A no-holds-barred discussion of the sustainability of having a film career in Canada. What are the reasons talent stays or leaves? What are the conditions that could make Canada a more enticing place in which to create?

The objective of the symposium is to crowdsource actionable strategy in an environment where voices from all sectors can be heard unfiltered by external concerns. Following the panel, the filmmaking community is invited to a moderated Reddit discussion where participants can freely voice opinions and vote on proposals while remaining anonymous.

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Une discussion sans réserve sur la durabilité d’une carrière en cinéma au Canada. Pourquoi certains talents restent au pays et d’autres partent à l’étranger? Quelles sont les conditions qui pourraient rendre le Canada plus attrayant comme lieu de création?

L’objectif du symposium est de réunir des idées applicables, dans un environnement où les voix de tous les secteurs peuvent être entendues sans filtres liés à des préoccupations externes. Après la table ronde, la communauté cinématographique est conviée à une discussion modérée sur Reddit où les participants pourront partager librement leur opinion et voter sur des propositions tout en préservant leur anonymat.

MODERATOR:

Claudia Hébert – Radio-Canada Host & Culture Reporter / Animatrice et Journaliste culturelle à Radio-Canada

Claudia Hébert graduated in film production from Concordia (BFA) and York University (MFA). As a director, she produced many short fiction films, like L’empreinte, Le Déni and Les Deuxième – which was adapted from the graphic novel by Zviane. With a background in dance, she also directed various dancefilms.  For many years, she was in charge of the cinema content for the franco-ontarien network TFO, as a host, journalist and programmer. She is now a radio host and culture reporter for Radio-Canada.

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Claudia Hébert est titulaire d’un baccalauréat de l’Université Concordia et d’une maîtrise de l’Université York en réalisation de films. À titre de réalisatrice, elle a produit de nombreux courts métrages de fiction dont L’empreinte, Le Déni et Les Deuxièmes, qui a d’ailleurs été adapté sous forme de roman illustré par Zviane. Grâce à son expérience dans cet art, elle a aussi réalisé divers films de danse. Pendant de nombreuses années, elle a été responsable du contenu cinématographique de la chaîne franco-ontarienne TFO où elle a tenu les rôles d’animatrice, de journaliste et de programmatrice. Aujourd’hui, elle est animatrice à la radio et journaliste culturelle à Radio-Canada.

PANELISTS:

Michael Greyeyes | Actor / Acteur

Michael Greyeyes is a Nêhiyaw actor, choreographer and director from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.  Greyeyes is the first Indigenous student to graduate from Canada’s National Ballet School and join The National Ballet of Canada.  He was also a soloist in the company of American choreographer, Eliot Feld before beginning his own work as choreographer and then actor.  As a choreographer and director, his work has been seen across Canada and internationally, including: Pimooteewin, the first Cree language opera, with libretto by Tomson Highway (Soundstreams) and Almighty Voice and his Wife (Native Earth Performing Arts).  In 2010, he founded Signal Theatre and premiering several full-length dance theatre works, including from thine eyes (Harbourfront Centre), A Soldier’s Tale (National Arts Centre) and Bearing for the Luminato Festival, a searing examination of Canada’s Indian residential school legacy.

As an actor, he has appeared in numerous roles across stage and screen, including acclaimed performances in Woman Walks Ahead (A24), HBO’s third season of True Detective, and as Traylor in Jeff Barnaby’s feature film, Blood Quantum (Elevation Pictures) for which he was awarded a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor.  He also appeared in the Emmy-winning HBO series I Know This Much Is True and can currently be seen as Terry Thomas in Rutherford Falls, a new comedy series on Peacock and Showcase in Canada.

Most recently he can be seen starring in Lyle Mitchell Corbine’s debut feature Wild Indian, which premiered in competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and is slated for a fall theatrical release.

