This dynamic panel discussion explores how screen-based content creators at all career stages can leverage nominations and awards to create new opportunities, build networks, and enhance their professional presence.

This panel discusses the interactions between marginalized and/or disenfranchised identities and the arts worlds they enter into. How did you find comfort when entering these spheres? What was the process of cultivating confidence in self-expression? How have you seen the environment change since you’ve first announced yourself as an artist, and how have you seen yourself change since then?

Explore the ethical dilemmas that can arise when funding and producing documentaries. This panel will discuss the challenges of maintaining editorial independence while securing funding from various sources, including NGOs, corporations, and public grants. Experts will share strategies for balancing financial support with maintaining the integrity of the documentary’s message.

In an era of rapidly evolving distribution platforms and digital content creation, this panel will explore innovative financing models for film and TV projects. From short-form content for online platforms to interactive storytelling, experts will discuss emerging opportunities for financing and producing content in the digital age, while also addressing associated financial challenges.

This panel will focus on the financial intricacies of international co-productions, exploring how collaborations between countries can provide both creative and funding advantages.

The Canadian Academy, in collaboration with the Atlantic International Film Festival is pleased to present the newly restored print of the 1987 Atlantic classic “Life Classes”, as a special edition of Academy Talks: Close-Up presented by Telefilm Canada.

This Close-Up panel, presented by Telefilm Canada, will address the impact of contract disputes and challenges on Canadian creators in the entertainment industry.

This Close-Up panel, presented by Telefilm Canada will feature industry experts discussing the evolving landscape of music and score composition for film, TV, and new media. They will explore emerging trends in music composition, including the utilization of new technologies and techniques to produce innovative and distinctive scores.

As the written word evolved with the invention of the internet, so has reporting on the film industry. Presented by Telefilm Canada, this Close-Up session features Canadian film journalists and critics discussing their thoughts on the current Canadian film and TV landscape, and their role in shaping trends. We will dive into how they are navigating a world of new tech and new talent, and their hopes for the future of these twin industries.

This Academy Talks: Ways & Means session, presented by the City of Toronto, explores the VFX industry in Toronto: what roles are most needed and what the best path to get there is. This session is aimed towards current, future, and prospective VFX students, and recent graduates or emerging creatives looking to make connections and further their careers.