Vertical Film &
Short Series Alliance

FRAMING THE FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT

The VFSSA is a community-driven collective dedicated to elevating the vertical film industry. Our mission is to build a sustainable, professional ecosystem that bridges clients, unions, producers, cast, and crew - showcasing the value we create so the work keeps flowing. We’re not a union or agency - we’re helping to shape a new industry format, backed by top-tier professionals and recognized by major press. We legitimize the format, amplify our collective voice, and build something we can all be proud of.

Members Include

Actors, Directors & Crew

Casting Directors & Producers

Creators for Short-Form Platforms

Policy Advocates & Industry Collaboratives

Investors, Distributors & Platform Partners

WHO WE ARE

A view of sunrise or sunset over Hollywood with palm trees lining the street and the Hollywood sign visible in the distance.

We’re here to foster connection, collaboration, and opportunity for everyone shaping the future of vertical storytelling. Whether you’re an experienced professional or just beginning to explore the format, VFSSA offers a supportive community and practical tools to help your work thrive, from casting to production and beyond. Together, we’re growing
a stronger, more connected vertical industry.

WHAT WE DO

We arm vertical professionals with the knowledge, visibility, and support they need to succeed.
We fuel individuals and groups through workshops, curated resources, and mentorship.
We connect creators and collaborators through events, directories, and digital platforms.
We celebrate outstanding work through premieres, showcases and awards.

OUR SERVICES

Performer Advocacy

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Industry Training

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Networking Events

**BECOME A FREE MEMBER**
Subscribe now!

Membership opens soon! Our members get early access, insider updates, and a front-row seat to everything we’re building.

This isn’t just a heads-up: it’s your invite to the ground floor.

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the Vertical Film & Short Series Alliance.

OUR MISSION

VFSSA exists to support and elevate vertical professionals through advocacy, education, support, and community. As a bridge between producers, platforms, and unions, we’re laying the groundwork for a mobile-first, platform-powered future – where short-form storytelling takes center frame.

WHY VFFSA

VFSSA exists to accelerate vertical storytelling as a creative force and industry standard.

We champion the people and platforms driving this evolution – from development to distribution – and create the connective tissue that helps the whole ecosystem thrive.

Creators & Crew

From directors to gaffers, actors to editors – gain access to resources, production support, and a community that gets vertical.

Partners & Platforms

Tap into a pipeline of bold, vertical-first content and the talent redefining how stories are told and shared.

Funders & Advocates

Invest in a movement that merges artistic innovation with inclusive impact – backing the future of narrative media.

Audiences & Fans

Champion diverse, high-quality content made for the screens – and moments – we live on.

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VERTIWORLD COMING SOON!

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International Vertical EXPO

VERTIWORLD 2025

History is in the making. Vancouver will host the inaugural International VERTIWORLD
Vertical Expo – a global gathering dedicated to the future of vertical storytelling. This groundbreaking event brings together actors, directors, producers, performers, platforms,
and fans to explore the evolution of
mobile-first entertainment.

Featuring immersive showcases, industry panels, and awards, VERTIWORLD is where we celebrate vertiland - together.

Vertical short-form is not a trend.
It’s the new format.

And the world is watching.

ON SALE SOON!

MEET THE TEAM

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Andy Chu is a producer, creative director, and cultural storyteller with more than two decades of experience shaping narrative across television, film, digital media, and live events. As the founder of Arc2 Intertainment and FMA Entertainment, Andy has built a reputation for producing bold, visually rich content – from New York Fashion Week and the Tribeca Film Festival to the Stripped Concert Series, FMA Fashion Week, and the Vancouver-based food series Bites and Sips. A recognized early adopter, Andy embraced streaming and web-based storytelling in the early 2010s, championing streaming productions well before it became the industry standard. He also pioneered immersive media in Canada, founding the Vancouver VR Film Festival and writing and producing his own VR film – establishing himself at the forefront of narrative innovation. As vertical filmmaking rises, Andy sees another opportunity to challenge convention and reimagine the creative process. To him, vertical is more than a shift in format, it’s an invitation to engage audiences in new, deeply personal ways. With a passion for future-facing media and a legacy of bringing emerging formats into the mainstream, Andy continues to shape what’s next with originality, artistry, and cultural impact.
Visit Andy on IMDb

