The Team – El Equipo

Alfonso Quijada

Producer, Writer & Film Director

 

Mr. Quijada is an international award winning producer, writer and director with more than 34 years experience in the film industry. He has produced films in Colombia, Mexico, Los Angeles,
Vancouver, Cuba and El Salvador.

 

Director & Writer:

El Suspiro del Silencio  | The Whisper of Silence. El Salvador 

Official Selection and Special Presentation of AFI Silver LAFF

Official Selection Icaro International Film Festival in Central America

Winner of Best Actress

Winner of Best Film in Central America EICE (The Audience Award).

Official Selection to the 55th Hof International Film Festival in Germany

 

Tomorrow Before After  |  Mañana Antes Después

Starring Natalia Reyes (“Terminator Dark Fate”)

Apost-apocalyptic film shot in Colombia

English and Spanish

 

Official Selection and Special Presentation of the 62nd Cartagena International Film

Festival (Colombia)

 

Producer

Fabula | Havana/Cuba.

Official Selection 2011 at the 33rd International Festival of New Latin American Cinema:

Winner of the Third Coral, the Award for highest theatrical performing film and voted the

Official Selection Lima/Peru Film Festival

Official Selection Portland Film Festival

Official Selection to the 48th Annual International Chicago Film Festival

Black Box | Los Angeles and Vancouver.

Winner of the Golden Ace Award at the Las Vegas Film Festival – USA Lions Gate

Distribution.

 

Malacrianza | The Crow’s Nest    El Salvador/Mexico

Writer/director Arturo Menendez

American Film Institute Silver Latin American Film Festival

Official Selections and special presentation of the AFI Silver LAFF

Official selection to the 36th Festival of New Latin American Cinema

Official Selection (competition) to the International Chicago Latino Film Festival

Official Selection to the International Film Festival of Panama

Official Selection (competition) to the International Film Festival Innsbruck/Austria

IFFI Honourable Mention Award)

Official Selection to the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival

 

 

La Palabra de Pablo | Pablo’s Word  San Salvador

Director: Arturo Menendez’s 

HBO USA and Sony Pictures (Latin America) Distribution.

 

Official Selection Chicago Latino Film Festival

Official Selection (competition) Innsbruck International Film Festival

Official Selection New York Latino Film Festival (international competition) HBO sponsored.

Official Selection to the AFI Silver Latin American Film Festival

Official Selection Latino Iberian Film Festival at YALE

 

Last Known Whereabouts  Central America/El Salvador

TV Series “Duality” – with Pantelion Films (Lions Gate/Televisa).

 

Written/produced 2 proof of concepts: “Random Walk” and “Sweet Heaven”. He

helped co-produced the highly acclaimed proof of concept: “Somnolence” and The Zone”.

He is the producer of the award winning short film “Arthur” and writer/co-producer of the short

film ”Hereafter“.

 

The Team – El Equipo

Brook Lotzkar

Film & Advertising

 

Brook Lotzkaris an accomplished marketing and video production expert with a decade of experience, specializing in industrial clients, particularly in recycling and the environment. Prior to joining Kihada Advertising, Brook played a pivotal role in his family business, gaining hands-on experience in IT, software development, marketing, and government relations within the recycling industry. This unique background has harnessed Brook’s technical and creative abilities, enabling him to deeply understand client challenges and consistently deliver strong work that exceeds expectations.

With expertise spanning the Canadian film industry, Brook is a versatile video producer, having successfully delivered a wide range of content including commercials, short films, music videos, and corporate videos. His proficiency covers all aspects of video production, from concept development to camera operation, lighting, sound, and post-production techniques. Currently based in El Salvador, Brook collaborates closely with Kihada Advertising’s Latin American clients, bringing a North American perspective and local cultural understanding to their projects. This adaptability and ability to connect with diverse audiences has proven invaluable in producing successful advertising campaigns and resonating video productions in the Latin American market.

Driven by a passion for storytelling and equipped with technical expertise, Brook creates visually stunning and engaging content that captivates viewers. His ability to develop concepts from scratch and stay ahead of the latest trends and technologies in marketing and video production keeps Kihada Advertising at the forefront of the industry. As a key member of the team, Brook’s extensive experience and dedication contribute to the success of every project, offering clients innovative and impactful advertising solutions.

 

The Team – El Equipo

René Quijada

Sr. Art Director

Brand Strategist

 

Rene Quijada’s passion and penchant for creative thinking has transformed brand identities for over 22 years.

Branding is not an inexact science. Rene uses his artistic instincts and cutting-edge innovation to position and sell a marque. He formulates research-based decisions on marketing trends and client needs and effectively generates returns on investments. 

Rene is a motivational leader who has built a skilled branding team to help clients identify their differentiating value and leverage it to tell a story. His talent to generate fresh ideas and creative solutions has built prosperous long-term relationships with clients. Rene has proudly developed campaigns for Scotia Bank, Air Canada, DB Schenker, Levi’s, Roots, Coca Cola, Old Spaghetti Factory and the Mexico Tourism Board.

