Adeline Bird

She/Her

Writer/Filmmaker

Adeline Bird is an Afro-Anishnabe author and filmmaker. She grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but is a proud member of Treaty #4 Rolling River First Nations. Adeline currently works as a TV writer and freelance producer. She has produced segments for daytime television hit shows such as CTV’s The Social & Etalk. Adeline is a graduate of the National Screen Institute’s CBC New Indigenous Voices program, where she made her directorial debut with the short film Nappy Hair and Eagle Feather, now featured on CBC Gem. Adeline was one of the 2018 ImagiNative-APTN pitch winners, and part of the 2019 cohort of Telefilm Canada’s Talent To Watch. Her first book, Be Unapologetically You: A Self- Love Guide for Women of Color, is available on Amazon.com, Wal-mart, and Barnes & Noble. Adeline currently sits on the board with Shine Network.

Amber-Sekowan Daniels

She/Her

Screenwriter/ Showrunner

Amber-Sekowan Daniels is an Anishininew screenwriter, showrunner and comedian. She was raised in Winnipeg and is a band member of Garden Hill First Nation. Amber is a co-creator and co-showrunner on season 1 of the CTV Comedy/ APTN series Acting Good. Amber was in the room for CBC’s Trickster and co-wrote on Diggstown III for CBC. Amber is also developing Garbage Hill, a coming-of-age Urban Indigenous series with Crave.

Naomi Johnson

She/Her

Executive Director

Naomi Johnson, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Bear clan from Six Nations, has worked in the arts for eighteen years as a curator/programmer and arts administrator. In June 2020 Naomi assumed the role of Executive Director for imagineNATIVE and serves as the administrative lead of the organization whose mission is to showcase, promote, and celebrate Indigenous filmmakers and media artists. With an ongoing commitment to generate a greater understanding by audiences of Indigenous peoples, cultures, and artistic expressions.

Grant Heggie

Owner of Ready Set Recycle

Grant is the owner of Ready Set Recycle, a web-based company where entertainment professionals, shops, shows and production houses can post all their soon-to-be discarded sets, props, costumes and materials, so they can be sold or given away and reused. Their website received over 1.4M page views in both 2020 & 21. Each year they divert over one thousand tons of materials from landfill.

Angelica Siegel

She/Her

Sustainability Communications Manager

Angelica Siegel is a freelance communications strategist, providing clients with communications expertise that combines sustainability, social impact, solutions at scale, marketing and branding. Angelica currently oversees green communications for Cream Productions and plays an active role in moving the film & television industry towards sustainability targets. Outside of the film industry, recent clients have included The Donner Canadian Foundation, UNICEF, and TARIS Advisors. Formerly, she was communications manager at Bruce Mau Design, a multidisciplinary brand design studio in Toronto and Los Angeles.

Angelica has an academic background in sociology, linguistics, food systems, and circular economy practices. She holds a BA, Sociology from Queen’s University and a Master of Science in Economics & Food Sustainability from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

Dillea Himbara

She/Her

CEO and Creative Director

Dillea Himbara is a Rwandan – Indo – Guyanese, homo, human and mother based in Toronto, Canada. In 2021, she launched her brand SAPODILLAS, (sa·puh·di·luhs) constructing ethereal – hot gurl garments from discarded, second-hand and deadstock textiles.

Dillea is a conscious fashion designer, dedicated to providing sweatshop-free fantasy in a way that keeps the planet front of mind. In the past 2 years SAPODILLAS has been featured in publications like Elle Canada, Wonderland UK and Bubblegum South Africa to name a few.

Michelle Tracey

She/Her

Scenographer

Michelle Tracey is a scenographer based in Tkaronto for theater and opera. Her passion for scenography is rooted in its potential to spark imagination. She believes that collective art experience has the power to inspire people to see new ways of being. Michelle is a founding member of Triga Creative, a collective of designers committed to exploring eco-scenography and sustainable working models. Michelle is also a trained wardrobe technician and has constructed costumes for numerous professional productions.
www.michelletraceydesign.com

Astra Burka

She/Her

Architect/Filmmaker/Co-Chair Ontario DGC Sustainability Committee

Astra Burka is passionate about circular economy as a solution for making a greener film and television industry. Astra is an architect, production designer, filmmaker and co-chair of DGC Ontario Sustainability Committee, a member of the National DGC Sustainability Committee (NCASC) and an Ontario Green Screen ambassador. She is an advocate for supporting innovative individuals and companies who help us create solutions for our members in the industry.

