DISCOVER CANADA’S PROGRAMMING AT TIFF 2022
JUNE 13
May 17 to 26
International Village Stand # 123
After two long years away, we’ve worked hard to prepare our newly redesigned and more eco-friendly Canada Pavilion. Located in the International Village, it welcomes over 300 Canadians during the Marché du film de Cannes. Come meet us and discover what Canada has to offer as a partner of choice. We’re also delighted to meet you at the Marché du film Online.
Opening hours
Tuesday, May 17th to Thursday, May 26th from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.*
*The pavilion will be partially or totally closed on Thursday, May 19th from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. as well as on Monday, May 23rd, from 9 a.m. to noon.
SEPTEMBER 9
12:30 p.m.
Conference Room A, Glenn Gould Studio, Canadian Broadcasting Centre
All Welcome: Increasing the Accessibility of Events In The Film Industry
Industry events like festivals, markets, and conferences are crucial for professional development, networking, and promoting yourself and your work. Unfortunately, many events are still behind when it comes to being accessible to all. Join us to learn what steps some organizers have taken to improve event accessibility, and what the future holds.
Features accessible seating, ASL interpretation and CART.
Moderator
Andrew Morris
Interim Director, Disability Screen Office
Andrew is the President and Executive Producer at Hitsby Entertainment, and formerly the Development and Production Executive for Accessible Media Inc., where he oversaw the Independent Productions for AMI-tv and spearheaded the creation of the Disability Screen Office, a not-for-profit organization that eliminates accessibility barriers and raises levels of disability representation across the Canadian media sector. Some recent career highlights include commissioning the documentary series Employable Me, winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Factual Series (2022) and the Banff World Media Festival Rockie Award for Best Lifestyle Series four years in a row (2018-2021), as well as the podcast/TV series What Happened to Holly Bartlett, one of Oprah Magazine’s “12 True-Crime Podcasts That Will Give You Goosebumps”. He is recognized as an advocate for authentic representation of people with disabilities in the media, a mentor to emerging media producers, and regularly gives presentations on content development and media accessibility.
Christine Noël
Executive Producer of the French Animation Program
National Film Board Of Canada
Panelists
Joel Fecht
Vice President, Sales and Business Development, Access Canada
Joel Fecht has spent over 20 years in sales and marketing in the advertising and entertainment industries. From scrappy internet start-ups to industry-leading multinational corporations, Joel has excelled in various roles, such as lead writer, webseries producer, general manager, sales rep, sales team lead, and director of sales and business development. Most recently, he is the VP of Sales and Business Development for Access Canada, a white-label services company providing the entertainment industry with PR services, training programs, market access, and custom events, such as Content Canada happening Sept. 13 & 14 at The Drake in Toronto.
As VP of Sales and Business Development at Content Canada, he leads and oversees all sales and strategic partnerships. Under his leadership, Access Canada has quickly grown to be the #1 white-label service provider in Canada, and he is personally responsible for the creation and launch of both the Alberta Producer Accelerator and the Northern Canada Producer Accelerator, the first producer training program offered to northern Canadian residents with the support of every major English-speaking broadcaster in the country.
Some of the companies he is fortunate to count as clients include Telefilm, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Bell Media, Rogers, Corus, CBC, APTN, eOne, BRON, CMPA, C21 Media, Canadian Heritage, The Black Academy, Reelworld Screen Institute, Disability Screen Office, Black Screen Office, Racial Equity Screen Office, Calgary Economic Development, Yukon Media Development, Screen Production Yukon Association, Northwest Territories Film Commission, Northwest Territories Professional Media Association, Bell Fund, Ontario Creates, Quebec Television & Film Council, William F. White, Universal Music, Warner Records, BMG, Paramount+ and many, many others.
Amanda Forbis
Filmmaker
National Film Board Of Canada
Cassidy Dimon
Founder, Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW)
Cassidy Dimon is a filmmaker and event producer with over 15 years of experience producing film events across the US. She has produced over 200 film screenings, numerous award shows and film festivals, as well as two iterations of the esteemed Getting Real Documentary Film Conference. Cassidy is also the founder of the Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW),an initiative that harnesses the collective power of event professionals to help exhibitors across the country develop and execute accessible events and is the creator of the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard launched in July 2022. Currently, she is the Director of Programs, Events & Accessibility for Full Spectrum Features in Chicago, IL.
