Dan Pasqua

Production Executive at Corus Entertainment

As a production executive on the development team in the Original Lifestyle Content division at Corus Entertainment, Dan takes an active role in shaping the lifestyle content slate, developing projects for Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada and Slice.

Dan will be speaking at the following events:

Janice Dawe

Co-President of Bizable

As one of Canada’s most respected business-minded producers, Janice brings to Bizable Media years of expertise in developing and financing a variety of screen based content. Janice has produced and overseen hundreds of hours of dramatic, documentary, factual and interactive content that has won awards and sold internationally. From 2005-2013 she held the senior role of Vice-President Production for White Pine Pictures where she honed her skills in business management. Over her career, she has formed strong relationships with the creative community, broadcasters, buyers, financiers and lenders. Janice currently serves on the OMDC Screen-based Industry Advisory Committee and is an active committee member of the CMPA.

Janice will be speaking at the following events:

John Buffone

Supervising Producer at Bell Fibe

John Buffone is currently the supervising producer at Fibe TV1 – Bell’s video-on-demand community television platform. In his seven-year tenure, TV1 has expanded to create local content, with broad appeal in markets from Manitoba to Newfoundland and Labrador. He oversees almost 100 new series every year, in 4K and HD, and has seen viewership increase steadily over the same period. Prior to joining the TV1 team, John had a long career in news and information programming. He started his career as a writer and chase producer for Canada AM and CTV News Channel eventually becoming one of the youngest Executive producers in News Channel’s history. He revamped the format, expanded the roster of anchors and reporters and launched the innovative national prime-time news program “Kevin Newman Live”. Never able to stay in one place, he also had some detours that include the CBC documentary “Hunting Arrows”, a role as the senior producer at BNN, working as a producer and camera operator for the Gemini nominated “ShiftTV”, and a few other lifestyle shows. He got into TV because he spent most of his youth sitting in front of one and figured he might as well turn that into a career. When he’s not working, he’s spending time with his family, cooking (and eating) or cycling.

John will be speaking at the following events:

Micah Kernan

Development Manager, Comedy and Drama Scripted Programming at CBC

Micah Kernan is the Development Manager for both Drama and Comedy. She coordinates the management, tracking and distribution of projects. She supports the team by evaluating pitches and being the point of contact for creators to connect with CBC. Micah is the current Programmer for Canada’s longest running short film showcase, Canadian Reflections. At the CBC, inclusion and diversity are a priority. This means Micah works to reflect all of the regions and the country’s multicultural and multiracial nature, while programming for Canadian Reflections.

Micah will be speaking at the following events:

Jonas Chernick

Writer/Actor/Producer

Jonas Chernick recently co-wrote, produced and co-starred in Ashgrove, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Glasgow Film Festival, won Best Ensemble Cast and the William F White Reel Indie Awards at the Canadian Film Festival, and will be released theatrically in Canada, the US and the UK in December. He also wrote and co-starred with Emily Hampshire in the rom-com The End Of Sex, which world premiered at TIFF 2022. He wrote, produced and starred in sci-fi comedy feature film James vs His Future Self, which won four awards at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival and was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards including Best Original Screenplay. Chernick wrote, produced and starred in 2015’s Borealis, which won awards at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Canadian Film Fest, was the Opening Night Film of the Brooklyn Film Festival, and was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award. He also wrote, produced and starred in My Awkward Sexual Adventure, which had its world premiere at TIFF and was subsequently named one of TIFF’s Top Ten Films of 2012. He will next be seen co-starring opposite Kiefer Sutherland in the upcoming Paramount Plus series Rabbit Hole, and as the writer, producer and lead actor in the drama feature The Time We Met, coming in 2023.

Jonas will be speaking at the following events:

Kelly Payne

Senior Director Business Affairs, Production Funding Blue Ant Studios

Kelly Payne has over two decades of experience in the Film and Television industry. As Director, Business Affairs, Production Funding at Blue Ant Media she leads the Canadian and American production and development teams in the strategic approach to project financing, including facilitation of applications, negotiations and deal structure for Film and Television content developed and produced in Canada and the USA. Prior to joining Blue Ant Kelly spent 10 years at Ontario Creates in a variety of capacities. At Ontario Creates Kelly contributed to agency policies and strategies, driving innovation and growth in Ontario’s creative industries. Her portfolio contained a wide range of programs and initiatives including Tax credits, the Feature Film Fund, Industry Development initiatives, Export, Marketing and Distribution programs. Ms. Payne has also held management roles in programming, production, and business/legal affairs with Bell Media (CTV) and Rogers Broadcasting Limited (RBL), sits on the Board of Directors for Spacefy, a marketplace for inspiring short-term space rentals centered around the creative industry and is a founding member of the Halton Hills Arts and Culture Working group.

