< Back Iver Cooper Literary Author Iver Cooper has been an active contributor to Eric Flint's "1632" shared universe, with more than 20 short stories and more than 40 articles published so far. Iver's 1632 universe braided story anthology 1636: Seas of Fortune was published by Baen 2014-15. He is the co-author, with Eric Flint, of 1636: The China Venture, set in Ming China and expected to be published in 2019. Iver is an intellectual property law attorney with Browdy & Neimark, Washington, DC. He has received legal writing awards from the American Patent Law Association, the US Trademark Association, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and is the sole author of Biotechnology and the Law, now in its 20-something edition. In his spare time he teaches swing and folk dancing, and participates in local photo club competitions. Iver is married, with a son who is a public policy analyst, and a daughter working at Universal Orlando as a copywriter. Other Socials

< Back Yoshi Operations Director of RPG and Tabletop Programming Hello fellow nerds, I am Yoshi! I am the Director of RPG and Tabletop Programming for Balticon 59 and looking forward to seeing you all! This will be my 7th Balticon on staff, and my first year on the BSFS Board of Directors. As for my credentials, I have been an avid player of RPG and Tabletop games of a variety of stripes and systems for the past 23 years. I have played and/or run games of D&D 3.5, 4e, 5e, Pathfinder 1e and 2e, Iron Kingdoms, Starfinder, Traveler, Star Wars, Fallout, Warhammer, Warmachine, Firestorm, and Infinity. In more recent years, I have been streaming behind a virtual avatar (VTuber) with a variety content track including RPGs, Strategy, and Shooter games. Professionally, I have spent the last 9 years with CommVault Systems working as a Senior T2 Support Engineer for the CommVault family of Enterprise Backup, Restore, and Indexing Solutions. I specialize in the Support and Implementation of Cloud Storage Solution Integration with our software. Other Socials

< Back Sydney Olivia Literary Author Sydney Olivia is a soon-to-be traditionally published author who writes fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, romantasy, and anything else that tickles her fancy. She is an avid fan of her apartment complex's stray cats, but they don't seem to appreciate her love. Her debut novel, Viper Among Kings will be published through Daphne Press and Illumicrate in August of 2026! Other Socials

< Back Andrija Popovic Literary Author Andrija Popovic is a native of the Washington DC metropolitan area who indulges in photography, spends entirely too much on books, and occasionally adds to the #NoirAlley chats on Twitter as @andrian6. His stories have previously been published in Daily Science Fiction and the anthologies ALIEN ARTIFACTS, THE DEATH OF ALL THINGS, PORTALS, DERELICT and NOIR. More information can be found at Biomechanoid Blues (biomechanoidblues.wordpress.com). Andrija's alter-egotist, A.J. Harris, writes spicy SFF stories. You can find A.J.'s tales in the anthologies STRANDED, SILVER SOLDIERS, THE BIG BOOK OF ORGASMS 2, SEXY STRANGERS and SECRET IDENTITIES. If you're interested, visit the A.J. Harris page on Biomechanoid Blues (https://biomechanoidblues.wordpress.com/about-a-j-harris/) Other Socials

< Back Elora Malat Gaming Gamer Elora Malat (she/her) has been volunteering at Balticon since 2010 since she graduated from Cumberland County College (now Rowan College of South Jersey) that same year with an Associate's of Science in Engineering. She started out as a Berserker at Balticon 44 and later joined Tech at Balticon 47, where she has been utilizing her capabilities ever since, occasionally helping Art Show and anywhere else a volunteer is needed. She is also the artist that illustrated the sign for the Bunny Hole for the Masquerade under the pseudonym Poison-Stripes and has assisted in running video for the Masquerade and helping participants in the Masquerade in the Green Room. Elora isn't just a sci-fi and fantasy fan. She's also an avid gamer where one can find her under variations of her handle Poison-Stripes, such as PoisonStripes86 and Poison-Str1p3s. Elora also writes fanfiction, which can be found on AO3 under the handle Poison-Stripes. Other Socials