Wendy Tilby
Filmmaker
National Film Board Of Canada
Prasanna Ranganathan
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Consultant and Accessibility Advisor
Prasanna Ranganathan (he/him) is a human rights lawyer, diversity and inclusion consultant and lead, accessibility advisor, speaker, and social media strategist. Prasanna served as the Head of Diversity and Belonging at Shopify and as an international human rights lawyer. He has over 16 years of experience in diversity, inclusion and accessibility, working in the legal profession, the entertainment industry, and in tech. He is a Consulting Producer on the 2021 docuseries Born for Business about entrepreneurs with disabilities (currently airing on NBC Peacock and Crave Canada) and an Associate Producer on the 2016 documentary film Dream, Girl about women entrepreneurs that premiered at the Obama White House. A social media strategist and red carpet correspondent, Prasanna has covered the red carpets at the 2019 Academy Awards and the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and designed social media campaigns for Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington. Proudly claiming his identity as an LGBTQ2+ racialized person with a disability (Prasanna is legally blind), Prasanna is a seasoned speaker on diversity, inclusion and accessibility, providing the annual Toronto International Film Festival inclusion and accessibility workshop for all staff members and delivering guest lectures at the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on inclusive storytelling.
Lori Malépart-Traversy
Filmmaker
National Film Board Of Canada
Michelle Asgarali
Creative Producer
1:30 p.m.
Conference Room A, Glenn Gould Studio
How to Access Telefilm Funding
In recent years, Telefilm funding programs have undergone modernization, which includes evolving eligibility criteria and decision-making processes. Join us to learn more about the various financing programs and best practices on applying to funding programs
Moderator
Shehrezade Mian
Producer, Markhor Pictures
Shehrezade Mian is a Pakistani-Canadian producer based in Toronto. In 2021, Mian was selected for the TIFF-Netflix Talent Accelerator Fellowship, as well as the European Audio-Visual Entrepreneurs (EAVE) On Demand Access Program for producers presented by the National Screen Institute and Canada Media Fund. In addition, Mian was also selected for the Women In Film and Television Connect mentorship program with the SVP of VICE Media in 2020.
In 2019, her feature film Concrete Valley was selected for Telefilm Canada’s Talent to Watch program and is slated for its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Her films have also been awarded funding by the Canada, Ontario, and Toronto Arts Council and have screened at numerous festivals across the globe.
Christine Noël
Executive Producer of the French Animation Program
National Film Board Of Canada
Panelists
Joel Fecht
Vice President, Sales and Business Development, Access Canada
Joel Fecht has spent over 20 years in sales and marketing in the advertising and entertainment industries. From scrappy internet start-ups to industry-leading multinational corporations, Joel has excelled in various roles, such as lead writer, webseries producer, general manager, sales rep, sales team lead, and director of sales and business development. Most recently, he is the VP of Sales and Business Development for Access Canada, a white-label services company providing the entertainment industry with PR services, training programs, market access, and custom events, such as Content Canada happening Sept. 13 & 14 at The Drake in Toronto.
As VP of Sales and Business Development at Content Canada, he leads and oversees all sales and strategic partnerships. Under his leadership, Access Canada has quickly grown to be the #1 white-label service provider in Canada, and he is personally responsible for the creation and launch of both the Alberta Producer Accelerator and the Northern Canada Producer Accelerator, the first producer training program offered to northern Canadian residents with the support of every major English-speaking broadcaster in the country.
Some of the companies he is fortunate to count as clients include Telefilm, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Bell Media, Rogers, Corus, CBC, APTN, eOne, BRON, CMPA, C21 Media, Canadian Heritage, The Black Academy, Reelworld Screen Institute, Disability Screen Office, Black Screen Office, Racial Equity Screen Office, Calgary Economic Development, Yukon Media Development, Screen Production Yukon Association, Northwest Territories Film Commission, Northwest Territories Professional Media Association, Bell Fund, Ontario Creates, Quebec Television & Film Council, William F. White, Universal Music, Warner Records, BMG, Paramount+ and many, many others.
