinator
Katerina (Kac) Fiser
Graphic Designer & Supplies Coordinator
Iveta Lekesova
Web Programmer / Designer
Lindsay McGhee
Partnerships Admin
Chantel McKinnon
Ticketing Support
Caroline Frankfurter
Digital Marketing Specialist
Claudia Bastien
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Marina Starck
Ticketing Manager
Kinshasa “Kinchy” Phillpotts
Grant Coordinator
Lydia Hol
PR Manager
Lesley Diana
Production Manager
Kate Phifer
Volunteer Coordinator
Pavla Breska
Guest Services Coordinator
Cynthia Chow
Tour Manager
Dylan Morgan
The VIMFF Board of Directors
The VIMFF gratefully acknowledges the dedication of the Board of Directors. These individuals are leaders in the professional and outdoor community. They are a dedicated group who are passionate advocates of the vision for the VIMFF and work hard to achieve it's strategic goals.
Isabel Budke
Position: Chair
Profession: Certified Leadership Coach and Trainer
Year joined the Board: 2022
Isabel has been passionate about exploring wild places and high peaks on foot and on skis for three decades. In addition to mountaineering and back-country skiing, she loves trail running, nordic skiing and yoga.
With graduate degrees in Education and Resource Management, Isabel brings extensive professional expertise in the outdoor, sustainability, health and education sectors. As a director, senior advisor and consultant, she has collaborated with diverse leaders across organizations and cultures, including in sustainable community planning; indigenous relations and treaty negotiations; program design and transformation; search and rescue operations; and leadership, team and organizational development.
As a certified leadership coach with a passion for well-being, Isabel collaborates with leaders and teams in “leading well” through challenge and change. Her workshops and programs integrate movement and mindfulness in nature, fostering clarity, confidence and well-being (www.IsabelBudke.com).
Amanda Wong
Position: Vice Chair
Profession: Manager, TELUS
Year joined the Board: 2024
Amanda is a North Vancouver based community leader. Throughout her 15-year career, she has successfully led the design and execution of numerous community-driven programs. Her expertise lies in strategic planning, service design, guiding teams through change and activating priorities.
In her current role at TELUS, she leads a team that is responsible for creating access and empowering new to established content creators and filmmakers. She helps community members tell their locally reflective, social purpose documentaries and docuseries and reach local and global audiences. She has held chair roles for multiple employee resource groups and served on the board for various nonprofit organizations to help uplift and give voice to underrepresented communities. Amanda has a passion for inclusivity and empowering others to find their love for the outdoors.
In addition to exploring all that beautiful British Columbia has to offer, Amanda has completed the Annapurna Base Camp and Langtang Valley treks in Nepal as well as summited Kilimanjaro and many peaks in Ecuador. When she’s not outside exploring, you can find her planning her next adventure. She is excited for the opportunity at VIMFF to further this passion through the powerful medium of film.
Lindsay Adair
Position: Treasurer
Profession: Financial Business Partner at Aritzia
Year joined the Board: 2026
Lindsay Adair is a Financial Business Partner at Aritzia, where she supports strategic decision-making through financial planning, analysis, and cross-functional collaboration. She brings strong experience in financial management and an analytical approach to driving organizational performance.
Growing up on the North Shore, Lindsay developed an early connection to the outdoors and now spends much of her time in the mountains around Squamish, hiking, trail running, and skiing. She has also worked with the nonprofit Helicopters Without Borders, building out the organization’s financial planning and deepening her commitment to mission-driven work.
As a board member of the VIMFF, Lindsay is excited to join a community that celebrates diverse storytelling and inspires both adventure and environmental connection.