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Michael Greyeyes est acteur, chorégraphe et metteur en scène nêhiyaw de la Première Nation crie de Muskeg Lake, en Saskatchewan. Michael est le premier étudiant autochtone à être diplômé de l’École nationale de ballet du Canada et à joindre le Ballet national du Canada. Il a été soliste au sein du corps de ballet du chorégraphe américain Eliot Feld avant de se lancer lui-même dans la chorégraphie, puis le jeu. À titre de chorégraphe et de metteur en scène, ses œuvres ont été présentées au Canada et à l’étranger, notamment Pimooteewin, le premier opéra en langue crie dont le libretto est signé par Tomson Highway (Soundstreams), et Almighty Voice and his Wife (troupe Native Earth Performing Arts). En 2010, il a fondé le Signal Theatre où il a présenté en primeur plusieurs œuvres de danse complètes, y compris from thine eyes (Harbourfront Centre), A Soldier’s Tale (National Arts Centre) et Bearing dans le cadre du Festival Luminato, une étude fulgurante de l’héritage des pensionnats autochtones au Canada.

En tant qu’acteur, il a tenu de nombreux rôles sur les planches et à l’écran, dont des prestations acclamées dans Woman Walks Ahead (A24), la troisième saison de la série True Detective sur les ondes de HBO, de même que dans le rôle de Traylor dans le film Blood Quantum de Jeff Barnaby (Elevation Pictures) pour lequel il a reçu un prix Écrans canadiens du meilleur acteur. Il a aussi fait partie de la distribution de la série de HBO primée aux prix Emmy, I Know This Much Is True, et tient actuellement le rôle de Terry Thomas dans Rutherford Falls, une nouvelle comédie de situation diffusée sur Peacock aux États-Unis et Showcase au Canada.

Au cinéma, il a participé récemment au premier long métrage de Lyle Mitchell Corbine, Wild Indian, inscrit au Festival du film de Sundance de 2021 et qui devrait prendre l’affiche en salles à l’automne.

Jade Hassouné | Actor / Acteur

Known worldwide for his role as Meliorn in the hit series Shadowhunters, broadcast on Netflix, and with a community of over 330, 000 subscribers on social media, Jade Hassouné has traveled the world to participate in various Comiccon and other events allowing to join his many fans. More recently, it is in “Alertes”, the new successful TVA series, that he unveils himself to the Quebec public in the role of Michael Abassi.

Colorful, vibrant and with a charisma that pierces the screen, Jade was one of the first guest judges of the popular show “Canada’s Drag Race” and in 2020 released a debut EP titled “Love Letter to a Fandom” which cumulates to date nearly 200,000 plays online. Currently in the studio, he is working on new songs in French for a second EP.

His new single “Éphémère” is available on all platforms, and has made the top 100 in commercial radios in Canada (francophone) and was added to the Canadian Billboard for most added song on the radio networks. It is now debuting to play in radios in France, Belgium and Switzerland.

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Connu mondialement pour son rôle de Meliorn dans la série à succès Shadowhunters diffusée sur Netflix et fort d’une communauté de plus de 330 000 abonnés dans les médias sociaux, Jade Hassouné a parcouru le monde pour participer à diverses conventions Comiccon et d’autres événements à la rencontre des fans. Plus récemment, il a été découvert par le public québécois pour le rôle de Michael Abassi dans la nouvelle série télévisée à succès Alertes, présentée sur les ondes de TVA.

Dynamique, animé et doté d’un charisme qui crève l’écran, Jade a été l’un des premiers juges invités à l’émission populaire Canada’s Drag Race, en plus d’avoir lancé un premier microalbum en 2020, Love Letter to a Fandom, qui cumule actuellement près de 200 000 écoutes en ligne. Il est d’ailleurs de retour en studio, affairé à la production de son deuxième microalbum, en français cette fois.

Disponible sur toutes les plateformes d’écoute, sa nouvelle chanson, « Éphémère », s’est hissée dans le palmarès des 100 plus grands succès des radios commerciales francophones au Canada et s’est inscrite au palmarès Canadian Billboard à titre de chanson la plus ajoutée aux réseaux radiophoniques. Ce premier extrait est maintenant lancé en France, en Belgique et en Suisse.

Emma Seligman | Writer & Director / Scénariste et réalisatrice

Emma is a Canadian filmmaker and 2017 graduate of NYU. Her short, Shiva Baby, premiered at South by Southwest Film Festival in 2018. The feature adaptation starring Rachel Sennott, Polly Draper, Dianna Agron, Molly Gordon, Fred Melamed and Danny Deferrari was selected to screen at South by Southwest Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and OutFest LA, where it won Best US Screenwriting.