Melissa Amer
Interim Regional Feature Film Executive –Ontario and Nunavut Region
Cassidy Dimon
Founder, Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW)
Cassidy Dimon is a filmmaker and event producer with over 15 years of experience producing film events across the US. She has produced over 200 film screenings, numerous award shows and film festivals, as well as two iterations of the esteemed Getting Real Documentary Film Conference. Cassidy is also the founder of the Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW),an initiative that harnesses the collective power of event professionals to help exhibitors across the country develop and execute accessible events and is the creator of the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard launched in July 2022. Currently, she is the Director of Programs, Events & Accessibility for Full Spectrum Features in Chicago, IL.
Ayesha Husain
Lead Inclusion Initiatives and Content Analyst
Prasanna Ranganathan
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Consultant and Accessibility Advisor
Prasanna Ranganathan (he/him) is a human rights lawyer, diversity and inclusion consultant and lead, accessibility advisor, speaker, and social media strategist. Prasanna served as the Head of Diversity and Belonging at Shopify and as an international human rights lawyer. He has over 16 years of experience in diversity, inclusion and accessibility, working in the legal profession, the entertainment industry, and in tech. He is a Consulting Producer on the 2021 docuseries Born for Business about entrepreneurs with disabilities (currently airing on NBC Peacock and Crave Canada) and an Associate Producer on the 2016 documentary film Dream, Girl about women entrepreneurs that premiered at the Obama White House. A social media strategist and red carpet correspondent, Prasanna has covered the red carpets at the 2019 Academy Awards and the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and designed social media campaigns for Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington. Proudly claiming his identity as an LGBTQ2+ racialized person with a disability (Prasanna is legally blind), Prasanna is a seasoned speaker on diversity, inclusion and accessibility, providing the annual Toronto International Film Festival inclusion and accessibility workshop for all staff members and delivering guest lectures at the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on inclusive storytelling.
Peggy Lainis
Reg. Feature Film Exec. –English Market -Quebec Region
Mélanie S. Dubois
Producer, MéMO Films
Mélanie S. Dubois is a writer, director and producer. She founded her own production company MéMO FILMS in 2018 in which she produced the short film Lune, directed by Zoé Pelchat (Dominos). In 2020, she received support from SODEC for the development of her feature films: Les enfants de l’État and EMMAC Terre marine, as well as support from FIP/FMC for the development of its futuristic web series Booster Station. She also collaborates with Denys Desjardins on the content of the documentary web series L’industrie de la vieillesse (tou.tv) and is producing the second season of the documentary series Quand Benoit est là! for the Zeste chain (TVA). Mélanie also works as a freelancer for film and television productions (La Déesse des mouches à feu, Les oiseaux ivres, Les Barbares de la Malbaie, Jeune Juliette, Blood Quantum, L’affaire Norbourg…).
Adriana Chartrand
Lead, Indigenous Initiatives and Content Analyst
Check out the projects being presented:
5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
Imperial Palace, Rotonde de l’Europe
Studio Focus: NFB: New Spaces for Storytelling
Get a glimpse of the latest animated films produced by the National Film Board of Canada, in this spotlight on four talented women directors.
Take a deep dive into the programming vision of an institution that’s more dedicated than ever to new forms of storytelling.
Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at The Flying Sailor through a captivating discussion with its award-winning creators, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis.
And meet rising star Lori Malépart-Traversy and multitalented, multidisciplinary Métis artist Terril Calder.
SEPTEMBER 10
9:00 a.m.
LUMA RESTAURANT, 2ND FLOOR, 350 KING ST. WEST, REITMAN SQUARE.
Spotlight of the Renewal of the Canada/France coproduction treaty
Building on the success of the event held at Cannes, Telefilm is organizing a second presentation of the Canada/France treaty in collaboration with the Embassy of France in Canada. The event will include a presentation of the treaty changes followed by a pitch session of three French projects looking for coproducers and networking opportunities.
