Team & Board of Directors

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).

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.

Richard Walton served North Vancouver District as mayor from 2005 until 2018. A lifelong resident of the North Shore, he has lived adjacent to and experienced the quiet green spaces on the flanks of Vancouver’s Hollyburn, Grouse, and Fromme mountains most of his life. He currently serves as director on a number of boards, including the BC Land Title and Survey Authority, E-Comm 911, the Fraser Basin Council and the North Shore Community Foundation. For 16 years as a councillor and mayor he provided strong support to the Vancouver International Film Foundation in its formative years.

He has travelled extensively and worked for seven years in Europe as a tour guide. Currently a member of the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors, he earned a BA from UBC, an MA from SFU, and was awarded an FCA by the Canadian Institute of Professional Accountants for lifetime service. He raised four children on the North Shore, where he and his wife continue to reside and walk the forest trails daily with their black lab.

Taryn Eyton is a Squamish-based hiking and adventure travel writer and Leave No Trace Master Educator. She is the founder of the hiking website HappiestOutdoors.ca and the author of Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia (Greystone Books, 2021) and Backpacking on Vancouver Island (Greystone Books, 2024). Taryn is also the President of the Friends of Garibaldi Park Society, a member of the Board of Directors of Leave No Trace Canada, and a Fellow of the Canadian Geographic Society.

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 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.

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.

Stefanie is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with experience in public accounting across a variety of sectors from manufacturing to tech. She also has a background in economics and currently works for an economic regulator in the utilities sector of British Columbia. Stefanie is passionate about accessibility and inclusion for outdoor activities and hopes to support these and other values in the VIMFF community.

Outside of working and volunteering, she loves to spend time outdoors from hiking to kayaking to practicing yoga or reading in the many parks of Vancouver.

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.