Kelly will be speaking at the following events:

Alex Epstein

Principal Writer and Voice Director, Compulsion Games

Alex Epstein was Narrative Director on WE HAPPY FEW for Compulsion Games, as well as its DLCs, and was Story Director on CONTRAST and Narrative Lead on STORIES: THE PATH OF DESTINIES for Spearhead Games. He is currently working on Compulsion’s latest, unannounced game. Alex started his career in films and tv. He co-wrote the film Bon Cop / Bad Cop, which broke the Canadian box office record, and co-created the comedy series NAKED JOSH, which ran for three years. His books, CRAFTY SCREENWRITING and CRAFTY TV WRITING, have sold over 30,000 copies in English and have been translated into Korean and Chinese.

Alex will be speaking at the following events:

Jeremy LaLonde

Director/Writer/Executive Producer

Jeremy LaLonde resides in Toronto, ON where he was awarded with NOW Magazine’s ‘Best Local Filmmaker’ Reader’s Choice Award. His films have screened internationally including Toronto Int’l Film Festival, Slamdance, Glasgow, Brussels, Busan, Cinequest, Santa Barbara, Dances with Films and Whistler. He is a four-time Canadian Screen Award Winner, three-time Canadian Comedy Award Winner, and a winner of the Director’s Guild of Canada’s Best Direction in a Comedy Series for his work on Baroness Von Sketch Show. His previous feature films SEX AFTER KIDS, HOW TO PLAN AN ORGY IN A SMALL TOWN, and THE GO-GETTERS have all won Best Feature Film awards at various festivals and have gone on to be released internationally. His film JAMES VS HIS FUTURE SELF recently won Best Canadian Feature Film among other awards at the Toronto After Dark Festival as well as being nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards including Best Original Screenplay. He is currently touring festivals with his most recent film ASHGROVE which premiered at the Glasgow Int’l film festival and recently won Best Ensemble Cast and Indie Spirit Award at the Canadian Film Festival. He recently shot his seventh feature film, DANIEL’S GOTTA DIE and is developing several properties for television.

Jeremy will be speaking at the following events:

Matthew J. Stewart

Producer at Big Blue Bubble

Matt Stewart has been working in the video game industry for a decade. In that time, he has seen his duties and responsibilities grow from community engagement and marketing to full-fledged narrative design and creative direction for London-based Big Blue Bubble’s award-winning IP My Singing Monsters. Leveraging his education in theatre, his interest in storytelling, and interdisciplinary insights gleaned along the way, he is constantly seeking new and unconventional ways to uphold the studio’s mandate to ‘inspire worlds of creativity.’

Matthew will be speaking at the following events:

Neil Haverty

Senior Manager, Prism Prize & MVP Project

Neil Haverty is Senior Manager of the Prism Prize & MVP Project; Canadian music video support initiatives administered by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. The Prism Prize was established to recognize outstanding artistry in Canadian music videos, with an annual awards slate that includes a host of special awards and a juried, $20k Grand Prize. The MVP Project is a joint initiative with RBCxMusic established to support the intersection of emerging Canadian recording artists and filmmakers through music video production grants. Neil is also a musician and film composer, most recently scoring Brettan Hannam’s Wildhood and Melanie Oates’ Body & Bones.

Neil will be speaking at the following events:

Kristina Esposito

Producer, Actress, Writer

Kristina Esposito is a producer with her company KEME Productions. She has produced award winning content that has played across the globe. She conceptualized and produced VIRTUAL HITMAN, which screened at a number of festivals including the Vancouver Asian Film Festival where it won Best Canadian Short. As an independent producer she produced IRL The Series, which premiered on Bell Media’s FibeTV1, and HAZY LITTLE THING which premiered on SuperChannel. Kristina produced WHAT LIES BELOW starring Mena Suvari and Ema Horvath.  The film premiered on Netflix and shot to #1 in the US and #2 in Canada in its first week on the platform. It is currently distributed all over the world. Her most recent feature, ADULT ADOPTION, premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival and has screened at multiple film festivals in Canada and the US. The film is set to be released in Canada and the US in early 2023. 