Panelists
Marie-Claude Beauchamp
President, CarpeDiem Film & TV
Marie-Claude has been active in the film and television industry for over thirty years as a distributor and a producer. She is the driving force behind the production company CarpeDiem Film & TV, which she founded in 2004. CarpeDiem specializes in international co-productions of intellectual property for family audiences, more specifically in animation. She invests herself in the artistic contents of her projects, in terms of the writing, art direction and production and has shown consistent and efficient results that correspond to the needs of her partners. More recently, she deployed the 360 Snowtime! brand, including feature films, TV series, books, merchandising products, museum exhibitions and soundtrack albums. With a strong presence around the globe, Marie-Claude has been nominated for two of the most prestigious businesswomen awards: the 2018 Quebec Business Women Award (Prix Femmes d’Affaires du Québec 2018) and the 2019 Mercuriades Award (Prix Mercuriades 2019). In 2017, Marie-Claude created Media Pink Parrot, an international sales agent company acquiring feature films, animated series and films for family and children. With offices in Canada and Spain, she is the president of the company, and is supported by a sales team including Tania Pinto Da Cunha (partner)and Begona Esteban.
Rob McLaughlin
Executive Producer of the English Program Animation and Interactive Studio
National Film Board Of Canada
Steve Couture
Founder Partner, Epic Storyworlds
Steve Couture is a successful entrepreneur in the entertainment business. More than ten years CEO of Frima, a videogame company he has cofounded, Steve acted as Producer and creator on numerous projects. More than 100 Million of kids played with Frima’s games over the years. Whether on tablets, web games, console or any screen with pixels, Frima was, under Steve’s leadership, constantly innovating in gaming as well as youth content.
Frima’s electronic lab contributed to creating connected toys and innovating game experiences for major toy players like Lego, Mattel and Hasbro.
Frima FX, the animation and special effects branch was hired to work on major IMAX productions as well as Hollywood productions. It also did service work for several movie features films (The Rooster of Saint-Victor, Mission Yeti, Dofus) and animated series (The W, Lego Bionicle).
Tech savvy, driven by content and ambitious, in 2017, after contributing to the creation of one of the largest youth entertainment company in Canada, Steve leaves Frima to tackle new challenges. He now concentrates on the creation of youth animated series with huge branding potential. Many times, Award winner in the videogame industry, the youth content and the business world, Steve, bachelors in computer science and MIT graduate, enjoys passing on his passion through teaching in college and university. He has been invited many times to speak in the local business community and to give conferences in the international gaming industry events.
Rob McLaughlin
Executive Producer of the English Program Animation and Interactive Studio
National Film Board Of Canada
Guy A. Lepage
Producer, writer and comedian
For more than 40 years, Guy A. Lepage has been a success story. Over the course of his career, he has received more than 140 awards, including the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award at the Banff International Television Festival in 2006 and the Grand Prix de l’Académie Canadienne du Cinéma et de la Télévision to celebrate his entire career in 2003. To date, he has also been awarded 16 Artis by the public; a prize for the most beloved Quebec personalities.
He is the creator of the comedy Un gars Une fille
Creator, author, script-editor and director, he also plays the lead role in the original Quebec version. For 6 years, this series has won 34 television awards and has become the best-selling scripted format in the world (30 countries). At MIPTV 2014, The Wit crowned Un gars Une fille Best fiction format in the history of international television.
Host, writer and producer of Tout le Monde en parle’s Quebec adaptation since 2004, the show quickly became the most popular media platform in Quebec. Since the first broadcast year, the show and the host have been awarded 40 times (Gemini, Rockie, Artis, Gemini Immortal).
With the comedy group Rock et Belles Oreilles, which he founded in 1981, Guy A. Lepage has had success with TV series, stage shows, music albums and radio shows. He received 48 awards with his group.
He is the producer, author and actor of the animated series Bébéatrice, which recently received the Gémeaux award for best texts in its category.
Rob McLaughlin
Executive Producer of the English Program Animation and Interactive Studio
National Film Board Of Canada
SEPTEMBER 11
11:30 a.m.
Conference Room B, Glenn Gould Studio
Being Seen: Directives for Creating Authentic and Inclusive Content for Feature Film
The Black Screen Office conducted consultations across Canada, in English and French, with Black, People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, and People with Disabilities communities working in the screen industries and with members of the general public. The goal was to identify what is needed to create more authentic and inclusive content. The resulting reports share the voices of the participants and aggregate their advice into directives that creators, producers, broadcasters, funders, and distributors can use to create and review more authentic content. The directives can also be used by members of these communities as a tool to help them improve the authenticity of content on Canadian screens. Please join us for this panel discussion to learn more about “Being Seen” and hear how Canadian and international filmmakers strive to achieve authenticity in their feature film content.