Kate Mill
Position: Secretary
Profession: Environmental Scientist
Year joined the Board: 2024
Kate Mill (she/her) is an aquatic toxicologist and backyard potter based in Vancouver, BC. Originally from North Vancouver, Kate was lucky to grow up exploring the local mountains and rivers in her backyard. Kate continues to spend her spare time going uphill, through bikepacking, trail running, or ski touring. As an environmental consultant, Kate’s work focuses on reducing the environmental impacts associated with resource development, leveraging her background in aquatic health assessment, environmental monitoring, and data analysis. With a deep-rooted enthusiasm for grassroots arts organization and event production, Kate is excited to join the VIMFF Board, where she can bring her commitment to adventure, environmental stewardship, and community collaboration.
Stephen L. Armstrong
Position: Director
Profession: Territory Manager, Canada West, Arc'teryx Equipment
Year joined the Board: 2023
Stephen L. Armstrong is a seasoned marketing and sales professional with over a decade of industry experience. He has a proven track record of success in developing community-driven market strategies for brands like Nike Canada, Arc’teryx, Saje, Macy’s, and Nutrl Vodka Soda.
His passion for film started at a young age, with his father working as a cinematographer at the CBC. Combined with his passion for skiing and skateboarding, he quickly found a home in the outdoor industry.
In his current role at Arc’teryx Equipment, Stephen has taken the lead in driving forward a new vision for wholesale operations within outdoor retail in Canada. By implementing new methods of retail programming, he has successfully maintained local connection whilst driving forward omni-channel growth. His passion for the outdoors is reflected in his work, where he excels in regional market development and community engagement.
When not in the office, Stephen can be found exploring the great outdoors, be it running along the seawall, skiing with friends, or adventuring in the mountains.
Viera Veidner
Position: Director
Profession: Senior environmental specialist
Year joined the Board: 2015
Viera brings to VIMFF’s Board of Directors more than 20 years of experience as an environmental advisor. She is a practitioner and advocate of sustainable living and has been instrumental in creating sustainable strategies and initiatives in the private and public sector. Her love for the natural word and enthusiasm for outdoor activities and adventures aligns with the VIMFF mission to celebrate and embrace mountain film and culture, outdoor sports and environmental initiatives. She has been a dedicated volunteer since VIMFF’s inception and has not missed a festival to date.
Marcos Borges
Position: Director
Profession: Business Development Manager / Entrepreneur
Year joined the Board: 2019
Marcos is a business development manager and entrepreneur with a passion for the outdoors. After 15 years of working for an audio and video distribution company he founded and managed in Brazil, he decided to move to Canada with his family in 2017, to explore new experiences. After landing in Canada, he worked at MEC, Ryders Eyewear and other businesses. As a VIMFF board member, he feels honored to contribute to the festival and inspire people to feel the same way he feels when attending a VIMFF show. Having extensive background in both mountaineering and rock climbing in the Andes, Alps, and Himalayan mountains, Marcos contributes to VIMFF to empower more people to enjoy the outdoors.
Myriam Beauge
Position: Director
Profession: Editor, Writer and Communications Strategist
Year joined the Board: 2024
Myriam is a multilingual editor and writer who brings three decades of journalism and communications experience, with professional expertise in marketing, technology, mixed-use development, education, and sport. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, she is a long-time resident of Vancouver’s North Shore and is passionate about the outdoors, particularly trail running, biking, alpine skiing, hiking, and paddle boarding.
As the principal consultant of SWYM Communications (swymcommunications.com), Myriam helps organizations articulate their values and missions, engage stakeholders, develop communications plans, and draft ESG and impact assessment reports.
With an MA in Intercultural and International Communication, she is an active member of Editors/ Réviseurs Canada’s BC branch, including contributions to West Coast Editor and the Vancouver Public Library’s Blue Pencil Writing Consults.
Besides enjoying adventures as a member of the Deep Cove Run Club, Myriam seeks out opportunities to stay connected to and involved in her community. She is a past U8 coach and communications chair of the Tyee Ski Club and was most recently communications director of Alpine Women in Sport. You’ll also find her volunteering at Coast Mountain Trail Running events.