Kristina will be speaking at the following events:

Karen Knox

Director, Actor

Karen Knox is a filmmaker based in Toronto. She has served as showrunner for two seasons of Slo Pitch (IFC/AMC+) and director/showrunner for HOMESCHOOLED (CBC Gem) and two seasons of BARBELLE (Shaftesbury). Her directorial debut feature film Adult Adoption premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival in 2022. Knox has directed/written several award winning shorts with her company Boss & Co including Borderline (Dances With Films), Case of the Massey Bodice Ripping (winner of best short film at Venice Short Film Festival and Budapest Independent Film Festival) Damage Control (best short at Toronto Pendance Festival) The Fates (TIFF) as well as Cons & Pros, which debuted on VICE.com, selected for the Telefilm Not Short on Talent Cannes 2020 edition. Knox’s writing work includes the six part series For The Record (CBC + Universal Music) which premiered at SXSW 2020, Falconette (Shaftesbury), as well as published work in the Globe and Mail, and Toronto Quarterly. As an actor Knox is best known for playing “Holly Frost” in SYFY’s Letters to Satan Claus, and opposite Gabourey Sidibe in Paramount’s All I Didn’t Want as well as appearances in her own work including HOMESCHOOLED, Slopitch, and BARBELLE.

Karen Knox will be speaking at the following events:

Sarah Burke

Canadian Broadcaster, Host, Producer

Sarah Burke is a Canadian broadcaster, podcast host, producer, and storyteller based in Toronto. She is a host for Indie88 (CIND-FM) in Toronto, the Women in Media Podcast, and formerly SiriusXM.

Sarah will be speaking at the following events:

Everton Lewis Jr.

Music Supervisor, Wracket Music & Apple

Everton Lewis Jr. is an industry veteran and the go to music supervisor for the hottest and most dynamic music syncs in the business. Over the past ten years, he’s forged his way as a thought leader and built an extensive rolodex of A List music industry connections. He created his own lane when he founded and launched EH! SIDE Music Supervision – a company solely dedicated to Canadian music syncs. Following the success of EH! SIDE, Everton, Jr. took on the role as Head Music Supervisor at VICE Canada where he ran the Canadian music department and worked on projects including Dark Side of the Ring, It’s Suppertime w/ Matty Matheson, Rat Park, Tattoo Age, Post Radical w/ Rick McCrank and Mr. Tachyon w/ Director X. He’s known for having a potent combination of creativity and charisma that makes the most of budgets big and small. Today, Everton, Jr has returned to music supervision on his own terms and runs his own company, Wracket Music Supervision Inc. with most recent projects CBC’s Anyone’s Game, YO! MTV Maps and Amazon Prime’s: All or Nothing

Everton will be speaking at the following events:

Kelly Peckham

Documentary Filmmaker & Producer

Kelly is a respected storyteller with decades of experience in factual television. She’s worked as a director and producer in genres from news and current affairs, to lifestyle, reality and documentary programming. Kelly has years of experience with Discovery Channel in Canada, creating award-winning features for Daily Planet in North America and abroad (Telly and Worldfest Houston Awards). She was nominated for the prestigious Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism – Features for her work produced in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. She has directed aviation documentaries internationally for Discovery’s Flightpath and contributed to several specials for Discovery US/Canada. Kelly’s editorial oversight was honed as a Production Executive with Life Network, giving a careful eye to storylines and character development to dozens of reality series. As a Senior Producer, she created and produced and delivered the highly successful series Til Debt Do Us Part, earning a Gemini Award for Best Lifestyle Series in Season One. Kelly is known as a solid creative voice, an exceptional writer and storyteller and an enthusiastic team player, coaching the best out of talent and situations to produce compelling television. She has an excellent relationship with the networks and knows how to deliver successful series for any audience.

Kelly will be speaking at the following events:

Jessica Shadlock

Senior Manager, Creative Affairs at Boat Rocker

As Senior Manager, Creative Affairs at Boat Rocker, Jessica is responsible for developing television projects for the Canadian and international markets from concept to series order, collaborating with writers, creators and executives across the company’s drama and comedy slates. Upcoming projects include Robyn Hood for Global TV and an adaptation of Eternity Martis’ bestselling memoir They Said This Would Be Fun. Jessica is particularly passionate about television that uplifts and illuminates untold stories and diverse perspectives. Previously, Jessica was Development Manager at Back Alley Film Productions where she helped develop
drama series Coroner (CBC, The CW) and Bellevue (CBC, WGN America) in addition to managing the company’s development slate and sourcing new projects and IP. Jessica joined Back Alley in 2011, supporting the Executive Producers and Director during the production of Bomb Girls (Global, Reelz) and the development and production of Played (CTV). A graduate of Ryerson’s RTA School of Media, Jessica got her start on set in the unscripted space on series including Canada’s Worst Driver and Come Dine with Me.