 Rene has shared his diverse knowledge by serving as an executive member of the Graphic Designers of Canada, as a guest instructor at the Vancouver Film School and mentoring charity organizations like Air Canada’s “Dreams Take Flight” programme, the Canadian Liver Foundation, the Vancouver Children’s Festival, the Odd Squad Society and the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival. His efforts have helped raise over 2.5 million dollars.  

 Artistry flows through his veins. Since the age of three, Rene has been exploring his imaginative voice through drawing, painting, designing and photography. Today, Rene keeps up his inventive spirit with painting, reading, cooking and travel.

 

  The Team – El Equipo

Nathan Ergang

Sr. Web Developer

 

Nathan’s special power is combining the technical world of web programming with creativity and design.  A rare combination of right brain and left brain talents.

His specialties include creating thoughtful animated web commercials and building amazing websites that are both functional and responsive.

He is also a professor at the Canadian College where he teaches marketing, web design and Photoshop.

In his spare time he likes to travel around the world and take photos of interesting people, places and objects.

The Team – El Equipo

Sylvia Braun

Sr. Copywriter

 

Sylvia knows that writing is her most powerful form of expression, and that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.

Sylvia has acquired experience writing for a wide breadth of industries, including beer, cannabis, software, and fitness. She is a regular contributor to several publications and has the expertise to learn about and write on a massive variety of topics. She has a Master of Arts in History from the University of Northampton, which developed her methodical and thorough research skills and the ability to make even the driest historical topic sound interesting.

When she’s not writing, Sylvia can be found at the gym, reading, or planning her next overseas adventure in search of the greatest views and food.

The Team – El Equipo

Andrea Aguilar

International Marketing Sales / USA – Canada

 

Andrea Aguilar uses her heart and gut to approach projects.

Her sixth sense enables her to anticipate change and to see the possibilities inherent in a situation. Andrea is able to think quickly in a variety of situations and melt obstacles. She is calm in the eye of the hurricane because she knows nothing is constant but change.  

Andrea’s exceptional people skills have built solid relationships with both team members and clients. She knows how to bring out the best in her team members and when to cheer rather than push. Andrea’s achievement in managing distribution to 150 restaurants for Coca Cola is a testament of her ability to communicate effectively and subsequently gain confidence and respect of the people she works with. Her collaborative leadership style and knack for negotiating, evaluating and strategizing move teams forward to a successful outcome.   

Andrea has degrees in Marketing and Business along with Health and Science. Her educational roots combined with her sales and managerial experience over the last 20 years have aligned her with many exciting projects like The Millennium Line (for Vancouver’s SkyTrain transit system) and a new departure and arrival area at the Vancouver International Airport. These projects showcase her talent to successfully plan, strategize, coordinate and implement goals within budget while meeting a deadline.        

Andrea finds balance by doing yoga and meditation, reading, and salsa dancing.

 

The Team – El Equipo

Remy Gill

MEDIA PLANNER & BUYER

 

Remy is our Media Planner & Buyer and Executive Producer. She brings over 20 years experience in media buying & planning strategies and builds innovative AD campaigns including product integration for TV series and Reality shows, corporate communications, branding, and advertising. Remy serves a wide range of clientele. Among these clients are DB Schenker of Canada, The Citi Group Private Banking, Pfizer, Nestle, The Department of Justice, MTV Networks, NBC (Jimmy Fallon), Disney, Hilton Hotels Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company, Sun Microsystems, NBA, NHL and many others. Remy earned her B.Com in Communications, Marketing, Merchandising, Strategic management and Asia Pacific Policy Studies at the University of British Columbia.

 

The Team – El Equipo

Jorge Posada

Creative Team

 

Jorge is a published commercial conceptual photographer and producer with a long track record of creating outstanding images that communicate a clear visual pallet and an unequivocal emotional message. He is a passionate marketer with a successful portfolio of product, portrait, architectural, art and fashion images that have helped a diversity of businesses to succeed. Jorge was the valedictorian in his class from Vancouver Film School and during the 2010 Olympics he was the official photographer for the Swiss team. His background in film, philosophy, law and business has left him with a broad practical understanding of what it takes to elevate a commercial venture to the next level as well as an innovative and imaginative approach to artistic endeavors.

The Team – El Equipo

Benjamin Samson

Creative Team | Writer

 

Ben is a producer and photo editor with a record of organizing smooth within-budget large-scale productions. He is a strategic planner with a grand collaborative vision. Ben is in the process of building a creative community to support our projects and participating artists. His overriding goal is to help creative individuals to pursue their passions full-time. Ben was previously a researcher in neuroscience and possesses two master’s degrees in the biomedical sciences. These experiences have made him a methodical person with a strong understanding of the logistics necessary to organize complex shoots.