Louise Pollard

She/Her

Independent Producer

Louise Pollard is an independent producer and sustainability lead at Shaftesbury. Pollard is the creator of Every Body Curious, a twenty-one part sex education web series for youth aged 9-12. Pollard is a former teacher and women’s health educator and with over two decades of experience in education, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the dissemination of information in her work around sustainability and the well being of kids. As a straight-talking Australian, Pollard aims to spark authentic, vulnerable and credible conversations focussing on her passions of sustainable production and sexuality education.

AnaLaura Giacomel

She/Her

Education and Special Programs Manager

AnaLaura Giacomel has had a lifelong interest in environmental issues, and has followed that course towards a degree and diploma in environmental sciences. She is currently working on furthering research and education resources at Earth Angel, a leading environmental consultancy specializing in sustainable film and television production. She also helps facilitate courses on the albert carbon calculator and climate science and sustainable production for Ontario Green Screen. AnaLaura’s strengths are problem solving and finding ways systems can evolve and be imperfectly perfect, on the journey towards being environmentally responsible.

Leaticia Kaggwa

She/Her

Environmental Sustainability Lead

Leaticia Kaggwa is on a mission to help content creators tell compelling stories while minimizing their environmental impact. She joined the CBC as their first ever environmental sustainability lead in January 2022. Among other environmentally-driven duties, she primarily collaborates with producers, industry partners, and other members of the screen industry to track carbon emissions and implement sustainable production tools and techniques. Previously, she was the summer sustainability coordinator at William F. White, Canada’s largest provider of filming equipment and studio space. Leaticia also holds a Master of Science degree in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto.

Sean Towgood

He/Him

Creator of You’re My Hero

Sean Towgood is the creator/co-writer/star of You’re My Hero. Sean is also a radio broadcaster and Emerge Media Award winner for the short radio documentary Stigma. He created and co-produced audio documentaries Independence Day and Welcome To The Party for CBC’s The Doc Project; Epilogue and BBC’s Short Cuts series; and was associate producer on Equal Too (Stripped Media/Harder Than You Think). Select theater credits include Wounded Soldiers (4th Line Theatre, Ontario tour) and My Life on the Short Bus, a self- created solo piece (Soulo Theatre Festival). He has also contributed as a writer for the Streams and Variations podcasts.

George Alevizos

He/Him

Professional Actor

George Alevizos (ALE-VEE-ZOS) is a professional actor living in Toronto. He is a graduate of the joint Theatre and Drama Studies program with the University of Toronto/Sheridan College, and has worked on the Amazon Prime show Gen V, on CBC Gem TV show You’re My Hero, had a guest starring role on CityTV’s Hudson and Rex, was featured on Star Trek: Discovery, among other commercial work. He’s gone on to work with theater companies Drayton Entertainment, Cahoots Theatre, LemonTree Creations, Shakespeare in the Ruff, EveryBODY on Stage, and the acclaimed queer theater director Sky Gilbert. He also serves as an ACTRA Toronto Council Member, ACTRA National Council Member, and a newly elected council member for Canadian Actors Equity Association.

Meghan Hood

She/Her

Producer

Meghan Hood was born in Toronto but raised in South Florida. After graduating university, she moved to Toronto to pursue her dream to work in the film and television industry. She worked her way up through the production side of things in factual, scripted and web-based content and now is working as a line producer and producer. She loves to find creative solutions to budgetary constraints in order to best serve the story. She has over a decade of experience in the industry and hopes to continue to work and grow in production management and producing and be able to positively contribute to any team she is a part of.

Zach Feldberg

He/Him

Director of Current Production, Comedy & Head of Scripted Gem Originals, CBC

At CBC, Zach Feldberg is the acting director of current production, comedy – overseeing the team responsible for the production of the broadcaster’s slate of prime time comedy series and radio programs. He also continues to oversee the scripted CBC Gem originals strategy and programming team, developing and commissioning series for CBC Gem. This slate includes such titles as Fakes, LIDO TV, The 410, For Heaven’s Sake, Kenny & Spenny Paldemic, Next Stop, Save Me, the international Emmy nominated comedy series The Amazing Gayl Pile and How to Buy a Baby, and many more.