In 2020, Emma was named one of Variety’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch and one of Filmmaker Mag’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film.

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Emma est une cinéaste canadienne, diplômée de la NYU (Université de New York) en 2017. Son court métrage, Shiva Baby, a été présenté en grande première au Festival du film South by Southwest en 2018. L’adaptation en long métrage mettant en vedette Rachel Sennott, Polly Draper, Dianna Agron, Molly Gordon, Fred Melamed et Danny Deferrari a été sélectionnée par le Festival du film South by Southwest, le Festival international du film de Toronto et l’OutFest LA où le film a remporté le prix du meilleur scénario américain.

En 2020, Emma figurait à la liste des 10 scénaristes prometteurs du magazine Variety et à la liste des 25 artisans émergents du cinéma indépendant, compilée par Filmmaker Mag.

Tonya Williams | Actress & Founder of Reelworld Screen Institute / Actrice et Fondatrice du Reelworld Screen Institute

Tonya Williams is an award-winning actress and Founder and Executive Director of Reelworld Screen Institute, and Reelworld Film Festival now celebrating its 21st Year.  She has over forty-five years working in the entertainment industry in Canada and the USA. Reelworld was created to serve Canadian Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour in the screen-based sectors by providing platforms to develop and showcase emerging talent from underrepresented communities.  In 2020 Reelworld launched AccessReelworld.ca, now the largest searchable recruiting platform for racially diverse talent in North American.  Tonya currently sits on Wow Unlimited Media Board of Directors, The Black Academy Board of Directors, Telefilm’s Diversity & Inclusion Group, the Canadian Media Fund Black Industry Leaders Group, Ontario Creates Industry Advisory Committee and is one of the founders and a Board Member of the Black Screen Office.  A UK, Canadian and USA citizen she lives in Los Angeles
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Actrice primée, Tonya Williams est la fondatrice et directrice générale du Reelworld Screen Institute et du Reelworld Film Festival qui célèbre cette année son 21^e anniversaire. Elle possède plus de quarante-cinq ans d’expérience dans l’industrie du divertissement au Canada et aux États-Unis. Elle a créé Reelworld afin d’appuyer les Canadiennes et Canadiens autochtones, noirs et de couleur des secteurs des médias en offrant des plateformes où cultiver et mettre en vitrine les talents émergents de ces communautés sous-représentées. En 2020, Reelworld a lancé AccessReelworld.ca, devenue la plus importante plateforme de recrutement interrogeable pour les talents d’origines ethniques diverses en Amérique du Nord. Tonya siège actuellement au conseil d’administration de Wow Unlimited Media, de The Black Academy, du groupe de Diversité et inclusion de Téléfilm Canada, du groupe des leaders noirs du Fonds des médias du Canada et du comité consultatif de l’industrie d’Ontario Créatif, en plus d’être membre du conseil du Bureau de l’écran des Noirs. Citoyenne canadienne, britannique et américaine, elle réside actuellement à Los Angeles.

A high level perspective on the international marketplace exploring the way Canadian films are distributed abroad and how other countries are creating a space for domestic culture in a globalized paradigm.

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Une perspective de haut niveau sur le marché international qui explique comment les films canadiens sont distribués à l’étranger et comment d’autres pays créent un espace pour la culture locale dans un paradigme mondialisé.

MODERATOR:

Claudia Hébert – Radio-Canada Host & Culture Reporter / Animatrice et Journaliste culturelle à Radio-Canada

Claudia Hébert graduated in film production from Concordia (BFA) and York University (MFA). As a director, she produced many short fiction films, like L’empreinte, Le Déni and Les Deuxième – which was adapted from the graphic novel by Zviane. With a background in dance, she also directed various dancefilms.  For many years, she was in charge of the cinema content for the franco-ontarien network TFO, as a host, journalist and programmer. She is now a radio host and culture reporter for Radio-Canada.

