COHORT 3 PARTICIPANT

Hi!
I'm MJ Bastidas.

An Ecuadorian-French-Canadian actress from Toronto. I have been acting since the age of 3 starring in my first lead role with my twin sister in Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004).

Other credits of mine include CW’s In The Dark, CBS’s Ransom, and Paramount’s Mayor of Kingstown. My twin sister currently stars in Hulu’s 2020 remake of The Hardy Boys.

I am a graduate of Theatre Arts School and Ryerson University's Media program with Dean’s list accolades and a Spanish minor. I have organically ventured into producing as a coordinator for Headspinner Productions in Toronto.

Early on I had developed the entrepreneurial spirit. While being the youngest of a sisterhood of 5 vivacious Latinas, I had to quickly learn how to have my voice heard. In turn, my twin sister and I found ways to both entertain and earn revenue. We started with our own princess-themed birthday party service funded by the Ontario government in 2014. In 2016, we were funded again to start MK Productions, creating short-content media products. Under MK Productions, our short-film, Thumbs, was a finalist and screened at TIFF NextWave (2016).

After years of experience and networking, we are developing a YA series titled “Two’s a Crowd”, inspired by my twin and I’s experiences as biracial teens from Toronto. I have become a finalist for the HXOUSE female entrepreneur program hosted by the Weeknd’s team and was appointed a Youth Media Alliance jury member and recipient to the prestigious YMA Andra Shaffer Scholarship.