Prasanna Ranganathan

He/Him

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Advisor and Consultant

Prasanna Ranganathan is a documentary producer, human rights lawyer, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) consultant, accessibility advisor, speaker, author and CBC screen time columnist. Prasanna served as the head of diversity and belonging at Shopify and as a human rights lawyer with the Department of Justice Canada, Federal Judicial Affairs Canada, United Nations, Independent Street Checks Review, and Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. He has over 16 years of experience in DEIB and accessibility, working in the legal profession, justice system, international development space, entertainment industry, and tech. He is a consulting producer on the 2021 docuseries Born for Business about entrepreneurs with disabilities (Crave), an associate producer on the 2016 documentary film Dream, Girl about women entrepreneurs that premiered at the White House during the Obama administration, and the author of a cookbook – alongside his mother – called Made with Prema. Proudly claiming his identity as a racialized LGBTQ2+ person with a disability (blindness), Prasanna is a board member of the Disability Screen Office and a past board member of Inside Out.

Sumeet Vats

He/Him

Motion Graphics & VFX Supervisor

Sumeet Vats is a motion graphics and VFX supervisor who has worked in television for the past 8 years. Originally trained in visual effects and game development, he took his love of story and applied that to motion design.

Matt Middleton

He/Him

Production Designer

Matt Middleton is a production designer who has worked in scripted entertainment for over 20 years. Following set design work on series The Strain, The Expanse, and features Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak, and Suicide Squad, he was Emmy nominated for Art Direction on Amazon series Annedroids. He was production designer for the surreal FX comedy series Man Seeking Woman and indie feature Patch Town. As supervising art director of Paramount Plus’ series Star Trek Discovery, he helped establish the Holodeck – Canada’s first virtual production (VP) stage. Recently he was a producer and production designer for 8 short films shot using VP.

Alison Reid

She/Her

Director

Alison Reid is a Canadian filmmaker with a desire to tell stories exploring the human spirit. Under her banner Free Spirit Films she directed and produced award-winning LGBTQ2+ feature comedy The Baby Formula (EOne, Warner Bros) and critically acclaimed feature documentary, The Woman who Loves Giraffes (Zeitgeist Films, KinoLorber, Crave) which won multiple best film & audience awards, had a robust theatrical release in the USA and Canada, and rates 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Along with her own films, Alison also enjoys directing television. Her most recent credit is four episodes of the new Amazon series, Beyond Black Beauty.

Dan Briceno

He/Him

Picture Editor

Dan Briceno is a picture editor born in Caracas, Venezuela and based in Toronto, Canada. He started his career as an assistant editor on a number of TV dramas such as, The Tudors, The Borgias, and Vikings. His recent editing credits include the sci-fi series – Halo, the western – Billy The Kid, and dark comedy The Consultant. Dan is currently editing Hotel Cocaine for MGM+.

Andrew Barnsley

He/Him

Toronto Film School President

Andrew Barnsley is an Emmy and Golden Globe winning Executive Producer (Best Comedy Series) based in Toronto and Los Angeles. He is a six-time Canadian Screen Award winning Executive Producer. He is the CEO of Toronto-based Project 10 Productions Inc. and the President of the Toronto Film School. Barnsley is currently an Executive Producer on CBC’s 26 x ½ hour comedy series Son Of A Critch. He recent producing credits include CBC/PopTV’s 80 x ½ hour Schitt’s Creek starring Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, CTV/Bell Media’s 24 x ½ hour comedy series Jann starring Jann Arden and Amazon Prime’s 8 x ½ hour reboot of Kids In The Hall. Since 2001, Barnsley has produced content across multiple genres and formats including comedy, animation, live-action, children’s documentary, and multiple live concert specials. Barnsley is a member of the Producers Guild of America, the Canadian Media Producers Association, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (USA) and the Academy of Canadian Film and Television. He holds an MA in Communications and Culture from Ryerson and York Universities, a BAA from Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts Program and a B. Ed from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Faran Moradi

He/Him

Writer/Director

Faran Moradi is a Iranian-Canadian filmmaker, born and raised in Ontario, best known as a Telefilm Talent to Watch recipient for his feature film, Tehranto. After having made numerous films during his studies at Sheridan College, Faran went on to direct and edit on Emmy Award winning TV shows including Odd Squad, and write and direct the award winning short film Blackpowder and Guilt. His most recent credits include four episodes of the Hulu series Holly Hobbie, and director observing on the CBC show Moonshine.