Jessica will be speaking at the following events:

Greg Jeffs

Client Service Coordinator, William F White International

Greg Jeffs has spent the past decade producing award-winning short and web content, for which he has been awarded multiple filmmaking grants from organizations including Telefilm, Telus Optik, Telus Storyhive and Bravofact. His productions have received several award nominations and are available on platforms across the globe. He is an NSI Alumni (Features First), has participated in the Telefilm PITCH THIS! Program at TIFF, the 2020 Frontieres program and most recently he won the 2021 Telefilm JETS program. Greg’s current work with William F. White Int’l combines his vast knowledge of Canadian independent filmmaking with the world of professional filmmaking equipment and support. He actively develops long-lasting relationships with emerging and established content creators at all stages of their production to guarantee they obtain maximum value by providing mentorship and advisement on all possible funding opportunities. In working closely with and nurturing filmmakers, Greg ensures their finished product is the best as it can be.

Greg will be speaking at the following events:

Sean Cisterna

Director & Producer

Sean Cisterna is a multi award-winning director whose most recent film is From the Vine (2020), an international co-production starring Emmy winner Joe Pantoliano. Cisterna directed the acclaimed cancer drama Kiss and Cry (2017), which topped the Canadian box office, and is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide. His 2015 feature Full Out, starring Jennifer Beals, is based on the true story of gymnast Ariana Berlin. The film was broadcast on NBC, now residing with Netflix Worldwide and Disney Europe. Cisterna was awarded a Canada 150 Citizenship Award by the Federal Government for his dedication to and community engagement in the arts.

Sean will be speaking at the following events:

Margaret McGuffin

Executive Director, Canadian Music Publishers

Margaret McGuffin is the CEO of Music Publishers Canada. She loves diving into research and policy development related to the creative industries and has worked with a large number of music industry trade organizations and collective management organizations. She currently is Chair of the Board at Work In Culture and a member of the advisory board at MusiCounts. She is also always happy to talk to you about copyright or how music publishers are leading the way in making sure Canadian songs are heard around the world.

Margaret will be speaking at the following events:

Christopher Giroux

Head of Productions, Vortex Productions

Christopher Giroux’s oeuvre spans over a multitude of projects throughout the past decade. Notably, a Sheridan graduate in the Advanced TV and Film program in 2009, where he specialized in producing and production management. Giroux moved quickly up the hierarchy ladder and began working as a producer on music videos for bands like Theory of a Deadman, Big Wreck, The Trews and Megadeth with Black Fawn Films. Giroux transitioned to producing features in 2013. Between 2013 and 2019 Giroux produced such back to back breakaway independent features film such as Antisocial, The Drownsman, Antisocial 2, The Sublet, Bite, Bed of the Dead, Let Her Out, The Heretics, I’ll Take Your Dead and The Oak Room with Black Fawn Films and Breakthrough Entertainment.

In 2018 Giroux began producing for Vortex Media. Since joining Vortex, Giroux has overseen production on such films as A Perfect Plan, Grounded for Christmas, Learning to Love Again, Inn For Christmas, Anything For Jackson, Heart of the Holidays, Riverfront Romance, Dying to Be Your Friend, Cabin Connection, It Takes A Christmas Village, A Perfect Match, Baking All The Way, Christmas in Trinket Town, A Tiny Homes Christmas and The End of Sex.

Chris will be speaking at the following events:

Paige Murray

Executive in Charge of Development, Drama on the Scripted Content

Paige Murray has worked at the CBC for over eleven years within the content areas. She is currently Executive in Charge of Development, Drama on the Scripted Content team. In this role, Paige oversees the development of one-hour dramas and actively looks for creators and stories that reflect the spectrum of the Canadian experience to entertain and enlighten CBC audiences. Previously, she was Executive in Charge of Production, YA Digital Originals, overseeing production and development of short and mid-length series for CBC Gem such as Series Mania Best Short Series winner and SXSW Episodic Jury winner Something Undone, For Heaven’s Sake, Queens, Decoys and Kenny & Spenny: Paldemic Special. Prior to this role she worked with the scripted content team as the Development Manager for Comedy and Drama and was the Canadian Reflections Programmer.

