THE COLLECTIVE
We are actors, writers, directors, producers, production managers, singers, dancers, musicians, instructors, coaches and everything in between. We believe that our shared and diverging lived experiences are our biggest strength.
Valerie Lalonde is a French-Canadian Actor, Filmmaker, and Musician, based in Toronto, Ontario. She is a graduate of the Theatre Program at the University of Ottawa, and has studied with coaches such as Jeb Beach, Shaun McComb, and Jeff Seymour. Her recent credits include Calling (Short), Broken Waters (Feature), Paranormal Witness (SyFy), and American Descent (Prime Video). Joining Counterbalance, she was excited to bring her passion for filmmaking and telling compelling stories to the team. She co-produced Counterbalance’s most recent short, Queen Of Hearts, and is excited to make more important films that shine the light on the human experience, highlighting the simple, vulnerable moments that make life truly worth living.
VALERIE LALONDE
Karrie Kwong is a Chinese-Canadian actor and filmmaker. Recent acting credits include The Recruit (Netflix), Fly Away With Me (Hallmark), and North of Normal (Independent Edge Films). As a producer, writer, director, and lover of storytelling and creation, she is especially drawn to women-led narratives and amplifying multicultural and diverse voices on the screen. She was named Best New Filmmaker by the Canadian Diversity Film Festival in 2021. As one half of the coaching duo, Karrie & Will, Karrie works with actors to hone their craft, build their business, and break down limiting beliefs blocking their success. Karrie also has a decade’s worth of extensive experience in the advertising and marketing industry and has won numerous awards for her agencies and clients. She graduated with an honours business degree from Western University. Karrie is the Finance Lead and a member of Counterbalance Collective's executive team.
KARRIE KWONG
Joanna Saul is a Toronto-based actor and dual Canadian and U.S. citizen. Her recent acting credits include “Urban Legend” (Discovery+) and “Open Your Eyes” (Amazon Prime Video). When she’s not diving into a new character, you can find her admiring the sky, watching Miley Cyrus sing covers, or joyfully attending costume parties. Joanna had her directorial debut with Counterbalance Collective’s “Social Caterpillar,” an official selection of Toronto Indie Night Film Festival. She is on Counterbalance’s Executive Producer team and Marketing team, was the producer on “2 Close?” and the production designer on “Gone Wild” and “Queen of Hearts.” She is passionate about working towards more respectful and thoughtful sets. Joanna believes when an abundance of unique backgrounds come together to influence and inspire a story, the most fulfilling filmmaking experiences follow. She is very excited to continue collaborating with her talented, inspiring fellow Counterbalance members!
JOANNA SAUL
Regina Efendieva is a Toronto-based Eurasian actor. She can be seen as the elusive Jen in the soon to be released "Deadly Estate" (Neshama Ent. and MarVista) on Tubi, as well as the fun-loving Nickie in "Clive Boomer's Success" (Leader Media). As a member of Counterbalance she served as the writer on “Social Caterpillar” and wrote and acted in “2 Close”. Regina is a graduate of The University of Toronto and has studied extensively at several Toronto acting schools, including RAW, Second City, and Pro Actors Lab. Regina is also a talented singer/songwriter, visual artist, and cake decorator. In her spare time she reads, plays too many video games and crochets.
REGINA EFENDIEVA
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KONIMA PARKINSON-JONES is a member of SAG/AFTRA and ACTRA. Raised in various African countries (Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroun, Togo, Gambia) and attending high school in Salzburg, Austria, she speaks 5 languages. After graduating from the four-year Dalhousie University Acting Program in Halifax, NS, she landed her first lead role in the Scottish play Bondagers and toured with Canadian theater company, Two Planks and A Passion. Moving on to Los Angeles she worked on a few feature films including Freeway Killer and A Necessary Death, which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and won the AFI audience Film Festival award in 2009. In 2016 she completed the Second City Conservatory in Toronto. Most recently she was one of the leads in the science fiction thriller Project Ithaca. She also had television appearances in: 12 Monkeys, Saving Hope, The Expanse, and The Rick Mercer Report, in Canada and Los Angeles.
KONIMA PARKINSON-JONES
ALICIA RICHARDSON is an actor, writer, and vocal coach from Boynton Beach, Florida. After graduating from York University’s MFA Acting & Diploma of Voice Teaching Programs, she now calls Toronto home. For Counterbalance Collective: Alicia served as both writer and director of #WINNING and acted in the ensemble of Gone Wild. She is the proud screenwriter of Counterbalance’s latest short: Queen of Hearts. Recent acting credits: Mistletoe Time Machine (Tubi), Diggstown (CBC / BET+), and A Sisterly Christmas (OWN Network). Recent writing credits: Sweeter, her first Theatre for Young Audiences play, will have its world premiere as a co-production of Cahoots Theatre and Roseneath Theatre in December 2023 at Daniel’s Spectrum: Aki Studio in Toronto.
ALICIA RICHARDSON
DIANNE AGUILAR is a Latinx actor born and raised in Toronto, Ontario and a graduate of the Ryerson School of Media Production. She began as a stage actor and made the leap to screen acting in 2015. She has studied with various acting coaches including; Sophie Anne Rooney, John Gordon, John Riven, Marvin Hinz, and Lewis Baumander. She is one Counterbalance’s founding members and helped produce nine short films in its first year. In 2020 she had her directorial and writing debut on Counterbalance’s short film Pineapple and went on to Direct her second Counterbalance produced short, Gone Wild. Working alongside the Collective, she looks forward to continually exploring narratives that are silenced and using her passion for storytelling to aid in creating a unified understanding of the human experience.
DIANNE AGUILAR
• M E N T O R S •
Legal Consultant
Post Production Advisor
PR & Partnerships Consultant