Noura Kevorkian

She/Her

Director

Noura Kevorkian is a Lebanese-Armenian-Canadian filmmaker. She made her filmmaking debut with the multi-award-winning Veils Uncovered (Official Competition IDFA), followed by the historical documentary Anjar, and the hybrid drama-doc feature 23 KiloMeters (Official Competition Karlovy Vary). Noura’s latest, the Canada-Lebanon feature Batata (Oscar Qualifying Best Documentary, Carthage, Audience Top 10 Hot Docs, Canadian Screen Award nominated – Best Feature Documentary, Best Editing, Best Cinematography – Amnesty Award Durban), is an unparalleled documentary that follows 10 years in the life of a strong unmarried Syrian woman and her family struggling in a refugee camp in Lebanon. Noura is currently working on her next documentary feature Taste of Longing and her debut narrative feature, Syrian Dancer.

Mike Munn

He/Him

Picture Editor

Mike Munn has edited several award-winning feature documentaries, including Stories We Tell, directed by Sarah Polley and This is Not a Movie, directed by Yung Chang. Most recently he completed Batata for Noura Kevorkian and To Kill a Tiger for Nisha Pahuja, winner of the TIFF 2022 Best Canadian Feature Award. Films he has edited have played at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Telluride and Sundance, among other festivals – with 13 features accepted into TIFF. Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell was shortlisted for the documentary Oscar as well as being voted in a TIFF poll as one of the 10 best Canadian films of all time.

Simone Smith, CCE

She/Her

Editor

Simone Smith is a Canadian Screen Award winning editor working in film and television. Previous credits include I Like Movies, Firecrackers, the Amazon original series The Lake as well as the upcoming film Float.

Chandler Levack

She/Her

Filmmaker/Journalist

Chandler Levack grew up in Burlington, Ontario and lives in Toronto, where she studied cinema at the University of Toronto and screenwriting at the Canadian Film Centre. She has directed numerous music videos, earning two Juno nominations, is a veteran journalist and a current film critic for the Globe & Mail. In 2017, her short film We Forgot to Break Up premiered at TIFF and went on to play SXSW. In 2022, her debut feature film I Like Movies premiered at TIFF and was selected for Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival.

Anthony Shim

He/Him

Filmmaker

Anthony Shim was born in Seoul, South Korea and then immigrated to Vancouver, Canada with his family in the early 90s. Anthony co-founded and served as the artistic director of Blind Pig Theatre then later co-founded and co-curated Railtown Lab, an initiative designed to support the development of original theater works.

In 2019, Anthony completed his first independent feature film, Daughter, which he wrote, directed, produced and edited. His sophomore film, Riceboy Sleeps, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and was named the winner of the prestigious Platform Prize.

Shant Joshi

He/Him

President | Executive Producer

Shant Joshi is an award-winning producer and president of Fae Pictures, based in Los Angeles and Toronto, on a mission to decolonize Hollywood by creating cinematic content for, by, and about queer, trans, and BIPOC people. On his mission, his projects have won awards at Sundance (Framing Agnes), Berlin (International Dawn Chorus Day), Inside Out, and Bend (Noor & Layla), and premiered at festivals like TIFF (Diaspora, Scaring Women at Night), Aspen Shortsfest (I Live Here), Canneseries (Streams Flow From A River), Hot Docs, BlackStar, Bentonville, and BFI.

Shant is currently vice chair of the BIPOC TV & Film Board, sits on the Canadian Media Producers Association’s EDI action committee, and sits on the advisory board at the Future of Film Showcase. He is an alum of the Canadian Film Centre, Rotterdam Lab, and Osgoode Hall Law School, and was named a Reelworld Trailblazer, nominated for an Indiescreen Award, and named in York University’s Top 30 Changemakers under 30.