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Claudia Hébert est titulaire d’un baccalauréat de l’Université Concordia et d’une maîtrise de l’Université York en réalisation de films. À titre de réalisatrice, elle a produit de nombreux courts métrages de fiction dont L’empreinte, Le Déni et Les Deuxièmes, qui a d’ailleurs été adapté sous forme de roman illustré par Zviane. Grâce à son expérience dans cet art, elle a aussi réalisé divers films de danse. Pendant de nombreuses années, elle a été responsable du contenu cinématographique de la chaîne franco-ontarienne TFO où elle a tenu les rôles d’animatrice, de journaliste et de programmatrice. Aujourd’hui, elle est animatrice à la radio et journaliste culturelle à Radio-Canada.

PANELISTS:

Nicolás Celis – Producer, Roma (Mexico) / producteur, Roma (Mexico)

Nicolás Celis, founder of Pimienta Films, is a Mexican producer who has gained a reputation for working on original and meaningful projects. His production company Pimienta Films was named one of the three best production houses in Mexico by the prestigious magazine Variety.

Nicolás has collaborated with renowned directors such as Tatiana Huezo, Elisa Miller, Paz Fábrega, Jonás Cuarón, Rafi Pitts and Amat Escalante. Among his recent projects is ROMA (2018) by director Alfonso Cuarón, which received over 200 prizes, including the Golden Lion for Best Feature at the 75^th Venice Film Festival, four BAFTA awards, two Golden Globes and three Academy Awards®. Another recent project is Birds of Passage (2018) directed by Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego, which featured at the 71^st Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight.

Nicolás has also worked to support the forthcoming generations of producers and distributors. He frequently gives workshops and master classes in Mexico and abroad. In 2019, he served on the jury for both the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Tbilisi International Film Festival and in 2020 he was part of Sofia’s International Film Festival Jury. Nicolás is member of both the Mexican and American Academies of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Currently, Nicolás is post-producing Tatiana Huezo’s first fiction film, Noche de Fuego. He is also continuing his collaborations with Amat Escalante on his new project, Estado del Imperio and Jonás Cuarón on The Gringo Champion.

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Fondateur de Pimienta Films, Nicolás Celis est un producteur mexicain qui s’est forgé une réputation solide pour son travail sur des projets originaux et importants. Le prestigieux magazine Variety a décerné à sa boîte de production, Pimienta Films, le titre de l’une des trois meilleures sociétés de production de Mexico.

Nicolás a collaboré avec des réalisateurs de renom tels que Tatiana Huezo, Elisa Miller, Paz Fábrega, Jonás Cuarón, Rafi Pitts et Amat Escalante. Parmi ses projets récents, citons ROMA (2018) du réalisateur Alfonso Cuarón, gagnant de plus de 200 prix, y compris le Lion d’or du meilleur film à la 75^e Mostra de Venise, quatre prix BAFTA, deux prix Golden Globes et trois Oscars®. Un autre de ces projets récents est Les Oiseaux de passage (2018) réalisé par Ciro Guerra et Cristina Gallego, présenté dans le cadre de la Quinzaine des réalisateurs du 71^e Festival de Cannes.

Nicolás s’efforce également de soutenir les prochaines générations de producteurs et de distributeurs. Il donne régulièrement des ateliers et des cours de maître à Mexico et à l’étranger. En 2019, il a siégé sur le jury du Festival international du film de Shanghai et du Festival international du film de Tbilissi, puis en 2020, il était membre du jury du Festival international du film de Sofia. Nicolás est membre des Académies américaine et mexicaine des arts et des sciences du cinéma.

À l’heure actuelle, Nicolás travaille à la postproduction du premier long métrage de fiction réalisé par Tatiana Huezo, Noche de Fuego. Il poursuit également sa collaboration avec les réalisateurs Amat Escalante (Estado del Imperio) et Jonás Cuarón (The Gringo Champion).

Robert Cousins – VP, Film, Cineplex / Vice-président, filmé, Cineplex

Robert Cousins oversees all Film and Event Cinema programming for Cineplex.  He has been with the company for over 18 years and was instrumental in the development of Cineplex’s international programming bringing Hindi, Punjabi, Chinese, Korean and Filipino films to Canadian audiences.   An industry veteran for over 30 years he has worked in Government, Production and Distribution prior to joining Cineplex in 2002.