< Back Bob Oliver Gaming Gamer I am a professional historian with some 25 years of experience, 17 with the U.S. Air Force. I have been a sci-fi/fantasy fan since the 1970s, and have been a player of RPGs and boardgames for more than 30 years. I currently serve on the board of the Games Club of Maryland, and I sit on the organizing committee for the annual EuroQuest gaming convention. Other Socials

< Back R. Taylor Literary Author Library worker by night—crafter, author, artist, voice actor, and sometime podcaster by everywhen else. His stories have appeared in Coming Together: In Flux and the Every Photo Tells… podcast, and his voice work in Paulette Jaxton’s The Empress Sword and the Nobilis Erotica podcast. His fanfic and fanart can be found on AO3 and Tumblr, but mind the tags. And to be honest, hereally should stop acquiring new crafts. Other Socials

< Back Christiana Ellis Literary Author Christiana is an engineer, podcaster, writer and streamer from the Boston area. She is the author of the fantasy novel, "Nina Kimberly the Merciless", the creator and star of award-winning audio drama "Space Casey", the Dungeon Master of the "So Many Levels" D&D Stream, and the podcaster behind more projects you can shake a stick at. Most recently, she is the author of the slipstream noir novel: "Phyllis Esposito: Interdimensional Private Eye". Other Socials

< Back Joy Ward Literary Editor Joy Ward has been a pro writer and editor for over thirty years. She has several science fiction books including a novel and several anthologies. She was one of the editors with Eric Flint on several of his Grantville Gazette anthologies. She was interview columnist for Mike Reznick’s Galaxy’s Edge Magazine. Her short stories have been seen in a variety of anthogies and magazines.The Galaxy’s Edge interviews were combined into Conversations from the Edge. She was a consumer psychology and marketing consultant.Joy was one of the first pro bloggers, editingDogster’s For Love of Dog Blog (named one of the Top 10 Animal Blogs). Currently, Joy lives in the Paciific Northwestwith her husband, Walt Boyes, and their three canine pack members — Weimaraner Pretty Girl, Amstaff TilleyGrace and Corgi Brady. Joy is an Acquisitions Editor for Misti Media. Other Socials

Balticon 58 Filmfest Finalists Did you miss last year's Short Filmfest? Here are a selection of the best, including the Grand Prize Winner, Troll Bridge , a tale from the world of Terry Pratchett. Triskelion won in the Best Animation category. Winner of Balticon 58 Short Film Festival 2024 TROLL BRIDGE | The Moving Picture Cohen the Barbarian was angry. Angry that he never died in battle, angry that the world had forgotten him, and angry that his knees were starting to play up in the cold. He was also angry that his faithful mount had been gifted the ability of magical speech. The horse was insisting that they had made a wrong turn back at Slice. He was also … Triskelion – Best Animated A Celtic fairy tale in stop-motion animation filled with adventure and magic. An arrow from a rival tribe pierces the chieftain's heart. With his dying breath, he gives his daughter the quest to end this senseless feud. Falling Forward into an Unknown and Dangerous Future Beyond human intelligence: Step into the conversation that shook the world. Based on a true story. Defeated Synopsis A conversation between a soldier and his wife … Splinter: A Short Thriller At 30,000 feet, there’s a plane that never lands, a plane with just one passenger. A ten-year-old boy. What could he have done to earn such an elaborate prison? What might happen if he ever gets out? If you could guarantee the safety of millions by doing a horrible thing to an innocent...would you? Bisected (Danny Pineros) When is a road trip not a road trip? WIND PRINCESS – 2023 SHORT FILM (NAUSICAÄ TRIBUTE) This is not an official licensed product. This independent non-profit short film is entirely self-funded and was made in Brazil as a tribute to the great artist Hayao Miyazaki, who has always been an inspiration to me. We are not a large company. Rather, we are a group of friends who have been working on this project for almost 7 years, fueled … NIGHT OF THE COOTERS George RR Martin, Lumenscapes, Trioscope Studios A Vincent D’onofrio film Lumenscapes and Trioscope Studios have teamed up to present Vincent D’onofrio’s film adaptation of the classic short story in glorious “Trioscope”. NIGHT OF THE COOTERS tells the tale of townsfolk in Pachuco Texas in the 1800’s rallying around one cause, survival against the … Flite by Framestore FLITE i s the directorial and writing debut of Oscar winning VFX Supervisor Tim Webber (Gravity, The Dark Knight). Starring Alba Baptista (Warrior Nun, Mrs. …) Try Hard Alex, an art student, dreams of joining Eve, the "Elite’s Visual School". Together with her best friend Kimmy, they train hard to pass the notoriously impossible entrance exam. Alex’s training turns into an obsession, compromising her friendship with Kimmy. Riot Doll In Moscow, a young delivery girl is witness to the hatred and divide invading her society. Overwhelmed, she discovers a curious loophole to deal with war supporters. However, the reality she is trying to escape soon catches up… It's No Game In this day and age, just how useful are “writers” anyway? The filmmakers behind ‘Sunspring’ have come back with a new short starring David Hasselhoff, Tom Payne, Tim Guinee, Sarah Hay, and Jake Broder. Once again, they’ve enlisted the help of “Benjamin,” an A.I. programmed by Ross Goodwin to write screenplays.