Christopher Yip

He/Him

Showrunner, Director, Writer

Christopher Yip is a Queer Chinese Canadian writer & director based in Toronto whose works examine love, family, and sexuality through a distinct diasporic lens. His latest film Fish Boy, will have its World and European Premiere at the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. His series Streams Flow From a River, produced by Fae Pictures, will have its Digital World Premiere at the Canadian Film Fest. It will air on Super Channel, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV in April. In 2020, Christopher was named one of Playback Magazine’s 10 to Watch and Reelworld Screen Institute’s Emerging 20. He is represented by Jennifer Irons at META Talent Agency.

Karen Knox

She/Her

Filmmaker/Actor

Karen Knox is a filmmaker and actor based in Toronto. She has served as the showrunner for Homeschooled (CBC), Slo Pitch (IFC/AMC+) and BARBELLE (Shaftesbury) for multiple seasons, while also directing and writing. Knox’s directorial debut feature film Adult Adoption (Level Film) premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival in 2022, before it’s critically acclaimed theatrical release in North America. Knox’s sophomore feature film We Forgot to Break Up (Motel Pictures) based on the award winning novel Heidegger Stairwell by Kayt Burgess is slated for a festival run in 2023. As an actor Knox is best known for SYFY’s LTSC and opposite Gabourey Sidibe in Paramount’s All I Didn’t Want, as well as appearances in her own work.

Gwenlyn Cumyn

She/Her

Creator

Gwenlyn Cumyn is an award-winning creator and actor based in Toronto. After appearing in All for One (Corus/ABCSpark) and Chasing Valentine (Best Actress, MIFF), Gwenlyn developed two seasons of the digital series, Barbelle (KindaTV, Revry), produced by her company, Boss & Co. Beyond the digital space, Gwenlyn has written and produced the short films, The Fates (TIFFxInstagram) and Cons and Pros (Telefilm/Cannes Not Short on Talent). Gwenlyn appears in, co-created, and showruns the softball mockumentary, Slo Pitch (IFC/OUTtv). Most recently, Gwenlyn co-created, wrote, and directed the CBCGem series, Homeschooled, based on her own experiences with home education.

Sam Rice

She/Her

VP Costumes – NABET 700-M UNIFOR

Sam Rice is the costume VP at NABET 700-M Unifor, and co-chair of their Black, Indigenous and Workers of Color Committee. She has been working as a costume technician since 2014, and is passionate about helping folks learn about the ins and outs of costuming for film & television. Her favorite credit to date is as assistant costume designer on CBC’s hit comedy Kim’s Convenience

Polly Jean Vernon

She/Her

Props Master and Scenic Carpenter

Polly Jean Vernon (she/her) has been working in the film and television industry since 1998. As a props master she has made films with directors Atom Egoyan, Sarah Polley, and Brian DePalma; as a scenic carpenter she has built offices and caves and spaceships and apartments on all sizes of shows. She has worked as a construction coordinator and head carpenter building scenery for television, films, and commercials. She has traveled to Eastern Europe, Central America and South Africa as a production designer, and to northern Ontario as an art director. Most recently she worked as a carpenter on CTV’s Shelved, with a core construction department consisting of more women than men for the first time in her career. She is an advocate for transgender folks and women in the trades, by necessity; in 2021 she founded the Alliance of Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Tradespeople, to connect and support transgender people in the trades. She is also a musician and will be releasing her third full-length album next month on her own label, No Dogma Records.

Alva Paul-Larbi

She/Her

Scenic Painter

Alva Paul-Larbi is an African Canadian woman born and raised in the city of Toronto, Ontario. Mother of 2, a member of Nabet-700 Unifor, and inside sales rep. of Primetime Paint & Paper – taking the paint world by storm. Learning all that she can to become well versed in all aspects of paint.

Sequoyah Oakes

He/Him

Grip Permittee

Sequoyah Oakes is a registered member of the Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation in northern Ontario. He recently completed the NABET Unifor 700M and Miziwe Biik training program for the film industry technical skills. He did his Grip Apprenticeship with NABET Unifor 700M on Season 3 of the Hardy Boys. He has now been accepted as a Permittee and is looking forward to having a career within the grip department in the film & television industry.

Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves

She/Her

Actor

Ayesha Mansur Gonsalves is a Canadian actor, born and raised in Toronto. She currently recurs as Sarita Stark in CTV’s The Spencer Sisters and has played recurring roles in HBO Max/CBC Gem’s award-winning comedy, Sort Of, FX’s Y: The Last Man, and National Geographic’s The Hot Zone. Guest star roles include Star Trek Discovery, Kim’s Convenience, Private Eyes, and Designated Survivor, among others. Select film credits include Tammy’s Always Dying starring Felicity Huffman, Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor, and Don’t Hang Up starring Wendell Pierce and Lauren Holly. She is currently writing her first comedic series titled, Disagreeable.

Christopher Lew

He/Him

Cinematographer

Christopher Lew is a Canadian born cinematographer. The son of a montessori teacher and an electrical engineer; his work is focused on character driven narratives within long & short form mediums, using the art form to explore emotion, curiosity and the human condition.

Guy Godfree

He/Him

Cinematographer

Guy Godfree is an award-winning cinematographer whose recent work includes the two spirit indigenous indie feature Wildhood (TIFF 2021) directed by Bretten Hannam; Clement Virgo’s Brother (TIFF 2022); Director Nyla Innuksuk’s debut feature Slash/Back (SXSW 2022) filmed entirely in the Hamlet of Pangnirtung on Baffin Island. Other notable credits include the multiple Canadian Screen Award winning film Maudie (Telluride, TIFF and Berlinale 2016) for which Guy was awarded Best Feature Cinematography at the Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards. His most recent episodic work is the upcoming Crave original Little Bird and the Netflix limited series Maid.

Jordan Oram

He/Him

Director of Photography

Driven by a deep sense of purpose, Jordan Oram has dedicated himself to creating experiences that not only entertain but also enlighten and empower. He believes that curiosity has the power to change the world, to challenge our perceptions and inspire us to dream bigger, love more deeply, and live more fully. Through his lens, Oram invites us to embark on a journey of self-discovery and exploration, to connect with our own inner truths and to embrace our unique perspectives and experiences. His work is a testament to the human spirit, to our capacity for creativity, resilience, and transformation.

Kaayla Whachell

She/Her

Director of Photography

Kaayla Whachell is a cinematographer from Vancouver, Canada and an associate member of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers. Her first feature film, Portraits from a Fire, directed by Trevor Mack, went on to win her Best Cinematography at the 2022 Leo Awards. Whether it be a narrative film or commercial, Kaayla believes that the cinematography must accurately showcase the individuals depicted on screen. As a woman of mixed descent (Ryukyuan, Red River Metis, Czech), Kaayla continues to ally BIPOC filmmakers by showcasing their stories. She strives to produce a diverse film set for all people to thrive and create within.

Carol Nguyen

She/Her

Director

Carol Nguyen is a Vietnamese Canadian filmmaker based in Montreal. Her films often explore the subjects of cultural identity, silence and memory. Her newest film Nanitic (2022) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was selected for Berlinale Generation Kplus 2023. Her previous film No Crying at the Dinner Table (2019) also screened at TIFF alongside IDFA, where she was additionally invited as the opening night speaker. In 2020, No Crying at the Dinner Table received the Jury Prize for Short Documentary at South by Southwest. Recently, her project The Visitors was selected for the IDFA Project Space 2022, a development lab for first/second-time directors. Today, Carol is writing and directing several projects, including two feature films as well as an animated short.

Yael Staav

She/Her

Director

Yael has directed multiple episodes of the much-loved comedy Workin’ Moms (CBC) and was recently nominated for a 2023 Canadian Screen Award for the show’s last season. She was nominated for the 2022 Directors Guild of Canada Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy for the same show. Yael was honored by the Directors Guild of Canada for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Comedy Series for her work on Baroness Von Sketch (CBC/IFC). She also garnered a Canadian Screen Award for Direction for that same show.

​Yael’s commercial work for Amazon, Coke, Campbell’s, Volkswagen, and Delta – with agencies including World Famous, DDB, Leo Burnett, Wieden + Kennedy, and Saatchi & Saatchi – taps into small, incidental moments that reveal who we are at our core. Much of her work is about self-discovery, examining incidental details that often go unnoticed in a world that’s all too much, too fast. ​Always up for an adventure, a laugh, an early call-time, a shared cry, or a craft burrito – the process and the journey of telling stories keeps Yael at it with fiery dedication.

