Producer and director Joe Balass resides in Montreal, where he operates an independent production company, Compass Productions Inc. He is an independent filmmaker who works in both fiction and documentary. He also works as a freelance editor, photographer and camera operator. Balass has produced and directed a number of award-winning films and videos including Nana, George & Me (1997), The Devil in the Holy Water (2002), Parting Words (2006) and Baghdad Twist (2007). He expresses a very spontaneous blend of seriousness and humour in his approach to filmmaking. At present, Balass is working on a number of documentary projects as well as a fiction feature.