Moderator
Jennifer Holness
Jennifer Holness brings a fresh, authentic perspective to telling powerful, thought-provoking stories. She has worked as a documentary filmmaker for nearly 20 years. She is the executive producer of Maya Annik Bedward’s feature doc Black Zombie, which is in production with CBC’s Doc Channel. Holness was recently awarded the CMPA Indiescreen Established Producer Award in recognition of her contribution to Canada’s film industry and her incredible career achievements. Her first feature documentary as director, Subjects of Desire, is about Black women and beauty, will air on Crave. Holness, who is passionate about Black Canadian History (and redressing the lack thereof), will be producing her first History Channel series, BLK: An Origin Story. She will serve as a series showrunner and a director with partner Sudz Sutherland.
Christine Noël
Executive Producer of the French Animation Program
National Film Board Of Canada
Panelists
Joel Fecht
Vice President, Sales and Business Development, Access Canada
Joel Fecht has spent over 20 years in sales and marketing in the advertising and entertainment industries. From scrappy internet start-ups to industry-leading multinational corporations, Joel has excelled in various roles, such as lead writer, webseries producer, general manager, sales rep, sales team lead, and director of sales and business development. Most recently, he is the VP of Sales and Business Development for Access Canada, a white-label services company providing the entertainment industry with PR services, training programs, market access, and custom events, such as Content Canada happening Sept. 13 & 14 at The Drake in Toronto.
As VP of Sales and Business Development at Content Canada, he leads and oversees all sales and strategic partnerships. Under his leadership, Access Canada has quickly grown to be the #1 white-label service provider in Canada, and he is personally responsible for the creation and launch of both the Alberta Producer Accelerator and the Northern Canada Producer Accelerator, the first producer training program offered to northern Canadian residents with the support of every major English-speaking broadcaster in the country.
Some of the companies he is fortunate to count as clients include Telefilm, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Bell Media, Rogers, Corus, CBC, APTN, eOne, BRON, CMPA, C21 Media, Canadian Heritage, The Black Academy, Reelworld Screen Institute, Disability Screen Office, Black Screen Office, Racial Equity Screen Office, Calgary Economic Development, Yukon Media Development, Screen Production Yukon Association, Northwest Territories Film Commission, Northwest Territories Professional Media Association, Bell Fund, Ontario Creates, Quebec Television & Film Council, William F. White, Universal Music, Warner Records, BMG, Paramount+ and many, many others.
Mayumi Yoshida
Cassidy Dimon
Founder, Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW)
Cassidy Dimon is a filmmaker and event producer with over 15 years of experience producing film events across the US. She has produced over 200 film screenings, numerous award shows and film festivals, as well as two iterations of the esteemed Getting Real Documentary Film Conference. Cassidy is also the founder of the Film Event Accessibility Working Group (FEAW),an initiative that harnesses the collective power of event professionals to help exhibitors across the country develop and execute accessible events and is the creator of the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard launched in July 2022. Currently, she is the Director of Programs, Events & Accessibility for Full Spectrum Features in Chicago, IL.
Kelly Lynne Ashton
Prasanna Ranganathan
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Consultant and Accessibility Advisor
Prasanna Ranganathan (he/him) is a human rights lawyer, diversity and inclusion consultant and lead, accessibility advisor, speaker, and social media strategist. Prasanna served as the Head of Diversity and Belonging at Shopify and as an international human rights lawyer. He has over 16 years of experience in diversity, inclusion and accessibility, working in the legal profession, the entertainment industry, and in tech. He is a Consulting Producer on the 2021 docuseries Born for Business about entrepreneurs with disabilities (currently airing on NBC Peacock and Crave Canada) and an Associate Producer on the 2016 documentary film Dream, Girl about women entrepreneurs that premiered at the Obama White House. A social media strategist and red carpet correspondent, Prasanna has covered the red carpets at the 2019 Academy Awards and the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and designed social media campaigns for Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington. Proudly claiming his identity as an LGBTQ2+ racialized person with a disability (Prasanna is legally blind), Prasanna is a seasoned speaker on diversity, inclusion and accessibility, providing the annual Toronto International Film Festival inclusion and accessibility workshop for all staff members and delivering guest lectures at the University of Southern California Annenberg Inclusion Initiative on inclusive storytelling.