Dani Kind

She/Her

Actor/Director

Dani Kind is an award-winning actress and director recognized for her roles on two-time Emmy nominated Workin’ Moms and people’s choice award winning Wynonna Earp. Kind has been nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards for Best Lead Actress in a comedy. In the past year Kind had her directorial debut with her short film Capsule and went on to direct an episode of Workin’ Moms. As a career storyteller with a gift for finding light in the dark and exploring the full spectrum of the human experience, Kind continues to make her mark in the industry.

Karen Kicak

She/Her

Writer + Filmmaker

Karen Kicak is a Canadian Screen Award nominated television writer & filmmaker. She is the co-showrunner/EP/writer on the 7th season of the international Emmy nominated Netflix/CBC comedy series Workin’ Moms. Karen’s directorial debut, Volcano, had its world premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Her TV writing & producing credits include Mary Kills People (Lifetime), Detention Adventure (HBO Max/CBC), and Rookie Blue (ABC). Karen is the writer/co-producer of the award-winning comedy short, Must Kill Karl (Dir: Joe Kicak, Austin Film Festival ‘18). The film won Best Comedy at HollyShorts Film Festival (2018) and was featured on Short of the Week.

Catherine Reitman

She/Her

Creator of Workin’ Moms

Catherine Reitman is a renowned writer, showrunner, actress, comedian, producer and director best known as the creator and star of Workin’ Moms which has received two International Emmy award nominations for Best Comedy Series, among other nominations. Between 2020 and 2021, Reitman was recognized by the Alliance for Women in Media with Gracie Awards for Best Lead Actress, Best Direction in a Comedy, as well as Showrunner, Comedy, for her work on Workin’ Moms. Additionally, Catherine is widely known for her roles on ABC’s hit series Blackish, FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Kenya Barris’ Netflix series, Black AF.

Lisa Benedetto

She/Her

Executive Producer

Lisa Benedetto has been with Wolf + Rabbit Entertainment and Workin’ Moms since 2017, where she acted as executive producer on the international comedy series. She has produced multiple film festival qualifying short films including Full Circle (2019) & And He Was Gone (2021).

Charles Clément

He/Him

Producer

As his family would attest, Charles Clément has been super passionate about the art and business of storytelling since his early days growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since that time, along with his brother, they have built a production company that has produced hundreds of episodes of television for many Canadian broadcasters in all genres and in multiple languages. Many intra and inter-provincial co-productions have also been a key part of their storytelling adventure.

Andreas Mendritzki

He/Him

Producer

Andreas Mendritzki is a founding member of GreenGround Productions, a Montréal based production company, as well as its sister company, CineGround, a leading camera rental and post-production facility. Recent projects include: Denis Côté’s Berlinale Encounters Best Director winning feature Hygiène Sociale, and the docu-fiction hybrid film Wilcox. Feature documentaries include Laura Bari’s Primas, and Tao Gu’s Taming the Horse. He is a 2017 IDFA talent lab alumni. He is currently producing new projects by Aboozar Amini, Julien Elie and Sofia Bohdanowicz.

Shehrezade Mian

Producer

Shehrezade Mian is a Pakistani producer based in Toronto. Mian is an alumnus of the TIFF-Netflix Talent Accelerator, the European Audio-Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) On Demand Access Program for producers presented by the NSI and CMF, and the WIFT Connect mentorship program with the SVP of VICE Media. Mian is also a 2 x recipient of the competitive Telefilm Talent To Watch program. Her feature film Concrete Valley by Antoine Bourges made its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and its international premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2023. Shehrezade also works at Hawkeye Pictures.

Rebecca Steele

She/Her

Producer

Rebecca Steele is a Vancouver-based producer and founder of film production company, Kind Stranger Productions. With a reverence for international cinema and enthusiasm for collaborating with visionary filmmakers, under her company banner she aspires to amplify a broad spectrum of voices and partner on international co-productions. Her film projects have screened around the world, most notably at TIFF, Busan IFF and Marrakech IFF. Most recently Rebecca produced Anthony Shim’s sophomore feature, Riceboy Sleeps which has gone on to win over twenty awards during its festival circuit including the TIFF 2022 Platform Prize and BIFF 2022 Flash Forward Audience Award.