The Team – El Equipo

Nadine Spuls

Contributing Writer

 

Nadine is a Vancouver native that has had her thumb on the BC tech industry for the last decade. Her passion for writing stems from her passion for helping people. Nadine’s mission with every piece of writing is to uncover a truth that brings positivity and encouragement to those who read it. This has led her to write for spiritual travel, eco-transportation, tech, and eco-cleaning solutions, just to name a few. Nadine is the founder of Simply Social Media, a Vancouver-based social media management company where she works as a team, with her husband, to create impactful content for a wide variety of industries. When Nadine isn’t writing you’ll find her reading, sketching, or testing a new baking recipe.

The Team – El Equipo

José Luis Sánchez

Latin America Accounts

 

Luis es un Especialista Profesional en Operaciones de Sistemas y Gestión de Negocios Modernos, con más de diez años de sustancial experiencia en el Desarrollo Integral de Información Tecnológica, Bases de Datos, Gestión de Proyectos, Redes Sociales, Servicio al Cliente, Marketing, Implementación de la Fuerza de Ventas y Finanzas, por nombrar algunos.

Junto a ello cuenta con diversas Certificaciones en Innovación y Estrategia para Negocios, Gestión de Equipos de Alto Rendimiento además de su dominio de idiomas inglés y español, que sumando a su orientación a resultados, satisfacción al cliente y liderazgo como elementos de dinamismo en el desempeño de sus funciones sobre cada proyecto asignado, contribuyendo así a la mejora continua y a la optimización de los diferentes recursos con que cuenta el cliente.

A Luis le encanta generar un impacto positivo, al transformar las necesidades de los clientes y empresas en soluciones, disfruta creando cosas nuevas mientras rompe paradigmas para lograr resultados sobresalientes.

The Team – El Equipo

Jessica Gaffney

Creative UX Designer

 

Jessica is a talented Graphic Designer that specializes in Brand Identity, User Experience Research, and Print Design. With 6 years of Graphic Design experience, she has worked for many international brands across a wide range of industries. She is always open to new challenges and loves solving problems with design and user-centered solutions. As a Graphic Designer who also loves to draw, she prioritizes a balance of both client-based design and self-expressive art to maintain a creative (and sane) mind.

Design is all about communicating a message and selling a product or idea, while on the flip side the Fine Arts is a form of self-expression and can be meaningless. On the weekend you can find her enjoying a nice cold IPA Craft beer while binge-watching Netflix and adding to her collection of hand-drawn illustrations.

The Team – El Equipo

Elissa Campos

Directora de Arte Jr.

 

Elissa es camaleónica gracias a su fácil adaptabilidad a los cambios y su empatía con los demás, es una mujer resiliente pues le gusta abordar cada situación desde un enfoque positivo y afrontarlo optimistamente.

Es una creativa y curiosa nata y por ende disfruta de investigar, analizar, planear, desarrollar y ejecutar proyectos. Diseñadora Industrial y de productos de profesión, con una especialización en fabricación digital y con conocimientos en ergonomía, biónica y el análisis y desarrollo de proyectos enfocados al ecodiseño y sustentabilidad.

Le encanta generar listas, lluvias de ideas, moodboards y otras técnicas inspiracionales para buscar y encontrar soluciones innovadoras y diferentes. Es
cuidadosa con los detalles pues sabe que son los que realmente marcan la diferencia.

Su versatilidad profesional, conocimiento técnico y su fácil comunicación con clientes le ha permitido hacer diferentes tipos de trabajo dentro de la industria creativa, como en cine haciendo fotografía fija, producción y logística y asistencia en dirección de arte en películas que se han vendido en HBO y Sony, además de editar importantes guiones que terminan desarrollándose en la industria de cine en Latinoamérica. Disfruta de hacer trabajos manuales como la cerámica y trabajos en madera, no te extrañaría verla en su faceta de artesana creando con diferentes materiales.

Ama estar en contacto con la naturaleza por las buenas vibraciones que le genera, disfruta de un buen baile, yoga, una plática interesante y una comida exquisita.

The Team – El Equipo

Samuel Franco

MARKETING SALES

 

Samuel’s love for marketing ignited at a young age, evolving beyond traditional campaigns to a genuine appreciation for connecting with people and their unique stories.

He takes pride in turning any situation into a positive environment. Samuel has overseen diverse projects, spanning from Ads Campaigns, Website Creation, and Logo Design. However, his true expertise lies in crafting exceptionally effective and uniquely high-converting funnels and campaigns. His focus is on showcasing the values and benefits of the company in a way that resonates profoundly with the customer and aligns with the company’s values.

Sam’s approach involves understanding the essence of a business and turning the customer’s vision into reality. Sam is pursuing a degree in Business Management as well as in Marketing.

In his free time, he enjoys exploring new cultures, cuisines, and is a salsa music enthusiast.