< Back Concerts and Filk Balticon is home to one of the East Coast’s strongest tracks of filk and fannish music, featuring a variety of concerts, panels, and workshops, plus open circles all three nights. Filk is the musical folk tradition of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Fan community, consisting primarily of songs that tell or retell stories. The stories vary widely from retelling fairy tales, pirate and seafaring adventures, invention and technology, dragons, mermaids, selkies, NASA, spaceships, alternate universes, historical disasters, wherever or whenever your imagination can take you. Join in at the Classic Filk Singalong (lyrics provided), or come to the theme circles and open filks to listen or perform! Balticon 59’s music track is topped by our Special Guests, the Baltimore Gamer Symphony Orchestra (BGSO). We’re still building the schedule, but we anticipate the BGSO will have a concert in our Main Tent along with a few smaller ensemble and choral performances throughout the con. Concerts In our always-eclectic program of nerdy musicians you might hear anything from harp and acoustic guitar to rock and nerdcore rap. This year’s lineup will be announced early in 2025, but past performers have included: Bob and Sue Esty Maugorn the Stray Sarah Pinsker Madison “Metricula” Roberts Roberta Rogow Devo Spice Theme Circles Theme circles are similar to open filk circles but with a specific topic. In addition to our perennial Classic Filk Sing-Along (with projected lyrics) and Memorial Circle we usually have 2 or 3 other Theme Circles across the weekend. Past topics have included: Drinks Real and Imagined Historical Songs Lullabies Songs of Strong Women Songs of Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot Dance For those who like to get up and move, there will be a Renaissance Dance (with live music) and Hula Hooping, both led by Patches. All ages are welcome! Don’t worry if you don’t know the dances - we’ll help you learn! Attendees are taught the basics of folk dancing during Balticon 58. Filk Lounge Just down the hall from our main music space, you’ll find our Filk Lounge, where you can hang out between programs, chat with performers, grab a quick snack, or rehearse a song. We also use the lounge for some intimate, targeted programming that doesn't require our larger main space. For more information contact filk@balticon.org

< Back Short Film Festival The Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BS³F³) features independently produced short films from around the world, including live action and animated films in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres. Awards are given based on audience preferences. In 2024, the Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BS³F³) took place on Sunday evening at 7:00pm. We will thrill festival attendees with independently produced short films from around the region and across the globe. BS³F³ features live action and animated films in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror from some of the best independent filmmakers this side of the Crab Nebula. Awards will be given in both the Live Action and Animation category based upon audience preferences. Some of the history of this film festival can be found on the BSFS website . Did you miss last year's event? Check out the films we offered last year... Go to Balticon 58 Film Festival Submission of Films for Balticon 59 You can apply for the Film Festival beginning on November 1, 2024. Entries must be complete and confirmed by March 31, 2025. Films may be submitted through the online services below or digitally by cloud storage. Please also fill out the Application and Permission to Screen Form and include it with your entry. We accept submissions through FilmFreeway.com and FestHome.com . For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact us at: filmfestival@balticon.org