Damon D’Oliveira

He/Him

Producer

Damon D’Oliveira is a veteran producer responsible for bringing to screen some of Canada’s most critically and commercially successful films and television (Rude, The Grizzlies, The Book of Negroes, Wildhood). An early champion of diversity, equity and inclusion both in front and behind the camera, Damon’s career has focused producing content that centered underrepresented, racialized and LGBTQIA2S+ voices. His latest film, Brother by Clement Virgo, world premiered at TIFF 2022 to strong critical acclaim and has played festivals worldwide including Busan, Sao Paulo and BFI London Film Festivals. A recent member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Damon is also the vice-chair of the CMPA and won the Established Producer Indie Screen Award in 2022.

Sylvain Corbeil

He/Him

Producer

Sylvain Corbel founded Metafilms Inc in 2003. As of this day, he produced more than 25 short and 25 feature films. Among others, Maxime Giroux’s Félix et Meira (2014) won the Best Canadian Film Award at TIFF, Juste la fin du monde, (Xavier Dolan, 2016), won the Grand Jury Prize at Festival de Cannes. In 2022, he presented Un été comme ça (Denis Côté) in Competition at the 72nd Berlinale, Rojek (Zaynê Akyol) in Competition at the 53rd Vision du Réel, Falcon Lake (Charlotte Le Bon) at the 54th Director’s Fortnight in Cannes.

Kiarash Anvari

Filmmaker/Producer

Award-winning filmmaker/producer Kiarash Anvari’s feature debut as a writer/director/producer, The Pot and The Oak, premiered in the Bright Future Competition section of the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2017, where it’s been nominated for the Bright Future Award, FIPRESCI award, and Netpac award. The film was also nominated for the FIPRESCI Award in the Debuts section of the 2017 Jerusalem Film Festival and won the Outstanding Feature Award at the 2019 ReelWorld Toronto Film Festival. As part of its long collaboration with filmmaker Sadaf Foroughi, Anvari also produced and edited AVA, Foroughi’s feature debut, which premiered at TIFF 2017 and won the FIPRESCI award in the Discovery section and received an honorable mention as Best Canadian First Feature. AVA was named one of TIFF’s Top Ten Canadian Films of 2017 and nominated for eight major awards at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards, including two nominations for Best Achievement in Editing and Best Picture. Anvari recently produced and edited Sadaf Foroughi’s second feature film, Summer With Hope, which won the Crystal Globe Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2022. Summer With Hope also earned Anvari a Best Motion Picture nomination at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards. He obtained his master’s degree in film studies at the University of Provence Aix- Marseille. In 2004, he was selected to participate in the Berlinale Talent Campus and the residency program for young artists at the Berlin Academy of Arts (Akademie der Künste).

Luc Déry

He/Him

Producer of Viking, President of micro_scope

After working in distribution for 5 years, Luc Déry founded production company micro_scope in 2002. The company has produced over 25 feature films including Gabrielle (Louise Archambault), Congorama, C’est pas moi, je le jure, and My Salinger Year (Philippe Falardeau), Continental, un film sans fusil, and Tu Dors Nicole (Stéphane Lafleur), Inch’Allah (Anaïs Barbeau Lavalette), Drunken Birds (Ivan Grbovic) and this year’s Viking. All of these films have premiered in major film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, TIFF and Locarno) and two, Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies and Philippe Falardeau’s Monsieur Lazhar were nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the Academy Awards.

Martin Paul-Hus

He/Him

Producer

Martin is a producer who’s project Babysitter, directed by Monia Chokri and written by Catherine Léger, with partner at Amerique Film, was selected at Sundance and Tribeca in 2022. Based in Montreal, particularly active in international coproductions, his next production Two Golden Women will be his 20th feature.

Liz Shorten

She/Her

Chief Operating Officer

Liz Shorten has been working to build capacity in the film, television and digital media sectors for the past 25 years. In her role as chief operating officer at the CMPA, Liz leads staff and oversees organizational operations across the association’s offices in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, and works to implement the CMPA’s corporate strategic plan. Liz previously held senior positions at the Ontario Film Development Corporation (Ontario Creates), British Columbia Film (Creative BC), and CBC Television.

Liz was recently named one of BC’s top 500 Business Leaders by Business in Vancouver and “Woman of the Year” by Women in Film and Television Vancouver in recognition of her leadership role in the film and television industry.