Additionally, Paige currently sits on the board of Breakthroughs Film Festival and the advisory board of The Future of Film Showcase.

Paige will be speaking at the following events:

Kris Pearn

Director & Producer

Kris Pearn was born in London, Ontario, Canada. After graduating from Sheridan College, Kris has spent most of his life making cartoons for both film and television. His credits include Open Season, Surf’s Up, Arthur Christmas, Shaun the Sheep, Pirates: Band of Misfits, and Home to name a few. He was Head of Story on Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, and co-directed Cloudy Two: Rise of the Leftovers. He has most recently written and directed the Netflix animated feature The Willoughbys based on the novel by Lois Lowry. Kris has been nominated for several Annies, has taught at Sheridan College, lectures all over the world through Schoolism, and has given a Ted Talk called “The Optimistic Opportunity of Failure”. He has illustrated several books including Edward The Tree Climbing Dog, Project Superhero, and Tales of Spiffing. He still loves to draw.

Kris will be speaking at the following events:

Mark Johnston

Producer, Eelay Media

A former journalist and broadcast executive, Mark now has 25 years under his belt creating, producing and distributing unscripted content in the U.S. Canada and more than 150 countries worldwide. Mark has discovered and produced first class talent with top caliber teams creating high quality episodic TV – HGTV’s super star Designer Candice Olson, Celebrity Chef Christine Cushing among others. With over 700 hours of television behind him, Mark believes quality programming connects us all.

Mark will be speaking at the following events:

Matt Orenstein

Vice President of Acquisitions and Strategy, Vortex Media

Matt Orenstein is Vice President of Acquisitions and Strategy at Vortex Media. Previously, Matt was the co-founder of the Canadian film distribution company, ABMO Films, which released films including Academy Award-nominated First Reformed and Suspiria. Matt also worked at eOne as part of the US acquisitions group and is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.

Matt will be speaking at the following events:

Nadia Hovan

Director of Development, Vortex Media

Nadia began her career in film/television in 2007 as a producer’s assistant to Harvey Kahn of Front Street Pictures in Vancouver, BC. She eventually became the Head of Development for Front Street where she helped produce and develop several films and made-for-television movies and gained an Executive Producer credit on the Thunderbird Entertainment / ION Television distributed film Concrete Canyons starring Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls) and Emilie Ullerup (Chesapeake Shores).

Nadia is now the Director of Development for Vortex Media in Ontario and has a large slate of exciting projects in development. She focuses primarily on Romance and Christmas movies for Vortex, having recently developed and shot the Rom-Com Making Scents of Love written by the talented Robin Dunne and Arcade Riley, starring Katherine Barrell (Wynonna Earp) and Patrick Kwok-Choon (Star Trek: Discovery).

Other favourite producer and development credits include: Merlin and the Book of Beasts (Associate Producer, The Sci Fi Channel), Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon (Associate Producer, Starz!), Fireball (Associate Producer, The Sci Fi Channel), Little Girl Lost (Lifetime Movie Network) and The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Hallmark Channel) starring Henry Winkler (Happy Days) and Brooke Burns (The Gourmet Detective).

Nadia will be speaking at the following events:

Chris Dunn

Production Consultant, Ontario Creates

Working with the Ontario Film Commission at Ontario Creates, Chris is the Lead Consultant for the Ontario Green Screen Initiative. In this capacity he works alongside public and private industry partners who comprise the OGS Advisory Committee. The OGS develops and delivers tools, training and resources that help the industry make greener choices.  In addition, he also co-chairs a national sustainability committee in partnership with Creative BC. Chris also leads a workforce development initiative and in this capacity he collaborates with unions, guilds, trade associations, academic institutions, government contacts and other stakeholders to help build clear pathways for diverse and underrepresented groups to find employment within the Film and TV sector.  Chris holds a Masters Certificate in Project Management from Schulich School of Business and is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-dunn-pmp-4b96ab29/ 

www.ontariogreenscreen.ca

Chris will be speaking at the following events:

Christine Diakos

VP of Development, Unscripted Television at Entertainment One

Christine Diakos has had a long and successful career in television broadcasting. For over 20 years she has been a prominent figure both in front and behind the camera. Throughout her career, Diakos, an industry veteran, had spent many years working for several production companies and networks in Toronto including CBC, CTV and Slice Network. Christine has produced, directed, reported and hosted a number of national shows like ​Entertainment Now, Inside Travel, Big Voice, Princess,​ ‘​Til Debt Do Us Part, Canada AM, The Mom Show, Three Takes and Hockey Wives. At the CBC, she was the Producer of the 2011 G​enie Awards ​hosted by William Shatner, The Senior Producer of the hour long special, ​“Long Story Short: CBC Turns 75” starring Martin Short ​and also served as the Show Producer for the daily lifestyle talk show, ​“Steven and Chris”. Christine also served as an Executive in Charge of Production for Lifestyle with Shaw Media for almost 3 years. She helped develop and produce hits like Unusually Thicke, Extreme Collectors, Disaster Decks, Money Moron Custom Built ​and ​The Expandables. Christine has served as the Series Producer on the Netflix Series “A User’s Guide to Cheating Death” She also Series Produced the celebrity adventure series, “50 Ways To Kill Your”Mama”. Most recently, ​Christine was the SVP of Production and Development for Big Coat Media, and was the Supervising Producer for overseeing the long running hit TV series ​Love It Or List It​ and ​Love It Or List It Vancouver ​as well as serving as Supervising Producer on the four part documentary series ​Jillian and Justin. She also was the Supervising Producer for Engineering On The Edge for Discovery Science. Currently, Christine is the VP of Development, Unscripted Television at Entertainment One.

Christine will be speaking at the following events:

Erin Creasy

Director of Industry Development, Ontario Creates

Erin Creasey is Manager, Industry Initiatives, at Ontario Creates, where she oversees investment programs for the film, tv, books, magazine, interactive digital media sectors, that support development, production, marketing, and business development activities, international business initiatives, and industry development. Previously, Erin was Director, Sales and Marketing at ECW Press, and is a past president of the Association of Canadian Publishers.

Erin will be speaking at the following events:

Paula Vergara

Director, Graphic Designer, and Co-Founder of Half & Half Socials

Paula is a Colombian Graphic Designer, passionate about visual arts. From a very young age she has been forging her experience in the field of production. Her love for this profession led her to become part of the London community to help local artists grow. Her great talent for materializing ideas has led her to work with national and international companies. In the midst of her work with corporate clients, she got the opportunity to work on the production of a video for a young artist, which made her completely fall in love with the filmmaking process and helped her to become the director she is today.

Paula will be speaking at the following events:

Ryan Mole

Lead Narrative Designer, Digital Extremes

Ryan Mole is a veteran Lead Narrative Designer with Digital Extremes. His game credits include Dark Sector, Bioshock 2, Darkness 2, and for the past ten years he has helped craft the complex world and characters of the hit game Warframe.

Ryan will be speaking at the following events:

Kadon Douglas

Executive Director, BIPOC TV & Film

With a reverence for artists and griots coupled with a deep commitment to equity and decolonization, Kadon Douglas finds her joy in supporting creative talent in building thriving careers. The inaugural executive director of Toronto-based nonprofit movement, BIPOC TV & FILM spends her days advocating for systems change in the screen media industry, addressing barriers to career entry and advancement for racialized and Indigenous creatives, and disrupting colonial and discriminatory practices in the nonprofit sector and creative industries. Prior to BIPOC TV & FILM, Kadon led marketing and communication strategies at The Creative School at Ryerson University and Women in Film & Television-Toronto. Kadon also worked for several years in the documentary production field as a production coordinator, researcher, and digital marketing and audience engagement specialist. She is a two-time fellow of the Hot Docs Film Festival: Doc Accelerator (2013) and Shaw Media Diverse Voices (2015); a graduate of the Humber College Media Business Essentials certificate program (2015) and The Chang School at Ryerson University and Corus Entertainment Media Management Accelerator (2017); and is a 2019 Ontario Nonprofit Network RBC Leading the Future fellow. Kadon is also an active member of the screen-based media community, volunteering her time on various advisory committees and juries. She is the former chair of the Reelworld Film Festival and sits on the board of the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for Black and POC creators (CISF) and the advisory board of the Future of Film Showcase. Kadon lives in Toronto with her son, a pensive and pragmatic tween, and a cat named Philip.