Haydn Wazell
Mélanie S. Dubois
Producer, MéMO Films
Mélanie S. Dubois is a writer, director and producer. She founded her own production company MéMO FILMS in 2018 in which she produced the short film Lune, directed by Zoé Pelchat (Dominos). In 2020, she received support from SODEC for the development of her feature films: Les enfants de l’État and EMMAC Terre marine, as well as support from FIP/FMC for the development of its futuristic web series Booster Station. She also collaborates with Denys Desjardins on the content of the documentary web series L’industrie de la vieillesse (tou.tv) and is producing the second season of the documentary series Quand Benoit est là! for the Zeste chain (TVA). Mélanie also works as a freelancer for film and television productions (La Déesse des mouches à feu, Les oiseaux ivres, Les Barbares de la Malbaie, Jeune Juliette, Blood Quantum, L’affaire Norbourg…).
V.T. Nayani
SEPTEMBER 13
2:15 p.m.
Conference Room B, Glenn Gould Studio
The Green Lens: The Role of Agencies and Funders in Creating a More Eco-Responsible Industry
The screen-based industry has been undergoing a shift in recent years to be more eco-responsible, but it is a slow process that involves changing not only long held practices, but also minds. What role do agencies and funders have in encouraging this change? How can they help change minds to ensure greener productions and events?
Features accessible seating, ASL interpretation and CART.
Moderator
Ken Proulx
Director Event Management, Telefilm Canada
Ken Proulx is currently the Director, Event Management in the Promotion and Communications Department. He is also part of the Eco and sustainability committee at telefilm. Ken graduated from the University of Ottawa, after which he spent a number of years in the Film and Television industry working behind and in front of the camera. Ken’s unique background in film and event management led him to Telefilm, where he continues to work in the industry he loves.
Christine Noël
Executive Producer of the French Animation Program
National Film Board Of Canada
Panelists
Prem Gill
CEO Creative BC
Prem Gill is Chief Executive Officer of Creative BC. The organization is designated by the Province of British Columbia to focus on uniting, sustaining and growing British Columbia’s dynamic and diverse creative sector including motion picture, music and sound recording, interactive and digital media, and magazine and book publishing.
Prem has been named one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women, Vancouver Magazine’s “Power 50” and received the Community Catalyst award from the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. She brings more than 20 years of experience from the digital media and entertainment industries to her current role as CEO, where she is responsible for delivering a wide range of programs and services that will expand B.C.’s creative economy to reach its economic, social and creative potential both at home and globally.
Before Creative BC, Prem spent eight years with TELUS, most recently in the role of Director of Production & Original Programming. Her commitment to the advancement of B.C.’s creative economy can be seen through her achievements there, including the successful development and launch of the STORYHIVE program and TELUS Optik TV community channel.
For many years, Prem has championed Canadian creativity as a representative and spokesperson to media, industry and government at all levels. Previous roles and responsibilities have included government and regulatory affairs, independent media consultation, cross-platform marketing, communications, research, public affairs and multicultural programming.
Prem currently sits on the Board of Directors of The Bell Fund, a not-for-profit organization supporting Canadian Media content makers and on the Board of Directors for BC Tech Association, representing B.C.’s tech sector.
Amanda Forbis
Filmmaker
National Film Board Of Canada
Isabel Davis
Executive Director, Screen Scotland
Isabel Davis leads Screen Scotland, the screen body within Creative Scotland. Screen Scotland supports the growth of the Scottish sector by investing in the development and production, enhancing skills and production infrastructure, advocating for screen education, and supporting Scottish talent to increase the quality and diversity of film and television production across scripted and unscripted genres.
Since joining Screen Scotland in late 2018, the establishment of new studio infrastructure in Scotland has seen a significant shift in Scotland’s international production environment, with large scale international film and TV projects being wholly produced in Scotland for the first time.
Local production has also seen a boost with a pipeline of network commissions including STV’s Screw and World Productions’ Vigil, and first features from Scotland-based writing and directing talent such as Jono McLeod’s My Old School and Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun.
From 2011–2018, Isabel was the BFI’s Head of International. In a role combining editorial, production and policy expertise, Isabel delivered the BFI’s international strategy and negotiated film co-production treaties with China and Brazil.
Wendy Tilby
Filmmaker
National Film Board Of Canada