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Robert Cousins supervise l’ensemble de la programmation de films et d’événements cinématographiques chez Cineplex. Il œuvre au sein de l’entreprise depuis plus de 18 ans et a joué un rôle essentiel dans l’établissement de la programmation internationale de Cineplex qui a permis la diffusion de films en hindi, en pendjabi, en mandarin, en coréen et en filipino auprès d’auditoires canadiens. Vétéran de l’industrie depuis plus de 30 ans, il a travaillé au sein de la fonction publique, de même qu’en production et en distribution, avant de se joindre à Cineplex en 2002.

Liza Diño – Chairperson and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines /présidente-directrice générale, Bureau du développement du cinéma des Philippines

Liza Diño is the Chairperson and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the Agency in charge of developing programs to develop the local film industry and promote it for global collaboration and growth. She is also an award-winning film, TV and stage actress who has appeared in numerous independent and commercial films. 

As Chairperson and CEO, she is hard at work in promoting the country’s film export services, creating more opportunities for Philippine cinema to be exposed to the world, and developing policies for the growth of the film and audiovisual industry.

She is a member of the Board of Director of the Asian Film Commissions Network (AFCNET) and an active collaborator in the ASEAN-ROK Film Organisation and the BPX (Best Practice Exchange), an initiative that brings together heads of film agencies from around the world to brainstorm on best practice in public funding for filmmaking.

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Liza Diño est présidente-directrice générale du Bureau du développement du cinéma des Philippines, l’organisme responsable d’élaborer des programmes de développement de l’industrie cinématographique et de sa promotion en vue d’une collaboration et d’une croissance mondiales. Elle est aussi une actrice primée qui s’est produite au petit écran, au théâtre et au cinéma dans un grand nombre de films indépendants et commerciaux.

À titre de présidente-directrice générale, elle œuvre à promouvoir les services d’exportation d’œuvres cinématographiques du pays afin de créer plus d’occasions pour le cinéma philippin d’être exposé au monde. Elle travaille aussi à l’élaboration de politiques pour la croissance de l’industrie du cinéma et de l’audiovisuel.

Elle est membre du conseil d’administration du Réseau des commissions du film de l’Asie (AFCNET) et une collaboratrice active au sein de l’organisme de cinéma ASEAN-ROK et du BPX (Best Practice Exchange), une initiative qui réunit des dirigeants d’organismes du cinéma de partout au monde afin d’échanger sur les pratiques exemplaires en matière de financement public du cinéma.

Anick Poirier – Co-Founder and International Sales Agent, WaZabi Films 

Anick Poirier co-founded WaZabi Films with Lorne Price, last August 2019. She was previously SVP for Seville International, Entertainment One’s boutique film sales outfit, representing a portfolio of award-winning independent films and documentaries from around the world, including Xavier Dolan’s, Matthias et Maxime, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, Juste la fin du Monde (Cannes Film Festival Grand Prize) and Mommy (Cannes Jury Prize);Festival favorite Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and Global Metal from Sam Dunn; and Award winning Waste Land from Vik Muniz. Before eOne acquired Les Films Seville, Poirier was VP International Sales since 2002. Anick also held senior sales roles at Cinar Corporation and Buena Vista Home Entertainment Canada, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.

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En août 2019, Anick Poirier a cofondé WaZabi Films avec Lorne Price. Auparavant, elle était vice-présidente principale de Seville International, une division spécialisée de la société Entertainment One, où elle représentait un portefeuille de films et documentaires indépendants et gagnants de prix de partout au monde. Parmi ceux-ci, citons les œuvres de Xavier Dolan (Matthias et Maxime, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, Juste la fin du monde [Grand Prix du Festival de Cannes] et Mommy [Prix du jury à Cannes]), deux documentaires de Sam Dunn prisés des festivals (Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey et Global Metal), ainsi que le film primé de Vik Muniz, Waste Land. Avant l’acquisition des Films Seville par eOne, Anick Poirier était vice-présidente, ventes internationales chez Seville depuis 2002. Anick a également occupé des postes de direction chez Cinar Corporation et Buena Vista Home Entertainment Canada, une filiale de la Walt Disney Company.

May 20, 2021 at 8:00 PM ET

Watch this presentation live on Academy.ca, as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels.

May 20, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET

Watch this presentation live on Academy.ca, as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels.

May 19, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET

Watch this presentation live on Academy.ca, as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels.

May 18, 2021 at 8:00 PM ET

Watch this presentation live on Academy.ca, as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels.

May 18, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET

Watch this presentation live on Academy.ca, as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels.

May 17, 2021 at 8:00 PM ET

Watch this presentation live on Academy.ca, as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels.

May 17, 2021 at 7:00 PM ET

 Watch this presentation live on Academy.ca, as well as the Canadian Academy Twitter and YouTube channels.

(Friday, May 14 — 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM ET / 4:00 – 4:45 PM PT)

Join acclaimed director Sophie Dupuis as she discusses her gut-wrenching feature Underground | Souterrain, the oppressiveness of guilt and personal demons, and the tension between masculinity and male friendship.

Underground | Souterrain is nominated for “Best Motion Picture”, “Best Original Screenplay”, “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role”, and “Achievement in Direction” for Dupuis at the 2021 Canadian Screen Awards.

GUESTS

Sophie Dupuis | Writer and Director, Underground | Souterrain

Quebec Filmmaker Sophie Dupuis is known for her impactful and disturbing style of storytelling in today’s cinema. After making many acclaimed short films from 2008 to 2016, Sophie went on to direct her first feature film, Chien de Garde/Family First in 2018, showing her brilliant talent as an actor’s director. After eight nominations at Québec Cinéma Awards and four nominations at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards, the film was selected to represent Canada at the 2018 Oscars. She is now presenting her new film Souterrain/Underground, a suspenseful drama featuring a group of men united by a beautiful friendship, working together in a gold mine.

MODERATOR

Nicolas Ouellet | TV and Radio Host at Radio-Canada

Nicolas Ouellet is a TV and radio host from Montreal. He currently produces and presents ‘Jusqu’au bout’ on Radio-Canada’s ICI Première and is a panelist on ‘C’est juste de la TV’, a long-running TV review and critic series on Radio-Canada’s ICI ARTV.  He also likes to DJ and drink wine, just so you know.

This event is free and open to the public.

(Friday, May 14 — 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM ET / 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM PT)

A new visual effects and gaming technology, virtual production empowers cast and crew to be transported digitally to far-off locations. With new studios in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, this technology allows filmmakers to visualize virtual effects in real time and encourages quick collaboration between departments on set. Our panel delves into how to prepare for a virtual production, its uses and opportunities while filming with COVID protocols in place, and how Canadian filmmakers can attain relevant training and access to the technology when visualizing their productions.

GUESTS

Amber Orchard | Producer

Amber Orchard started her producing career at age nine on the school playground and has been seeking reasons to entertain and celebrate ever since.  Amber is the Association Coordinator for the Motion Picture Industry Association of BC and has 25+ years of experience in producing events. In 2020, she brought her production and organizing skills to the set of KGP’s Murphy’s Law (CBC) as the production manager, as well as co-producing and production managing the CSA nominated Season 2 of NarcoLeap. Most recently, Amber found herself working in the virtual production space, producing a two-day shoot for the Directors Guild of Canada in BC that involved coordinating eight short films followed by an industry PSA that launched during BC’s Creative Industries Week 2021.  She is busily working on a number of projects as a Development Producer with KGP Films.

Asad Manzoor | Virtual Production Art Director

Asad grew up in Ontario, Canada, where he went to York U / Sheridan College to study design. After posting his personal VFX projects on Reddit regularly, Asad’s work caught traction in the community — he soon left his program to dive straight into the VFX industry with Pixomondo.

Since then, Asad’s worked on titles like The Mandalorian, Star Trek: Discovery, and co-developed Pixomondo’s Virtual Production division, with a sprinkle of game-development on occasion.

Currently, Asad is developing content for Pixomondo’s Virtual Production LED stage, with the goal of squeezing feature-quality imagery out of Unreal Engine.

Erin Mussolum | Producer

Erin has been actively working in the film and television industry for over 20 years – from running her own award-winning documentary production company to producing, writing and developing for many of the top television and radio companies in Vancouver. Her work has been seen on national outlets such as CBC, Bravo!, CTV, Vision TV, Global, Knowledge Network, Corus and PBS. She is currently the Co-Executive Director of Vancouver’s award-winning film program Crazy8s, President of Chickadee Creative, a marketing and communications company specializing in film and television industry, and recently produced a documentary for CBC called Nude To Me.

Josh Kerekes | Virtual Production Supervisor

Josh Kerekes is a Virtual Production Supervisor at Pixomondo. He has a passion for emerging technology, long background in research and development for Virtual Production and most recently was the project lead for Pixomondo’s flagship LED Stage in Toronto.

Nathaniel Larouche | VFX Supervisor

Nathaniel is a visual effects supervisor specializing in experimental work flows that allow his team to push through creative boundaries and increase interaction between the physical and digital world.

His most recent projects include HBO’s Watchmen, Marvel’s WandaVision and Netflix’s Shadow and Bone.

Nathaniel is now supervising the creation of virtual environments for Star Trek’s Discovery and Strange New Worlds series. Working on PXO’s virtual production stage in Toronto, this real-life MacGyver is developing new ways of running the franchise’s complex scenes in real time with the end goal of capturing final shots in camera.

Shenaz Baksh | Screen Industry Training Lead, SIRT

Shenaz Baksh has a career spanning over two decades in film and television production, media arts education and community development in Canada and Guyana. As SIRT’s Training Centre Lead, and the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT), she develops and implements 200+ film, digital and interactive media related workshops, courses and community projects that impact approximately 1000 local and international content creators annually. Over the years her expertise in media arts education has contributed significantly to organizational development, program design, industry training, mentorships, stakeholder engagement and revenue growth.

MODERATOR

Takara Small | CBC Host

Takara Small is a Toronto-based multimedia content creator and entrepreneur.

She is the technology columnist for CBC’s Metro Morning (Canada’s #1 morning radio show), contributor to Canada Tonight With Ginella Massa (a primetime nightly news show) and on-air technology expert for ETalk, an award-winning TV series that celebrates home-grown talent and international stars.

She was previously the contributing editor for Fortune magazine and her work has appeared in numerous publications and programs, which include BBC Radio, Toronto Star, Refinery29 Canada, Refinery29 U.S., Metro News Canada, Chatelaine, Mic, and more.

Last year she was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada this year, chosen as one of the few leaders in the world selected for the Young Leaders of America Initiative fellow, which selects emerging leaders and social entrepreneurs from around the world to study and learn from U.S.-based experts across America.

This session is free for members of the Canadian Academy, CMPA, and DGC Ontario. Tickets are available for purchase for non-members.

(Friday, May 14 — 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT)

Follow up on your connections and close the week off with some mixing and mingling in our virtual closing networking session. Connect with emerging talent and established screen professionals in your choice of breakout rooms.

Networking sessions will require pre-registration and will be capped at a maximum number of participants to encourage small discussions and connections. Waitlist available.

HOSTS

Connie Wang | Actor and Creator

Connie Wang is a Canadian Screen Award nominated actress and creator. Connie stars in the award-winning web series Tokens, May Flowers, and Amazon Prime’s The Boys.

Connie has ventured on upleveling her standards of self-worth so that she can be free to be who she truly is in every moment of her life.

Connie’s commitment for herself and others is to re-create the world where every single artist is celebrated, honoured, and supported for being exactly as they are.

Ryan Allen | Actor

Ryan Allen is an actor and classically trained singer. He appeared on Broadway as the General in the Book Of Mormon.  

Ryan played a lead role in the Netflix series Between. He has consistently appeared in Canadian Television for the past 12 years.

Last year he co-starred in the award winning Winnie Jong webseries Tokens. He is currently playing a recurring role on the WB series Titans.

As a trained operatic tenor, he has performed across the USA and Italy and was a former member of the International Tenors. Ryan recently landed the role of Hagrid in Toronto’s Mirvish production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child until it was claimed as victim to the COVID shut down.

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