Kadon will be speaking at the following events:

Taisa Dekker

Manager of Industry Initiatives & Outreach for ACTRA Toronto

Taisa Dekker is passionate about the screen-based industry and the promotion of Canadian artists and creators. She got her start in production, where she worked on commercials and short form content. Ms. Dekker’s 16-year ACTRA career began at the Alberta branch, where she was the Commercial Business Representative, and provided support for the Saskatchewan and Manitoba branches. Since relocating to Toronto, she has held positions at ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society and in multiple departments at ACTRA Toronto. In her current role as Manager: Industry Initiatives and Outreach for ACTRA Toronto, Ms. Dekker promotes the ACTRA Advantage and connects with film, digital, video game, audiobook, and commercial producers about the benefits of working with union performers. Taisa is the representative for ACTRA Toronto on the Ontario Green Screen Advisory Committee.

Taisa will be speaking at the following events:

Phyllis Newman

Development Executive/Executive Producer

Phyllis Newman is a creative media veteran – having spent over 25 years working as a Showrunner, Development Producer, Writer and Media Consultant on numerous non- fiction television and digital series. Phyllis has achieved great success in producing highly rated, Gemini Award nominated Canadian and international television programs and formats. She is known for creating informative, engaging and entertaining content for a diverse and discriminating audience. Some of her TV credits include Pure Design, Love Trap, Party Mamas and Hollywood Death Trip. Phyllis has developed and produced for networks such as: W Network, Cosmo TV, YTV, OWN, Slice, Life Network, City-TV, HGTV, E! Network and Bravo! to  name a few. As Vice President of Production at Eggplant Media, Phyllis oversaw the development and production slate of pilots, specials and series for U.S. Broadcasters.

Phyllis has worked as a Casting Director with Anne Tait Casting where she cast dramatic series and feature films, and as a Talent Agent with The Edward G. Agency, representing actors for film and television. Phyllis co-created and produced season one of “Finding Your Bliss”, a live health and wellness radio and podcast show for Zoomer Media. She is also a College Instructor at the Toronto Film School teaching Factual Entertainment to aspiring content creators. Currently, Phyllis has a number of series in development.

Phyllis will be speaking at the following events:

Faran Moradi

Director & Writer

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”.

Faran will be speaking at the following events:

Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller

Director, Writer, Performer & Producer

Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller is a mixed-race Palestinian screenwriter, actor & director based in Tkaronto. Her work explores themes of fragmented identity, isolation and connection through a lens of grounded “oh no, should I laugh?” comedy. Fateema’s background in improv and clown greatly influences all of her work as she strives to create with integrity, depth & a sense of humor. Fateema is particularly passionate about writing nuanced and humanizing representations of Arabs and Muslims for the screen and strives to create space for marginalized voices both in front of and behind the camera. She is a writer and performer with The Don Valley Girls, a Toronto-centric Women of Colour sketch comedy group funded by The Sketch Comedy Project Fund, hot off a sold out run for WhyNot Theatre’s RISER Festival and awarded Patron’s Pick at the 2022 Toronto Fringe. As a filmmaker she has worked in partnership with organizations such as Toronto Arab Film and Cinephilia Productions and has been grateful to receive funding from the Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts and the CUE Fund for Marginalized Artists. Fateema is a tender-hearted friend, believes in resilience and resistance through laughter and embraces comedy to explore the pains and joys of being human.

Fateema will be speaking at the following events:

Hasan Barzak

Filmmaker

Hasan Barzak is a mixed-race Malaysian and Palestinian self-taught filmmaker from London, Ontario. Never having gone to film school, he learned film production during the pandemic through Youtube tutorials and online mentors. His first film “Embers in the Forest” explores the Muslim experience in London after the tragic June 6th terror attack which in which 4 members of a Muslim family were murdered by a white supremacist. Hasan’s artistic vision aims to recontextualize misrepresented characters and communities.

Hasan will be speaking at the following events:

Chad Courneya

Founder, Sorelle Sound

Chad Courneya is the founder of Sorelle Sound, a boutique sync licensing, custom music and creative audio shoppe, representing a dangerous roster of heavy hitting artists, songwriters and composers in aims to show the world what Canada’s independent talent has to offer. Sorelle Sound has seen placements from their roster in ads for brands such as Sephora, Walmart, Skip The Dishes, as well as television placements with Netflix, Hulu, Crave, Viceland, CTV, CBC, and more. Chad is lead music supervisor for the platform YesChef, and was formerly senior music consultant for a number of brands and establishments such as Virgin Hotels, Samsung, Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos.

Chad will be speaking at the following events:

Sarah MacDougall

Singer/Songwriter

Multiple Award-winning singer/songwriter Sarah MacDougall is known for her poetic songs and passionate performances. Sarah mixes folk, pop, and rock elements into her infectious, often epic songs. Born in Sweden, now based in Canada, Swedish magazine Nöjesguiden declared her: “one of Sweden’s best singer/songwriters’ and Rootstime Belgium described her as ‘One of the greatest talents of our era”.