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Alicia Read is an actress, producer, and storyteller helping to bring legitimacy to the rapidly evolving world of vertical filmmaking. A former beauty industry executive with over 20 years of experience, she helped launch and scale independent brands into partnerships with taste-makers like Nordstrom, goop, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar. Today, she brings that same blend of creative instinct and strategic insight to the entertainment industry, advocating for vertical productions that are both professionally and artistically respected. With nine vertical films – including two hit shows – under her belt, Alicia is working to position verticals not as a passing trend, but as a viable, future-forward format offering real creative opportunity and economic stability. In a time of massive change, she sees verticals as a powerful engine for both artistic growth and sustainable employment – a format where seasoned professionals and emerging talent can stay on set, hone their craft, and build lasting careers. As the industry evolves, Alicia is committed to helping shape a more inclusive and resilient creative economy, where innovation and integrity go hand in hand.
Visit Alicia on IMDb

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Monika Dalman is a Casting Director based in Vancouver, BC, with nearly a decade of experience casting both union and non-union projects of all sizes around the world. Since stepping into the world of vertical filmmaking in late 2023, Monika has become a passionate advocate for making these sets safer, fairer, and more sustainable for everyone involved. She sees verticals as more than just a trend – they represent a powerful opportunity to get actors and crew back on set, earning fair wages, supporting their families, and doing what they love most: making great films. In uncertain times, verticals offer consistent, meaningful work for the people who keep this industry alive. Monika envisions a future where vertical productions can operate under union agreements, access tax incentives, and serve as a launchpad for emerging talent. Most importantly, she believes this future depends on collective action – where actors, agents, unions, producers, and all filmmakers come together in a spirit of trust, collaboration, and shared purpose.
Visit Monika on IMDb

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Dani Barker is an award-winning filmmaker, director, and founder of Classified Films, celebrated for her bold, genre-bending stories with a social conscience. Her psychological thriller Follow Her won multiple Audience and Best Film awards at over 40 international festivals before being picked up by Netflix and Paramount+/Showtime. Dani’s latest feature, the horror-comedy Five, which she directed, co-wrote, and produced, is currently in post-production and slated for a 2026 release with Tall Pines Entertainment. From her viral web series Starvival to projects for VH1, TBS, and OUTtv, Dani blends high drama with irreverent humor to explore identity, technology, and the absurd. Now developing a vertical series, she’s also spearheading a movement to build a safe, inclusive, and collaborative vertical filmmaking community as the format evolves.
Visit Dani on IMDb

Sammie Astaneh is a producer, strategist, and storyteller helping to shape the future of vertical filmmaking. As the founder of Vancouver-based Service Street Pictures, he develops and produces feature films, television projects, and vertical dramas for both Canadian and international audiences.
With a sharp instinct for emerging formats, Sammie has been a key force behind the professionalization of vertical content. He produced The Last Temptation Before I Say I Do, GoodShort’s first vertical drama in Canada, and played a pivotal role in facilitating the world’s first union vertical agreement in partnership with UBCP/ACTRA - British Columbia's performer's union. The first production under this groundbreaking framework is set to go to camera in Vancouver in August 2025.
Sammie’s producing credits also include the holiday MOW Lonestar Christmas (starring Marco Grazzini of Virgin River), which was acquired by Lifetime, and the feature film Exile, starring Adam Beach (The Power of the Dog) and Camille Sullivan (Hunter Hunter), acquired by Super Channel.
Today, Sammie brings the same entrepreneurial spirit and creative insight to vertical filmmaking - advocating for it not as a trend, but as a viable, future-facing model for sustainable production. He sees Vancouver as a strategically positioned, economically viable hub for vertical content, one poised to attract major players as the format continues to grow.
Sammie remains committed to helping shape a more inclusive and resilient creative economy, where innovation and integrity go hand in hand.
Visit Sammie on IMDb

Framing
the future
of entertainment.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

VFSSA respectfully acknowledges that we live and work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
We extend gratitude to the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities who have cared for and protected these lands, known as Turtle Island,
since time immemorial.

With this acknowledgment, we recognize the ongoing impacts of colonialism, racism, and systemic discrimination that continue to create barriers for Indigenous peoples across these lands. We commit to listening, learning, and working in solidarity toward a more just and equitable future.

Vertical Film &Short Series Alliance