Sarah has played festivals such as Iceland Airwaves, Edmonton Folk Festival, Reeperbahn, and has shared the stage with artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Tallest Man on Earth, Buffy St. Marie, Passenger, and more.

Her most recent release, ‘All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything’, is Sarah’s fourth record. It was written in the midst of the death of her grandparents, the birth of her niece, and a break-up. The nine songs are also influenced by the places that made her and changed her: the dark beauty of Scandinavia the vastness of the Canadian North.

Sarah will be speaking at the following events:

Scotty Taylor

Music supervisor, producer, and founding member of the Guild of Music Supervisors Canada

Scotty Taylor GMSC: is a music solutions super agent. Music supervisor, producer, copyright acquisition specialist member of the Guild of Music Supervisors US and founding member of the Guild of Music Supervisors Canada. He’s also a former member of the highly acclaimed Supergroup Sonic Branding Co. A seasoned sonic Sherpa, his jackknife approach to music supervision, song clearance, acquisition and negotiation sees him seamlessly bridging the gap between client and creative to facilitate even the most singular of creative goals. With a fierce tenacity and signature flair, Scotty regularly works across a multitude of media platforms from Advertising, TV, Film and the emerging worlds of branded music curation and playlisting.

Scotty will be speaking at the following events:

Jamal Vickers

Sync Agent at JVG/ Marketing Manager/ A&R at Public Records Inc.

Jamal Vickers started in the music industry in 2003, as a DJ with some high school friends. It then bloomed into a career that spanned a decade that opened him up to event production and promotions. In 2013 he transitioned into Artist Management, taking this new trajectory seriously he applied and graduated from The Remix Project in 2014. While living in Alberta, working in the oilfield to help fund a project for his artist, he was able to start his company JVG that encompasses many artist services like management, grant writing and consulting but has a heavy focus on Sync. 2018 was a defining year for him, with the release of passion project “The Black Gang EP”, he also landed his first sync placements in the first season of Showtimes hit tv show “The Chi”and started as an Intern at Public Records. He’s managed to assume more roles as the years progress for the indie label, starting as a Marketing Manager and most recently sharing the A&R role with founder Gavin Sheppard and heading up the distribution arm for Public Records. Other notable experiences is his spearheading of the Public Funds grant – a funding initiative supplying grants to black and indigenous youth within the business side of music, as well as producing several music videos and events for several artists and brands like Aurora, NXNE, Jameson. On his own he operates JVG – a boutique sync agency with a focus and specialization in Black Music. Repping 20+ artists from Toronto and across Canada he’s garnered placements in tv shows and movies like “Kim’s Convenience”, “Survival Box”, “The Rest Of Us” and multiple seasons of “The Chi”.

Jamal will be speaking at the following events:

Rich Brisson

Music Supervisor, Manager of Sync & Licensing Dept at Cadence Music Group

Actively working with two companies, Cadence Music Group and Eggplant Music & Sound, Rich Brisson is using a multifaceted approach and 15 years of experience in the industry when it comes to licensing music in media. Managing the sync & licensing department at Cadence Music Group, Rich is representing the master recordings of 30+ record labels (including ATO Records, Physical Presents, Public Records, Known Accomplice, Fontana North) and has placed music in ads for Virgin Mobile, Ford, Lululemon, Facebook, Women’s Shelter of Canada, LCBO + numerous television placements with NBC, CBS, Fox Sports, Netflix, Amazon Prime, FX, CBC, CTV, Sportsnet and TSN. Rich is also a part of the music supervision and creative services team at Eggplant Music & Sound, an Emmy award-winning audio post house in Toronto and represents a roster of original music composers along with two full-service audio post studios. The Eggplant has composed music for brands such as Ikea, Bell, Visa, Toyota, BMW, Gatorade and Skully plus numerous hours of television for CBC News, NBC/Peacock, Paramount+, Teletune, Sony Pictures Ent., CTV, CBC Gem + many others.

Rich will be speaking at the following events:

Gianna Antonacci

Programs Manager with Canada’s Music Incubator

Gianna is a Programs Manager with Canada’s Music Incubator. She wears many hats as a facilitator, a manager, a program director and a teacher. Her passion for the arts and unwavering drive to support those who make and share music shapes all that she does.

Gianna will be speaking at the following events: