Safia Abdigir is a Toronto-based arts culture worker specifically interested in the facilitation of diverse perspectives in the Canadian film/visual arts industry. As Program Director at Reelworld, she oversees the yearly film festival, summit and two year-round producer programs.

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Appleyard is Senior Vice President, Scripted and Unscripted, Television at eOne Canada, having joined the organization in the Spring of 2024. She oversees the scripted and unscripted television teams, directing both groups creatively.

Prior to her role at eOne Canada, Appleyard served as Senior Vice President, Head of Scripted...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker; Collaboration Station Cocktail

Anna Archer is a literary agent at Lucas Talent. She has been working on behalf of writers, directors and picture editors who work in film and television for 20 years, representing her clients and their projects in the major entertainment industry centers in Canada and in Los Angeles.

Anna's philosophy is that of "agent...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Mike has been developing original television series for nearly fifteen years. He began his career as a Producer on CBC’s hit series Dragons’ Den in 2006, eventually becoming the showrunner in Season 7. Following his passion for storytelling and obscure hobbies, he went on to create a long list of original...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

Steve Ascher is Executive Vice President, Head of Development for A+E FACTUAL STUDIOS™. In this role, Ascher creates unscripted series, specials and documentaries for the A+E Networks™ portfolio and the marketplace at large.

A veteran producer and journalist, Ascher’s recent credits include the Emmy®-nominated Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution with...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Fraser Ash is a producer of feature films, television series, and documentaries. In September 2019, he was a joint recipient of the Canadian Media Producers’ Association (CMPA) Kevin Tierney Award for Emerging Producers.

Feature film credits include Blackberry (2023), directed by Matt Johnson; Seven Veils (2023), directed by Atom Egoyan; Possessor (2020), directed by...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Pahull Bains is the Communications Director at Reelworld Screen Institute, where she oversees all communications strategies, marketing, and media relations. She is also a programmer for the Reelworld Film Festival.

In addition to her work at Reelworld, Pahull is a freelance writer for publications like Vogue India, Vogue Arabia, Wired and...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Kerry Ball is a Literary Agent and Head of Development at Meridian Artists representing literary clients for primetime, youth, and animation production and development in Canada, as well as overseeing Meridian’s internal development slate to maximize sales opportunities for original IP. Kerry joined the Meridian team in 2010 as an...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Kim joined Super Channel in 2012 and currently serves as the company’s Chief Content & Communications Officer. In this role, Kim leads the programming strategy for three of the company’s four channels (Fuse, Heart & Home, Vault) including pre-licensing of Canadian productions and acquisition of foreign content. Her portfolio also...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Scripted

Javiera Balmaceda is Amazon Studios’ Head of Originals for Latin America, Canada, and Australia, overseeing the development of all local original content in those territories. Since joining Prime Video in 2017, Javiera has served as the creative lead on a robust slate of series and films, including fan favorites De...show more

Speaking on: Navigating Global Co-Financing: Strategies for Premium Content

Speaking on: Diversity of Voices: Working with Netflix + Lunch

Jolise Beaton is the Director of Original Content for Audible Canada. A New York transplant, Jolise works with production partners and talent across English and French content, focusing on the development of unscripted and scripted audio storytelling.

Since joining Audible Canada in 2018, Jolise has acquired content across multiple genres and formats...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Speed Meetings: Scripted

Kevin is Chair and Chief Creative Officer of the Lionsgate Television Group and Chair of the BANFF Board of Directors. He has spearheaded the strategic expansion of Lionsgate’s television production operations into one of the largest independent television businesses in the world.

Kevin has shepherded iconic series including eight seasons of...show more

Speaking on: BANFF 2024 Opening Ceremonies

Chris Bell is the Manager, Content at Netflix Canada, working closely with content directors Tara Woodbury and Danielle Woodrow to develop and produce the upcoming slate of scripted content.  Prior to joining Netflix, Chris worked at eOne as Vice President, Scripted Development where he oversaw eOne’s development slate.  

Chris has a Masters in Media and Communications...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Meet a Decision Maker

With fourteen years of experience in film and television distribution, broadcasting, and financing, Giuliana Benvenuto has been part of the Cineflix Rights team since February 2018. Giuliana sources and acquires quality third-party programming content for the company’s distribution catalogue. With a focus on North American acquisitions, Giuliana’s current producer clients...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Brad Bernstein is Chief Content Officer at Texas Crew Productions (TCP) – a leading production company under Asylum Entertainment Group’s banner.  

Bernstein recently relocated to Vancouver to establish an executive presence and oversee the growth of the Canada office for Asylum.

In his role, Bernstein oversees more than 50 hours of current...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Mark Bishop is the Co-President of Blue Ant Studios, a global production and rights studio with offices in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Australia and Singapore.

Mark joined Blue Ant Media after its acquisition of the award-winning production and distribution company, marblemedia and D360, which he...show more

Speaking on: Super Serving Kids Content

With her focus on developing and producing lifestyle content for the US and Canadian markets in both English and French, Tanya oversees series producers and production crews while managing close relationships with broadcasters and streamers.

Her executive producer credits include the all-new season of Property Virgins for A&E’s Home.Made.Nation, the third season of HGTV Canada’s...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Colin Bohm was most recently the Executive Vice President Content and Corporate Strategy at Corus Entertainment. He oversaw Corus’ original content businesses - Nelvana, Corus Studios, Kids Can Press and Toon Boom.

Colin began his career at Corus in 2002 as the Director, Planning and Analysis, responsible for the company’s financial...show more

Scott Boyd is Vice President, Development, Unscripted – Canada, Television. Since joining eOne in 2017, he’s helped build a diverse slate of premium unscripted series, specializing in true crime, factual and doc reality formats. He has steered the development and production of innovative and impactful projects such as Make it to the Moon...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Raised in the arresting landscapes of Muskoka, Emmy-nominated Director Annie Bradley, is known for her striking cinematic work and fierce storytelling and was recently included in The Hollywood Reporter’s inaugural Canadian Women In Entertainment Power List. She is a member of both the DGC and the DGA, an alumna of the...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

As President of Content Distribution, Janet Brown is charged with creating a vision and setting strategic direction to drive continued growth across BBC Studios diversified commercial business in North America and Latin America. She oversees all aspects of the content distribution business, as well as leading the company’s global distribution...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member; Navigating Global Co-Financing: Strategies for Premium Content

Speaking on: Diversity of Voices: Working with Netflix + Lunch

Founder, producer and CEO of Quad Drama since 2011, Iris Bucher is known for having launched the Murders in ... collection on France 3, as well as for her ambitious dramas such as The Bonfire of Destiny, Women at War (TF1 & Netflix) or more recently Vortex (France 2 & Netflix). 

Iris...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

Nicole Butler, Co-CEO and Executive Producer at Pier 21 Films brings more than 25 years of experience in developing and producing some of Canada’s best-known scripted and unscripted projects. Combining creativity and financial acumen, Nicole oversees all new project development, provides leadership in production, and business and financial direction for Pier
21 Films.

Nicole...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Reni Calister is an accomplished producer and content executive who has garnered two Emmy Awards for her work. She currently serves as the Chief Content Officer of Rock’n Robin Productions. Before assuming her CCO role, Reni held the position of Executive Vice President of Content at TOGETHXR, a media company...show more

Showrunner and executive producer on CityTV’s newest hit series, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Tassie Cameron is an award-winning screenwriter and producer and is the co-founder of Toronto-based independent production company Cameron Pictures. She is known for Pretty Hard Cases, Mary Kills People, Rookie Blue, Ten Days in the Valley, Flashpoint, The Eleventh Hour, Degrassi: The Next...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director; Who Runs This Mutha: Showrunner Superpanel

Warren Campbell is an entertainment industry executive with a long history in music and television distribution.

Together with Gordon Weiske he founded JOIN TV, (Just One Incredible Network), a Canadian Entertainment Network that provides distribution and revenue generating solutions to OTT (Over-the-Top) platforms worldwide. We are an aggregator of F.A.S.T. (Free...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

Vanessa Case is the Vice President of Content for Paramount+ and Pluto TV in Canada. Based in Toronto, Case oversees all of Canada’s content acquisitions and originals for the streaming platforms, with oversight of all content decisions for Paramount+ and Pluto TV in Canada. 

Working closely with both local and global teams across...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

As Senior Global Unscripted Executive at Amazon Studios based in Los Angeles, Catherine Casey leads unscripted creative development and programming for the Canadian and Australian markets. She also spearheads a slate of documentary and reality tv series for Brazil and Mexico.

Prior to joining Amazon Studios in 2017, Catherine worked...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Collaboration Station Cocktail

Sally Catto is the General Manager of Entertainment, Factual and Sports for CBC. She oversees the strategic direction for all Entertainment, Factual and Sports content across all platforms including CBC TV, CBC Gem and CBC Listen. Content includes drama, comedy, factual entertainment, arts, documentary, kids, sports, podcasts, books, radio &...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member

Bing Chen is Executive Chairman and Founder of AU holdings, CEO and Co-Founder of Gold House and General Partner and Co Founder of Aum Group. Bing’s work focuses on incubating and investing in multicultural creators, companies, and communities to rebalance socioeconomic equity. Previously, he was YouTube's Global Head of Creator Development...show more

Speaking on: International Media Leaders: Charting the Course Forward

It has been a terrific experience working in Kids content for the past 25 years. At CBC Kids, I am lucky enough to work on some classic award winning series both in live action and animation.  Most recently, as Executive in Charge of Production on Macy Murdoch (you read that right, William Murdoch...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker; Super Serving Kids Content; Speed Meetings: Kids & Family

Aubrey is a Commissioning Executive in the BBC Children’s 7+ Commissioning team with a remit that covers Live Action scripted drama and animation. He is the executive producer on popular International brands such as The Next Step, Home Sweet Rome, Gangnam Project, The Deep, Theodosia, Scream Street, Odd Squad, Spooky...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Kids & Family; Meet a Decision Maker

Glenn Cockburn is the founder of Meridian Artists. Along with the rest of the Meridian Artists team, Glenn currently represents a select roster of some of Canada’s most talented writers, directors and producers.

Glenn’s career started in 1996 when he began working as script reader for New Line Cinema and Innovative...show more

Speaking on: Best Case Scenario: Canadian Industry Perspectives

Appointed President of Bell Media, Canada’s premier media company, in 2023, Cohan is responsible for Bell Media’s globally unique portfolio of video, audio, digital, and out-of-home advertising assets, brands, and content. These include Canada’s #1 broadcast network (CTV), its leading sports properties (TSN & RDS), #1 national and local news...show more

Speaking on: FAST Revolution: The New Era Of Ad-Supported Streaming; In Conversation With: Sean Cohan, Bell Media

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

Valerie Creighton is an industry leader in arts, culture, and media, recognized for reenergizing some of the country’s most important organizations in the sector over a period spanning close to four decades. An expert in organizational change, Valerie has been recognized as a visionary in promoting Canada’s cultural wealth.

Currently serving...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member; In Conversation With the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Starting his entertainment career in talent representation, Adam bootstrapped his own digital agency, 87AM, out of his New York City studio at the peak of the economic crisis. The agency grew rapidly, and in 2011 was acquired by Allied Global Marketing, the leading entertainment, culture and lifestyle marketing agency.  Since...show more

Speaking on: Disrupt Or Be Disrupted: The Media Industry In The Age of Enshittification

Wayne Davison is Chief Revenue Officer of Little Dot Studios, the award-winning digital content agency and media network operating across the UK, US, Europe and Australasia. Having joined the company in 2016, as well as being part of the Senior Leadership Team at Little Dot Studios, Wayne is responsible for...show more

Speaking on: Empowering Human Creativity: Pushing the Boundaries of Expression with AI

Samantha De France is an accomplished Production Executive with a wealth of experience in the entertainment industry. Currently, she serves as Senior Production Executive at Amazon MGM Studios in Toronto. In this role, De France is a key player in the unscripted production department, overseeing the successful delivery of a...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

In her role as VP Scripted, Jessalyn serves as a creative producer for SEVEN24 Films as well as managing the company’s extensive development slate. Select projects that have gone to production under her purview include the one-hour series Family Law for Global (Corus) and airing on the CW, now filming its fourth season, four...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted

Sandra Dewey is the newly engaged Chief Operating Officer for Media Res, a television studio and production company that develops, produces and finances premium content for global markets. In the recent announcement of Sandra’s new role, she said “(Media Res) is a dynamic growth business with an attitude and a...show more

Speaking on: International Media Leaders: Charting the Course Forward

Christine spearheads development, creation and pitching of non-scripted content for eOne in Canada, with a focus on lifestyle, reality and competition series. With more than two decades of experience in Canadian television, Christine has a keen understanding of the business, and an eye for great stories and intriguing on-air personalities.

Prior...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Actress and comedian Charlotte Dobre runs a popular YouTube Channel where she has amassed close to 1.9 million subscribers. Dobre has more than six million followers across YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, and billions of views. She wrote, starred and produced The Swipe Life, a pilot for a rom-com series...show more

Speaking on: Empowering Human Creativity: Pushing the Boundaries of Expression with AI

Toby Dormer is Executive Vice President of Unscripted Television at Blink49 Studios where he oversees all aspects of the company’s unscripted business including development, production and related strategic initiatives.

Previously, Dormer was Executive Vice President, Unscripted, Canada at Entertainment One (eOne) where he oversaw the company’s extensive slate which included,...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

Highly esteemed executive Channing Dungey serves as Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG), one of the entertainment industry’s most-respected providers of original programming. She is the first Black executive and first woman to lead WBTVG. In this role, she has creative responsibility for all of the Studio’s...show more

Speaking on: Summit Series: Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group

Natasha Duprey is an award-winning music supervisor based in Vancouver who has supervised thousands of hours of episodic television including the series The L Word (Showtime), The Terror (AMC), Continuum (SyFy), The Order (Netflix) and Tiny Pretty Things (Netflix). She has worked on feature films such as Frankie & Alice...show more

Speaking on: More than a Great Playlist: The Business of Music Supervision

John Elmes is deputy news editor & international editor of UK TV trade publication Broadcast. He has been a journalist for 14 years and has worked in the TV trade press for the past seven. John is a regular moderator at UK and international TV markets and events, having chaired...show more

Speaking on: FAST Revolution: The New Era Of Ad-Supported Streaming; Navigating Global Co-Financing: Strategies for Premium Content

Jeanell English is the founder and CEO of Elizabeth, an impact agency focused on establishing and operationalizing equity-centered goals in creative industries. Through its publishing arm and consulting services, Elizabeth amplifies the voices of women and other marginalized communities. English has spent more than a decade advancing DEAI initiatives within...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Backlash: Addressing the Retreat of DEI in the Entertainment Industry

Simon Faber has over 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry, across the Film, Television, Music, Fashion and Gaming verticals. Prior to founding Taiga Pictures, he was a partner at the WME Agency where he worked with a number of artists including Martin Scorsese, Adam Sandler, Pharrell Williams, Andre...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Production Partners

A part of the Cream Productions team since 2010, James has been dedicated to finding and developing unique television projects that connect and resonate with audiences hungry for original content. In his time at Cream, James has led a development department that crafts specials and series in a broad variety...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

Anthony Q. Farrell (he/him) is a BAFTA-winning, Emmy-nominated writer/producer who has worked in Canada, the US, and the UK for over 20 years. He is the creator, showrunner and executive producer of CTV's half-hour comedy Shelved for which he is a 2024 Canadian Screen Awards nominee for Best Comedy Series as well as...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director; Best Case Scenario: Canadian Industry Perspectives

John Fawcett has created an impressive body of work as a producer and director and writer in both feature films and television. He co-created, executive produced and directed multiple episodes of the Emmy-winning and Golden-Globe nominated sci-fi drama, Orphan Black. The series has won countless Directors Guild of Canada and Canadian Screen Awards as...show more

Speaking on: Orphan Black: Echoes - Screening and Master Class; Meet a Showrunner or Director

Two time Grammy and five time Emmy nominated Emmy Winner Music Supervisor, Nora Felder’s tenure in music began
booking artist and music events at a New York City lower eastside venue. Shortly there after Nora began working with legendary music producer, Phil Ramone, spearheading recording projects as Vice President of Phil Ramone Inc. with...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; TV Soundtrack Stories with Award Winning Music Supervisor: Nora Felder

Alessandra first joined storytelling platform, Wattpad, in 2015 and now serves as Vice President of Content for their expanded IP adaptation business: Wattpad WEBTOON Studios. In this role, she leads the global content operations strategy, managing the flow of webnovels and webcomics to entertainment, publishing and merchandising opportunities.

With nearly...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Elita is the vice president of Communications, CBS Stations at Paramount Global. She is a corporate communications and publicity strategist who has held roles at Fortune 500 companies, global private and public powerhouse organizations, sports agencies, and the largest integrated healthcare system in the country. As a trusted media advisor...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Backlash: Addressing the Retreat of DEI in the Entertainment Industry

Dan Fill is the President of Dark Slope, leading the team to make the impossible possible through engaging storytelling paired with virtual production and spatial technologies. He oversees the Immersive Games, Television and Dark Slope Studios divisions, including the company’s new state-of-the-art multi-stage 32,000 square foot virtual production...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

In 2021, Nua Finau co-founded the production company Tavake with business partner Tom Hern. Their debut drama series, The Panthers, which they both wrote, created, and executive produced, made history as the first New Zealand TV series to premiere at the esteemed Toronto International Film Festival and also clinched a...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member; Production Partners; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches; Going Global (Netflix - BANFF Diversity of Voices Session)

Anna Fishko is the Showrunner and Executive Producer of Orphan Black: Echoes on AMC. She has written on such shows as Pieces of Her, Fear The Walking Dead, The Society, The Last Tycoon, Tyrant, Colony, and The Bridge.

Anna was born and raised in New York City. She holds a...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director; Orphan Black: Echoes - Screening and Master Class; Who Runs This Mutha: Showrunner Superpanel

Courtney Fitzpatrick is the Vice President of Distribution & Content Strategy, as part of Lionsgate’s Worldwide TV & Distribution Team based in Toronto, which opened in May 2017. 

Prior to joining Lionsgate, Fitzpatrick was part of the Distribution team at Marble Media/Distribution360. Before that, she worked on a number of...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Amanda Fix made her feature film debut appearing in the independent film, Broken Diamonds, starring Ben Platt. Amanda then landed a starring role in the independent film, North of Normal, opposite Sarah Gadon and Robert Carlyle. The film, based on the novel of the same name, premiered at TIFF in...show more

Speaking on: Orphan Black: Echoes - Screening and Master Class

Sarah Fowlie leads the Production of Original Programming across Bell Media's English Language platforms including CTV, CTV Speciality and Crave. Fowlie began her career at Bell Media in 1997 at The Comedy Network and has developed strong relationships with the Canadian and International content industry.

She has held a range...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

As President, Television Distribution for global film and television studio FIFTH SEASON, Prentiss Fraser oversees strategy, operations, and partnerships across scripted and non-scripted content for the studio’s distribution team. In this role she is also responsible for Marketing and Scripted Television Strategy (previously International Television Productions) – including having P&L...show more

Speaking on: Navigating Global Co-Financing: Strategies for Premium Content

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Lyle Gamm is the Senior Vice President of original series for CNN Worldwide, supervising production for CNN Original Series.

Since joining CNN in 2019, Gamm has led a team of executives tasked with the creation and day to day production of award-winning programming, including the three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley...show more

Speaking on: Working With Canada: Unscripted Buyers Go Cross-Border Shopping; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Bio Coming Soon...

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit: Networking Breakfast + Opening Ceremonies; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Michael Gelman is Vice President of Acquisitions & Co-Productions at A+E Networks and leads content strategy for A+E’s Home.Made.Nation lifestyle content. Michael is focused on identifying and negotiating non-fiction content deals across the A+E Networks portfolio. He has also served as an executive producer on series including Killer Cases, Murder...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

Brenda Gilbert is the Co-Founder of BRON Media Corp, a company she had led with her husband, Aaron L. Gilbert. BRON Media Corp. (“BRON”). BRON has been the prolific and award-winning studio behind some of the most high-profile films of the last decade, in both the independent and studio worlds....show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member; Going Global (Netflix - BANFF Diversity of Voices Session)

Tommy oversees the PBS KIDS production slate, collaborating with producers, PBS station programmers, and co-production and distribution partners from greenlight through premiere and distribution. He serves as Executive in Charge of signature PBS KIDS series, including Arthur and its companion podcast, Odd Squad, Peabody-winning Molly of Denali, Work It Out...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Kids & Family; Super Serving Kids Content

Chrystine Girard currently holds the position of Head of international distribution of Encore Television-Distribution, part of Encore, an integrated entertainment group, one of the most prolific production companies in scripted series (comedy and drama), live comedy specials, theater plays and artist management. She handles distribution of Encore’s full content library for international licensing and...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

Renée Elise Goldsberry is a multi-hyphenate actress and singer who has delivered award winning performances both on Broadway and on the screen. She is perhaps best known for originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in the musical phenomenon HAMILTON, which has become a cultural touchstone for the ages. Renée’s performance...show more

Speaking on: 2024 Rockies Gala (Van Horne Ballroom)

Bio Coming Soon...

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Speaking on: Spotlight: Universal Studio Group

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Based out of Treaty 1 territory, Danelle Granger is proud to be reclaiming and reconnecting to her Métis roots. She began her career in the broadcasting industry upon graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in
Winnipeg, Man. There, she majored in journalism while focusing on developing her production skills....show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Scripted

After a successful and long standing career at the BBC, producing high-end, award-winning dramas such as Keeping Faith (Un Bore Mercher); Gwenllian Gravelle is Head of Scripted at the Welsh-language broadcaster S4C. Building on the recent renaissance of Welsh drama and the S4C led invention of Celtic noir, Gwenllian is focused...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member; Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Scripted; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

You know Tom Green from his innovative, anything-goes run as the most unpredictable personality on MTV's "The Tom Green Show", and his unforgettable, deliciously loony roles in the uproarious film comedies including "Road Trip," “Charlie Angels,” “Bob The Butler,” “Stealing Harvard” and "Freddy Got Fingered.”

The multi-talented Canadian comedian, actor, director,...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation with Tom Green - a special taping of CBC Radio's Q with Tom Power; 2024 Rockies Gala (Van Horne Ballroom)

Larry Grimaldi is Senior Vice President of Development & Production at Marvista Entertainment, where he helps create, develop, and produce entertainment programming in the television movie, scripted and independent feature film space. Currently, he and his team manage a slate of more than three dozen projects in various stages of development and production across...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker

Melanie is a member of Minegoziibe Anishinabe fka Pine Creek First Nation and splits her time between Winnipeg and Toronto, Canada. She is a Senior Director for Warner Bros. Discovery and oversees the Canadian initiatives and investments for underrepresented talent within the screen-based industries.

She was previously a network executive at...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Jocelyn Hamilton leads all operations for Lionsgate Canada’s television business which includes the strategic planning and day-to-day management of Lionsgate’s television development and production activities in Canada. In her role, she focuses on building and broadening strong relationships with creative talent and Canadian broadcasters, while overseeing all aspects of the...show more

Speaking on: Best Case Scenario: Canadian Industry Perspectives

As EVP of Unscripted Content at Attraction, Nicole is tasked with expanding English-language development and production. Under her tenure, new commissions include Underground Railroad: The Secret History (Warner Brothers Discovery/Bell Media), Crime Scene Confidential (ID/Discovery+), East Harbour Heroes (Bell Media), How Did They Fix That? (Paramount+/Smithsonian), Secrets on the Border (CBC/The Nature of Things)...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

Montreal native Emily Hampshire, known for her role as "Stevie Budd" in the record-breaking CBC comedy Schitt’s Creek, available worldwide on Netflix, currently stars in Amazon's hit drama series The Rig alongside Iain Glen. She also stars in Roku's mini-series Slip with Zoe Lister Jones, the indie film Fitting In...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Frame: The Pink Paper’s Blueprint for 2SLGBTQ+ Representation

Allana Harkin is an Emmy award winning correspondent, executive producer, director and writer who has garnered ten Emmy nominations for her work on seven seasons TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee where she was the show’s first on-air correspondent and interviewed hundreds of people across the country. She started her...show more

Speaking on: 2024 Rockies Gala (Van Horne Ballroom)

Erin Haskett, President of Lark Productions, has over 25 years experience developing and producing exceptional content. Most recently, Erin serves as Executive Producer of the Canadian adaptation of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent for Rogers and Universal Television. Law & Order Toronto became the #1 prime-time scripted premiere ever...show more

Speaking on: Moving Mountains: Canadian Producers Tackle the Rocky Landscape

Brent began his career lurking around the comedy and variety department at the CBC in Toronto. He then moved to CTV with the launch of The Comedy Network where he eventually oversaw programming, development and production. Brent then landed in New York as SVP of Comedy & Animation for MTV,...show more

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

As EVP, Acquisitions and Coproductions, Noel works closely with third party independent producers around the world, to acquire television product for distribution to all media outlets across scripted and non-scripted. Based in London, he sources and secures premium scripted and non-scripted programming at the earliest stages to complement the studio’s...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Meet a Distributor

Andrea is the Founder and Lead Music Supervisor at AHA Sound & Vision, a Full-Service Music Supervision company based in Toronto, Canada that specializes in original music, licensing and creative strategy.

With over two decades of award-winning experience, Andrea has established herself as one of Canada’s key creatives in the business...show more

Speaking on: More than a Great Playlist: The Business of Music Supervision; Collaboration Station Cocktail

As Vice President of Sales for English Canada, Kim oversees English sales into the Canadian market for eOne, based in their Toronto office. Kim joined eOne in 2014 and has handled sales for such titles as Designated Survivor, The Rookie and The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.

With more than 25...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Combining her life-long love of narrative, her honours BA in literature and classics, and being a natural people person, Jennifer is living her dream job as co-owner and agent of the Jennifer Hollyer Agency. Many of JHA’s clients are considered to be the best in the business. Jennifer has helped many writers pursue...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Karen Horne is a senior global leader with extensive experience building DEIA best practices for several Fortune 500 companies. She has been recognized as a Diversity and Inclusion expert and a pioneer in building talent development pipelines. Karen was most recently Senior Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, North America...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Backlash: Addressing the Retreat of DEI in the Entertainment Industry

Sonia Hosko is the VP of Current at Cineflix Studios where she oversees production, most recently season four of Coroner. She also served as producer and co-executive producer on all five seasons of the hit television series Saving Hope (CTV, Ion) and Rookie Blue (ABC, Global). She worked with Ilana...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

As Commissioning Editor of Kids TV for TVO, Kirsten is responsible for all commissions and programming of the Kids block and a suite of TVOkids branded digital channels. TVOkids commissions and acquires a wide range of educational kids programming from all over the world and ensures it complements learning pathways...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Super Serving Kids Content; Speed Meetings: Kids & Family

Aneka Hylton-Donelson serves as a Director of Development for National Geographic Channel / Disney, where she does creative development for factual and general entertainment concepts, limited series, formats, specials and assesses talent and cultivates production partnerships for National Geographic linear and the Disney+ platforms.

Most recently she developed the new series,...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Meet a Decision Maker

Monika Ille is a member of the Abenaki First Nation of Odanak. She has built a rich and diverse portfolio over the course of 30 years in the broadcasting industry. After graduating with distinction from the Université du Québec à Montréal, she entered the industry by working for the Société...show more

Speaking on: Best Case Scenario: Canadian Industry Perspectives

Akane (Alex) Inoue has been licensing Nippon TV’s unscripted formats and anime series since 2021. Her main
licensing territory is U.S., Canada and Latin America, and has experience in working with not only acclaimed
producers within the area, but also with global streaming platforms negotiating various license terms.

Prior to joining Nippon TV in...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Meet a Distributor

Jennifer Irons is a writer turned talent agent, who founded META Talent Agency, the first Black-owned film & TV literary talent agency in Canada, with a mission to help increase access and opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) writers and directors.

In 2021 Jennifer was named one of...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Chris Irvine is SBS’ Head of Commercial & Production, overseeing the production, financing and commercial aspects of all TV and online content across all genres, whether commissioned, acquired or internally produced. He chairs the greenlight process for the suite of SBS Originals and manages relationships with the international distribution sector, extending
to co-productions...show more

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches; Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Scripted; Going Global (Netflix - BANFF Diversity of Voices Session)

Cassandra James is a transformative force in Hollywood, blending her Asian-American-Canadian roots to champion inclusivity and amplify transgender and LGBTQ+ voices. Her career spans across acclaimed roles, including a groundbreaking five-year stint on General Hospital as the first trans woman in a major daytime TV role, breaking barriers and advocating...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Frame: The Pink Paper’s Blueprint for 2SLGBTQ+ Representation

Richard is the VP of Business Innovation and Executive Producer at Attraction, specializing in exploring innovative business and financial strategies within the Branded Entertainment and FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) ecosystem. His expertise includes developing partnerships across brands, networks, and advertising agencies to drive industry growth.

Before joining Attraction, Richard had...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Working With Canada: Unscripted Buyers Go Cross-Border Shopping

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Alireza Kazemipour is a multi-award-winning Iranian-Canadian screenwriter and director with a master's degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Tehran. During a prolific screenwriting career in Iran spanning more than 2 decades, he has written for 32 series and mini-series (more than 750 episodes), 4 feature films, and 14...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director

As Director, Development – Scripted Programming for Lionsgate Canada, Andrew develops premium scripted content out of Canada for the global marketplace. He has set up and worked on series at ABC, CBC, CTV, CityTV, Global, CTV Sci-Fi, Showcase, Starz, SyFy, and The CW. While developing a dynamic slate of projects...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted

Cynthia Kennedy is the former Vice President, Distribution at Québecor Media, where she oversaw all international distribution activities of the group and brings Canadian content to audiences around the world. Producers and distributors within the group include Incendo, TVA Films, Québecor Content and TVA Distribution.

A native Montrealer with a 25-year track...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member

As General Manager, Carlyn Klebuc oversees development and production of all of Bell Media’s award-winning English-language independent programming and original digital content. 

Klebuc and her team work closely on productions commissioned from independent producers, as well as original digital production for Bell Media’s multiple English-language linear and digital properties and platforms. 

Klebuc joined...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches; 30 Minutes With: Carlyn Klebuc & Justin Stockman, Bell Media; Speed Meetings: Scripted

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Barbie moved to Los Angeles in 1996 to pursue a career in TV writing. Starting as an assistant on ER, she soon moved up to become a researcher for John Wells Productions and then a staff writer on Law & Order: SVU. After that, she wrote...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director; Who Runs This Mutha: Showrunner Superpanel

Ava Mustos is Associate Director of Acquisitions at global film and TV studio FIFTH SEASON. She is focused on seeking out and securing best-in-category unscripted and scripted content for FIFTH SEASON’s global TV Distribution slate and financing projects at all stages of production.

Ava is focused on identifying breakthrough...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Going Global (Netflix - BANFF Diversity of Voices Session)

Xavier Kochhar is the CEO of XKE, a media investment and integration firm that injects capital and resources into IP, content, production services, and monetization companies across the digital, OTT and linear network ecosystem. Over the last 25+ years, Xavier has held multiple investment and operational c-suite seats, overseeing operations,...show more

Speaking on: Dealmaking and Investment Post-Correction: Implications for M&A, Private Equity, and Value Creation in Content Businesses

Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin (Attawapiskat) is an award-winning filmmaker, mother, writer, performance artist and academic. With her background in community work, social justice themes emerge in her films, alongside bravery, healing, connection and humour. Jules honours her Cree-speaking grandparents who raised her, and her mother, a residential school Survivor/warrior.

Relying...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director

Lisa Kramer is President of International Content Licensing for Paramount Global Content Distribution, where she leads international licensing and marketing teams for the division. With her oversight spanning 20 offices around the world, she leads the team distributing an extensive portfolio of film and television content outside the U.S. to...show more

Speaking on: International Media Leaders: Charting the Course Forward; Meet a Board Member

Kevin Krikst is an award-winning producer of feature films and television at Rhombus Media, one of Canada’s leading production companies. Since joining the company in 2007, Kevin has had been involved in a number of prominent films and series, and has worked with some of the world’s most celebrated filmmakers, including Denis Villeneuve,...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners; Topic Tables

With over twelve years of experience in managing direct funding programs for the creative sector in British Columbia (BC), Erika Kumar has a passion for supporting talent, building community, and creating jobs. Throughout her career Erika has administered grants to film, television, and digital media producers; developed internship programs, arranged...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Speaking on: BANFF 2024 Opening Ceremonies

Jean La Rose is a First Nations citizen from the Abenakis First Nation of Odanak. He is the President/CEO of Dadan Sivunivut, an Indigenous owned, operated and managed company that oversees subsidiary companies in the digital media production and distribution sectors as well as radio, music rights and talent management...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Meet a Distributor; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

With many years of experience in television production and content creation, Marianne is an expert at creating content for kids that is fun and inviting. Fully bilingual, she has worked in many areas in kids tv: first as a host, then writer, director, producer, executive producer and broadcaster. In her...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Speed Meetings: Kids & Family

Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is a four-time Canadian Screen Award winner for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as family patriarch ‘Appa’ in Kim's Convenience. A self-professed nerd, he is a collector of movies, all things Star Wars, and an avid replica prop builder and cosplayer. Paul was thrilled to...show more

Speaking on: 2024 Rockies Gala (Van Horne Ballroom)

Anton Leo is an Executive Producer at Counterfeit Pictures, a Toronto-based production company with a focus on comedy and comedians. Along with partners Dan Bennett and Shane Corkery, Counterfeit recently completed filming season one of The Office Movers (Crave), a half-hour workplace comedy from Bell Media Studios breakout stars and...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

Marc Leonard is Chief Content Officer for Fuse Media, the global leader for inclusive entertainment. In this role, he oversees the Latino-owned company’s content, marketing, and research teams, guiding the creation and promotion of purpose-driven stories and experiences for and with culturally diverse young adults. Leonard has built an accomplished career amplifying underrepresented voices...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

Cody Lightning is a Native American (Cree) multi-hyphenate, who was one of the leads in the Marvel Studios series Echo for Hulu/Disney+. He also wrote, directed, and starred in Hey Viktor! which premiered at Tribeca 2023, and also screened at TIFF 2023. Best known for his role as ‘Young Victor’...show more

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

Georgina Lightning is a Cree actor/filmmaker with 34 years of experience in the film and entertainment industry. Lightning created a career for herself and children in Los Angeles after moving there in 1990. Her youngest Cody was just 5 years old in his first role in Geronimo full length feature...show more

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Felicia Litovitz is a seasoned acquisitions executive, with 20 years of experience in various roles across the TV and film industry. As VP, Acquisitions, North America, Felicia is responsible for building Cineflix Rights’ catalogue of factual and scripted content from US and Canadian producer partners. She also focuses on securing...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Saleena Lockett is a Network Executive with over 20 years of diverse industry experience. Saleena is a DGA Training Program Alum and an active member of the Directors Guild Association. Saleena currently works at THE CW NETWORK as the Executive Director of Scripted programming where she is involved in both...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Spotlight: The CW; Speed Meetings: Scripted

A proud Manitoba Metis, Vanessa has produced and directed over 100 hours of original and captivating programming that reflects the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. In her 13+ years as Co-General Manager at Animiki See Digital Production she has produced dramatic, documentary and music programs including Indigenous Day Live, a live national...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Collaboration Station Cocktail

Elaine Low is a staff writer at The Ankler, covering the evolution of Hollywood’s business model and work culture in the streaming age. She writes the weekly Series Business newsletter and covered the historic WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Strikegeist. She previously worked for Variety, Business Insider and Investor's Business Daily.

Speaking on: Who Runs This Mutha: Showrunner Superpanel; International Media Leaders: Charting the Course Forward

Graham has been working with Incendo since January 2021. He has already been involved in the production of nine films for Incendo, as well as a limited series. Prior to joining Incendo, he served as an executive producer and production supervisor on numerous Canadian series and films, including the hit...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

As SVP Comedy for New Metric Media, Bill Lundy is focused on broadening and strengthening the company’s slate of comedy brands and roster of comedy talent across scripted, sketch and stand up for multiple platforms including television, live entertainment, merchandise and licensing.

Previously, Lundy was SVP Development for Pier 21 Films,...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Sam leads Netflix's Canadian Licensing efforts across Series, Features, and Unscripted content. He is also part of the Global TV Licensing team and is responsible for bringing beloved series like Suits, Young Sheldon, and a catalog of HBO series such as Sex and the City to Netflix. He has also...show more

Speaking on: 30 Minutes With: Sam Mackie, Netflix

Michelle Mama is an award-winning, five-time Canadian Screen Award nominee who has been producing and directing in the factual and doc space for over two decades. Her most recent credits include executive producing doc feature Summer Qamp (TIFF ’23) Canada’s Drag Race Season 3 and Canada vs. The World (Crave), directing...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Frame: The Pink Paper’s Blueprint for 2SLGBTQ+ Representation

A versatile broadcaster who has hosted traffic and weather segments, news reports, fashion, and entertainment stories, Vancouver native Sonia Mangat is bringing experience, charisma, and her love for entertainment to her new role as ETALK reporter. Mangat also delivers entertainment updates every morning on Toronto’s CP24 Breakfast.

Following...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation With: Jasmeet Raina

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

Elfred is a queer, Filipinx arts and community organizer. As a consultant and facilitator, he connects people in dialogue to explore creativity, inclusion and capacity building in their organizational strategic planning.

With over 10 years of leadership experience, Elfred has worked with organizations like ArtStarts, Storyhive, DiverseCity, CMPA BC, the...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

Anishinaabe filmmaker Lisa Meeches is one of the most respected producers in the film industry, and is a Member of the Order of Canada and Order of Manitoba. Originally from Long Plain First Nation, Sandy Bay First Nation, and Ebb and Flow First Nation, Lisa studied broadcasting in North Dakota,...show more

Speaking on: Moving Mountains: Canadian Producers Tackle the Rocky Landscape; Meet a Board Member

Daniel Mekinda is EVP, Head of GroupM Motion Entertainment Canada where he works across areas of Intellectual Property, Entertainment Financing, Branded Content and Media and Entertainment Partnerships.

Most recently Daniel was at dentsu Canada, leading Global Sales and Partnerships after 6 years of leading their content agency. Prior to this was...show more

Speaking on: FAST Revolution: The New Era Of Ad-Supported Streaming

Tom Miyauchi is heading Nippon TV’s international unscripted formats business. He has been leading international partnerships and instrumental to Nippon TV’s format co-production projects with globally acclaimed studios and producers.

Prior to joining Nippon TV in 2017, Tom was a Brand Manager for a US music & entertainment company Fender...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Production Partners

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

Founder and CEO of award-winning production company New Metric Media, Mark Montefiore executive produces the multiple Canadian Screen Award winning Hulu/Crave original comedy series Letterkenny, the Hulu/Crave Letterkenny spinoff series Shoresy, CTV’s half-hour comedy series Children Ruin Everything, and the all-new half-hour Crave comedy series Bria Mack Gets A Life....show more

Speaking on: Spotlight: The CW

John Morayniss is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blink49 Studios, overseeing all aspects of the company’s activities, which encompasses the development, production, licensing, financing and monetization of all forms of television content. Before launching Blink49 Studios, John served for a decade as the CEO of Entertainment One Television...show more

Speaking on: Dealmaking and Investment Post-Correction: Implications for M&A, Private Equity, and Value Creation in Content Businesses

Driven by her love of storytelling and passion for working closely with creators of all disciplines, Nafisa brings over ten years of experience within the Canadian screen industry to her role as Director of Development. Before joining Pier 21 Films, Nafisa was the director of talent development programs at the...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

As Vice President, Content Sales & Co-Productions, Sandra Murphy oversees the BBC Studios’ Canada and Latin American content sales teams. In this role, she is responsible for the distribution of catalog and front list content to linear, digital and emerging platforms, exploring coproduction and partnership opportunities, developing business strategies...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Meet a Distributor

Paige Murray has worked at the CBC for over thirteen years and is currently Executive in Charge of Development, Drama on the Scripted Content team. In this role, Paige oversees the development of one-hour drama series and actively looks for creators and stories that reflect the spectrum of the...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Scripted; 30 Minutes With: Paige Murray, Sarah Quan & Jessica Schmiedchen, CBC; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #2: Drama Pitches

Nick Nantell is a television and film producer and studio executive. Currently, he serves as Executive Vice President, Head of Scripted Creative, Boat Rocker Studios. In this role, he oversees Boat Rocker’s U.S. and Canadian scripted divisions and live-action Kids & Family projects. He is an Executive Producer on numerous...show more

Speaking on: Orphan Black: Echoes - Screening and Master Class; Production Partners

Natasha Negrea is Head of Programming with TVO where she is responsible for the overall direction and evolution of documentaries and children’s programming. This includes oversight of TVO’s slate of award-winning commissions and acquisitions and shaping the strategy for scheduling and distribution on broadcast, OTT and digital platforms.

Natasha has had...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Meet a Decision Maker

With over 25 years of experience across the industry, Rachel Nelson spearheads a diverse portfolio of Scripted and Unscripted content as Vice President of Original Programming and Head of Corus Studios at Corus Entertainment. In this role, Rachel leads strategies for commissioning, developing, and producing first class series for Corus’...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker

Carolyn Newman is the Executive Vice President of Global Scripted for Blink49 Studios. Previously, she served as Head of Scripted Television and Production at Will Packer Media where she sold more than five shows into development to both streamers and broadcasters in just under a year. Prior to that, Newman...show more

Speaking on: Moving Mountains: Canadian Producers Tackle the Rocky Landscape

Kathleen Newman-Bremang is a Toronto-based editor, writer, producer, and the co-recipient of the inaugural Changemaker Canadian Screen Award. As the Deputy Editor - Global of Refinery29 Unbothered, Kathleen oversees the brand's UK and US editions, writes about pop culture, race, feminism and the intersection of all three, and champions other...show more

Speaking on: More than a Great Playlist: The Business of Music Supervision

Dan Norton is an agent in the Television Scripted department at Creative Artists Agency, a talent and literary agency based in Los Angeles, California. Dan specializes in representing writers and directors in all areas of television. His top clients include Eric Guggenheim (creator/showrunner Magnum P.I.), Sian Heder (Coda, Little America), Kevin...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Alexander Nunez is a CSA and WGC award nominated queer writer and actor of Jamaican & Chilean descent, who currently resides in Toronto. At the age of 17, Alexander got his start in the entertainment industry as a performer and improviser on Try It! – a Disney Channel comedy special....show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Frame: The Pink Paper’s Blueprint for 2SLGBTQ+ Representation

Nkechi Okoro Carroll is the founder of Rock My Soul Productions and is the creator/executive producer of the Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) drama series Found, which debuted last Fall on NBC. The series was recently renewed for a second season which is currently in production.

She is also the executive producer/showrunner...show more

Speaking on: Who Runs This Mutha: Showrunner Superpanel; Meet a Showrunner or Director

Coming soon....

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; Navigating Global Co-Financing: Strategies for Premium Content

Mike Omelus is executive director of content and strategy for APTN, the world’s first national Indigenous broadcaster. This role has Mike overseeing the network’s programming, scheduling and content creation departments as well as the commissioning of original programming in English, French and up to 17 Indigenous languages annually.

Prior to APTN, Mike was vice-president of...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Kids & Family; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Jim Packer is a 12-year veteran of Lionsgate and a member of the studio’s leadership team. As President of Worldwide Television Distribution, he directs the Company’s strategies for capitalizing on evolving distribution and licensing opportunities in a fast-changing global marketplace.

He oversees the distribution, licensing and marketing of Lionsgate’s 40 to...show more

Speaking on: FAST Revolution: The New Era Of Ad-Supported Streaming

Brad Pence is an esteemed talent manager at Atlas Artists, a subsidiary of Charles Roven’s Atlas Entertainment. Brad Pence is known for his strategic approach to guiding the careers of his clients. He provides personalized representation, career planning, and support across various aspects of the entertainment business, including film, television,...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

A creative powerhouse, Sitarah Pendelton oversees the unscripted slate at MTV Entertainment Studios, managing the teams and production companies that produce some of the biggest and most Award-winning reality franchises in television, including The Challenge, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Teen Mom, Jersey Shore Family Vacation, Catfish and Love & Hip Hop,...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Michael has placed thousands of songs in TV shows, films and documentaries, seen and heard around the world.

Michael has been working in the music/film/TV industries for 20+ years.  

He is honoured to have been awarded Music Supervisor awards at the GMS Awards in the U.S. and Sync Awards in Canada, honouring...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail; More than a Great Playlist: The Business of Music Supervision

As SVP Sales and Business Development for Neshama Entertainment and Fox Entertainment Global, Brook Peters is the sales lead for the entirety of the Fox Entertainment, MarVista, and Neshama content libraries for the Canadian market. With over 20 years of experience in various aspects of the film and television industry,...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Meet a Distributor

Andrew Peterson is the Head of YouTube Canada, where he oversees the content, creator and viewer ecosystems for the country.

In his role, Andrew works with the next generation of independent content creators through to the largest media, entertainment and news publishers in the country. His team focuses on growing the...show more

Speaking on: Empowering Human Creativity: Pushing the Boundaries of Expression with AI

Kate is responsible for the strategy and output of all Entertainment, Factual, Arts, Classical Music, Daytime and Events programming across BBC Channels and iPlayer. In 2023 she led the programming for the King’s Coronation and the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as 3,000 hours of content a year.

Previously she was...show more

Speaking on: Working With Canada: Unscripted Buyers Go Cross-Border Shopping

Tug Phipps has worn many creative and technical hats in his 17+ years in the motion picture industries. Having written, produced, directed and/or edited more than 100hrs of internationally broadcast content, screened in 90+ countries and reached global audiences of over 100m.

Joining Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV in 2016, Tug...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Jordan Pinto, based out of Toronto, is the North American editor for C21 Media, reporting on all aspects of the US and Canadian television sector. Prior to joining C21, he spent more than six years with Canadian trade publication Playback, most recently as associate editor, covering Canada's film and television...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation With: Sean Cohan, Bell Media; Moving Mountains: Canadian Producers Tackle the Rocky Landscape

Tom Power is an award-winning musician and broadcaster who hosts the national arts & entertainment program q on CBC Radio One. Hailing from St. John's, Newfoundland, Tom started his career programming folk music on college radio while pursuing a B.A in Folklore from Memorial University. At the age of 21,...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation with Tom Green - a special taping of CBC Radio's Q with Tom Power

Naveen Prasad is a media executive and content producer. He recently co-founded Cottage Industry Media with partner and showrunner Matthew Hastings where he serves as Co-President and CEO, developing and producing premium scripted and unscripted content. In addition, Prasad is the owner of Impossible Objects, a film and television production...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted

Kathleen has a BFA in Design Art from Concordia University and a Minor in Marketing Management from HEC Montréal.  In 2006, she began her career in the television format distribution business at Distraction Formats as the Director of Marketing.  She then migrated to various Quebec production companies where she established...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Meet a Distributor

As Executive in Charge of Development for CBC Comedy, Sarah is responsible for developing high quality, impactful original scripted comedy series for the network’s development slate.

Prior to joining CBC, she served as Creative Executive at Northwood Entertainment (Anne With An E, The Grizzlies) where she managed their slate of television and feature film...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Scripted; 30 Minutes With: Paige Murray, Sarah Quan & Jessica Schmiedchen, CBC; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

Jasmeet Raina is a Toronto-based writer/comedian and the creator, writer, and star of the hit Crave Original series, Late Bloomer, where he plays a burgeoning content creator trying to balance his ambitions for success with his commitment to his family, community, and culture. Prior to Late Bloomer, Jasmeet amassed millions...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation With: Jasmeet Raina; Rockie Awards International Program Competition Cocktails + Show (Van Horne Ballroom)

Jordy Randall’s focus on scripted content as a film and television producer has established SEVEN24 Films as one of Canada’s premiere content producers. He has been an Executive Producer on the award-winning series Heartland since its inception. Now in its seventeenth season on CBC, the series is the longest running one-hour...show more

Speaking on: Moving Mountains: Canadian Producers Tackle the Rocky Landscape

With 25+ years in the media industry and a passion for innovative deal-making and partnership, Diane works across development and distribution to marry creative and commercial strategy to meet market demand and create long-term value. 

In her role as EVP Commercial Strategy & Content Financing, Diane works with Blue Ant’s development,...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Kids & Family; Speed Meetings: Scripted

Originally from Southampton, England, Sanj dreamt of working in film since he was a boy. After graduating a three-year course in Digital Film Production & Screenwriting in England, he moved across the pond to Toronto to travel and explore. Little did he know he’d fall in love with Canada and...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Justin is the CEO of Vortex Media, a boutique studio bringing together global distribution and production with a focus on film and movies made for television in all genres.

He was formerly at Entertainment One overseeing television and digital distribution for English Canada where he had great success placing content...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Troy Reeb is Executive Vice President, Networks and Content at Corus Entertainment, overseeing all broadcast, streaming, studio content and operations.

Since 2019, Troy has led the Global Television Network and its 15 owned-and-operated stations, as well Corus’ 33 specialty networks, three national streaming services and 39 radio stations. Brands...show more

Speaking on: Best Case Scenario: Canadian Industry Perspectives

Amy Reisenbach serves as president of CBS Entertainment, where she leads all primetime, daytime and late-night creative departments at the CBS Television Network. She also supervises all comedy and drama development, alternative, specials and current programming, scheduling and casting.

Prior to her promotion in November 2022, Ms. Reisenbach served as executive...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation With Amy Reisenbach, CBS Entertainment

Jane Rimer was appointed SVP, Canada, at Banijay Rights in early 2020, following Banijay’s acquisition of Endemol Shine Group. With more than 20 years’ experience in the international media and entertainment sector, Jane today oversees all sales and content partnership opportunities in Canada for Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Banijay Entertainment.

Jane was previously...show more

Speaking on: Going Global (Netflix - BANFF Diversity of Voices Session)

After graduating with an Honours Degree in Drama & Film from Queen’s University, David pursued his love of acting & writing. Unfortunately, he knew no one in the business and was unable to get an agent to return his calls, let alone meet with him. He soon found himself in...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Bio Coming Soon...

Speaking on: Going Global (Netflix - BANFF Diversity of Voices Session)

Bio Coming Soon...

Speaking on: 2024 Rockies Gala (Van Horne Ballroom); In Conversation With the A+E Inclusion Award Honouree, Robin Roberts

Ryan Robinson is Director of Development for CNN Originals. Robinson joined CNN in 2016 and in that time, has worked on both series and films content including the six episode series The Last Movie Stars (SXSW 2022), Chowchilla (2023), and Academy Award winning-film Navalny (Sundance 2022).

She is based in Los...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker

Nataline Rodrigues is a strategic, results driven, entertainment executive with a proven track record in production and programming. With a solid foundation in independent production and seasoned experience as a broadcast executive, Nataline is known for her commitment to creative excellence and delivering compelling cross platform content in all genres for global audiences.

In...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

As VP of Drama Development for Sony Picture Television Studios, Ali Roland has played a key role in growing the studio’s slate by securing big IP, like the Hasbro game “Clue”, working on multiple projects based on Ben Macintyre’s acclaimed espionage novels, as well as identifying and developing original ideas,...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Scripted

Celebrating her first year as Executive Director & CEO of Telefilm Canada, Julie Roy has nearly 30 years’ experience in the Canadian film industry. She previously served in various positions at the National Film Board of Canada. She has designed numerous marketing campaigns and produced some 50 animated works that...show more

Speaking on: Partner Presentation - In Conversation With Julie Roy, Telefilm

Asif is the Chief Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Warner Bros. Discovery. He was previously the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact at adidas and has a long and rich career in the diversity and inclusion space with senior executive roles at The Telegraph Media Group,...show more

Speaking on: International Media Leaders: Charting the Course Forward

Kate Sanagan is the Head of Sales and Distribution at Sinking Ship Entertainment, a multiple Emmy® Award winning production, distribution and interactive company specializing in kids’ and family content. Since its launch in 2004, Sinking Ship has rapidly earned a reputation for high quality, ground-breaking original series. Kate oversees the...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Sid Santiago Zanforlin is a LatinX Canadian director and writer originally hailing from Montreal, now in Toronto. He draws heavily from his Chilean and Québécois heritage and is committed to fostering diversity in the television industry.

A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre, Sid has a diverse background, having worked as...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Showrunner or Director

Meredith Scardino is the creator and showrunner of the Emmy-nominated comedy series, Girls5eva, currently in its third season on Netflix. Prior to which, she worked as a writer-producer on the entire run of the critically-acclaimed Tina Fey, Robert Carlock series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She got her start in comedy writing...show more

Speaking on: Who Runs This Mutha: Showrunner Superpanel

Stefania Scarfo is the Head of Content Strategy for Paramount+, Canada’s newest streaming service. As lead of the content team, she oversees the programming strategy. Scarfo is tasked with making strategic content acquisitions and commissioning decisions in alignment with the streaming services strategy to ensure Paramount+ offers a mountain of...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Jessica oversees development of original content and formats in the genres of factual, entertainment and documentary series at CBC and CBC Gem. She is responsible for sourcing the best new formats from around the world, and working with the independent production community in Canada to bring their ideas to life....show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc; 30 Minutes With: Paige Murray, Sarah Quan & Jessica Schmiedchen, CBC; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

Michael Schneider has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years — most of that time at Variety, where he oversees television coverage as its TV Editor. Schneider has won several entertainment journalism awards and also regularly contributes to local outlets including Spectrum News 1 and KCRW....show more

Speaking on: Spotlight: Universal Studio Group; Summit Series: Rob Wade, Fox Entertainment; In Conversation With the A+E Inclusion Award Honouree, Robin Roberts

Brad Schwartz has been listed among Broadcasting and Cable’s Next Wave of Leaders, The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation, CableFax’s Top 100 Power Players, named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Leaders and was inducted into the CableFax Hall of Fame.

He is currently the President of Entertainment at...show more

Speaking on: Spotlight: The CW

Sharon Scott is President of A+E Factual Studios™ and oversees the group’s expanding full-service, nonfiction content business. The business is based out of A+E Networks® in New York and encompasses the Category 6 Media™ and Six West Media™ brands.

Scott joined A+E Networks as Executive Vice President of Category 6 Media in 2020 and was...show more

Lloyd Segan (Partner, Piller/Segan) is a prominent producer whose television series and films have been enjoyed by audiences worldwide. He currently serves as Executive Producer of the new hit series Wild Cards (CBC/CW).

Prior to that, he also served as Executive Producer of multiple acclaimed multi-season series, including Private Eyes (a recipient of the CSA’s Golden Screen Award for Canada’s...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Michael Serapio is a renowned television anchor and reporter, whose broadcasting career has spanned more than two decades of covering some of the most challenging news stories in real time. In addition to being the face of CPAC’s live programming, he hosts the channel’s nightly political round-up, PrimeTime Politics, and...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Frame: The Pink Paper’s Blueprint for 2SLGBTQ+ Representation

Rekha Shah is an accomplished executive in the media industry serving as VP, Client Relations at Paramount Global.

With over 20 years of experience, Shah plays a vital role in managing content licensing for Paramount Global in the Canadian market across all rights windows in both French and English, with the...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Ben C. Silverman is a founding partner of Vancouver based, Timeless Pictures under which banner he has produced 40 films since Covid. He is a founding partner of the LA based literary management company, Navigation Media Group and the managing director of Integral Artists, one of Canada’s largest talent agencies...show more

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Currently a Producer and Co-General Manager, Desiree joined Animiki See Digital Production in October 2010 as a Producer and the Manager of Production. She has produced several live music specials, events and series, including: Indigenous Day Live and National Day for Truth & Reconciliation; numerous documentaries and factual series, including the CSA-nominated First Contact, 1491: The Untold...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners; Collaboration Station Cocktail

Speaking on: Meet an Agent

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit: Networking Breakfast + Opening Ceremonies

Sam Sniderman is a media consultant and advisor based in Los Angeles. He began his career as a corporate lawyer but has spent the last fifteen years as a senior leader in the entertainment industry. His experience includes overseeing numerous production companies around the world, as well as leading the purchase...show more

Speaking on: Dealmaking and Investment Post-Correction: Implications for M&A, Private Equity, and Value Creation in Content Businesses

Olivia Snyder-Spak is an Emmy Award-nominated producer with experience in film, television and development. She has developed programming with every major US buyer. Recent credits include Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia (CNN Films), Power Trip (Hulu), and The Circus (Showtime).

As Director of Nonfiction for Topic Studios, Olivia...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Production Partners

Richard Speer, a leader in the content and entertainment industries, founded Attraction in 2002. Today he heads a company whose renowned expertise affords him a leading role in Canadian television and film. Since its founding, Attraction has produced more than 8,000 hours of television, many feature films, and has received...show more

Speaking on: Moving Mountains: Canadian Producers Tackle the Rocky Landscape; 30 Minutes With: Sam Mackie, Netflix

Speaking on: Spotlight: Universal Studio Group

Adam Steinman is President and founder of newly formed Mount Royal Films LLC, a global film and television "format lab" based in Los Angeles.

In 2023, Adam Steinman signed a development and production deal with Walt Disney Television Alternative.

Under this new deal, Steinman will work in collaboration with the team at...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners; Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #1: Unscripted/Documentary Pitches

With over 20 years of experience in television production, Vanessa Steinmetz co-CEO and Executive Producer at Pier 21 Films, leads the creative and business strategies for the company alongside co-CEO Nicole Butler.

Vanessa was previously SVP Production Finance at eOne and ran her own consulting company Stone Carver Media where she provided structural financing expertise...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Sandra Stern is Vice Chairman of the Lionsgate Television Group, serving as a key member of the Company’s senior management team for nearly 20 years and helping to guide Lionsgate’s television business to record-breaking revenue growth during nearly every year of her tenure. She has been instrumental in growing the...show more

An industry leader, mentor, and advocate for creators, Sharon Stevens has more than 20 years of experience in the film and TV industry. As Vice President, Programming at Hollywood Suite, her specialized knowledge of negotiations, acquisitions, scheduling, and programming have contributed to the growth and success of the company.

In...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted

Mike Stiller is Head of East Coast Development for The History Channel. In that role he co-leads development for the network and developed the channel’s newest hit, The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd. During his nearly 20-year career at the channel, Stiller has developed some of the most popular franchises in...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail; Working With Canada: Unscripted Buyers Go Cross-Border Shopping

Justin Stockman is responsible for English TV programming including CTV, Crave, and Bell Media’s English-language specialty channels Discovery, MTV, E!, Much, CTV Drama, CTV Life, CTV Comedy, CTV Sci-Fi with a focus on developing ground-breaking new content.

Stockman also leads Bell Media's diversity and inclusion initiatives, both internally as a member...show more

Speaking on: 30 Minutes With: Carlyn Klebuc & Justin Stockman, Bell Media; Meet a Board Member

Kale has worked in film and television for over a decade and is the Head of Original Programming for Rogers Sports & Media, where he oversees such productions as Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Canada’s Got Talent, and Hudson & Rex.

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted

Minister of Canadian Heritage
Location
Brome—Missisquoi
The Honourable Pascale St-Onge was elected as the Member of Parliament for Brome—Missisquoi in 2021. She has previously served as Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

Minister St-Onge is a champion for equity,...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation With the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Mary-Anne Taylor is the Head of Content Distribution Canada for Roku, responsible for building and nurturing content distribution partnerships with Canadian publishers and securing the launch of tier one local channel applications. A seasoned entertainment executive with 15+ years of industry experience in sales, distribution and product management, Mary-Anne’s work...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Topic Tables

Courtney Thomasma, Executive VP of Streaming at AMC Networks, is a respected industry leader known for her innovative, data-driven approach. She oversees AMC’s global streaming portfolio, including AMC+, Acorn TV, ALLBLK, HIDIVE, IFC Films Unlimited, Shudder, and Sundance Now. Her role includes overseeing the management and strategic direction of each...show more

Speaking on: Orphan Black: Echoes - Screening and Master Class

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit: Networking Breakfast + Opening Ceremonies

Natasha Tony, CEO of Vancouver-based Elevate Inclusion Strategies, is a sought-after labour relations specialist, consultant, leadership coach, trainer, and speaker. In 2022, Natasha was recognized as a Black leader in Vancouver by the Vancouver Economic Commission.

Natasha is committed to applying an intersectional, human rights, and reconciliation lens to all that...show more

Speaking on: Disrupting Racism: A Call to Action for Media Leaders and Industry Mentors

Speaking on: Partner Presentation - In Conversation With Julie Roy, Telefilm

Grace is currently Director of Global Scripted Programming at Universal International Studios. As part of the LA Scripted team, her job encompasses both scripted development and current. She works closely with Universal International Studios’ production partners to help identify talent and global IP, provide creative feedback throughout the creative process...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Going Global (Netflix - BANFF Diversity of Voices Session); Speed Meetings: Scripted

Kerry Tucker is an executive with 25+ years experience who has held CEO, COO and CMO roles in entertainment, media, retail, tech and gaming. Her data-driven leadership skills have been honed at Fortune 500 companies as well as startups, producing an executive with the unique ability to succeed inside both....show more

Speaking on: Dealmaking and Investment Post-Correction: Implications for M&A, Private Equity, and Value Creation in Content Businesses

Speaking on: Spotlight: Universal Studio Group

Claire Urquhart is an Executive Producer and RTS-winning producer, with over 20 years experience creating primetime TV shows, documentaries and returning series for major broadcasters in the UK and Internationally. 

Claire is the current Head of S4C International's Content Fund, which funds ambitious, Scripted and Unscripted shows that connect Welsh...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Working With Canada: Unscripted Buyers Go Cross-Border Shopping

Victoria Valius is the Vice President of Marketing and Co-Country Manager of Sony Pictures Television and Home Entertainment Canada. Victoria manages the operations of the Canadian office of Sony Pictures and shares in the responsibility of meeting the division’s digital transactional, physical home entertainment, and television distribution goals and objectives.  

Since...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Board Member

Jeff oversees the development and production of scripted projects for Cineflix Productions. He’s helped make numerous award-winning films including Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey and I Was Lorena Bobbitt. He’s produced gripping crime thrillers like Stolen by Their Father and Abducted: The Carlesha Gaither Story, as well as...show more

Speaking on: Production Partners

Patrick Vien is Group Managing Director, International at A+E Networks, a global media and entertainment company with a collection of culture brands that includes A&E, HISTORY, HISTORY2, BLAZE, Crime & Investigation, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, FYI, VICELAND and BIOGRAPHY. Patrick, in collaboration with his teams and A+E's various partners around the...show more

Speaking on: Navigating Global Co-Financing: Strategies for Premium Content; Meet a Board Member

Coming soon...

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor

Originally from Cambridge, Ont., Eric Volmers has been covering arts and entertainment for Postmedia for the past 15 years. His beats have included film and TV, visual art, music, books and theatre.  He currently lives in Calgary.

Speaking on: Orphan Black: Echoes - Screening and Master Class

Neil Wade serves as Executive-In-Charge for Animated Current Series at Nickelodeon Animation. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, he’s lived across the USA and as far away as Japan before beginning his career in animation. Starting as an intern at Nickelodeon, he’d go on to work on series such as Dora the...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Kids & Family; Super Serving Kids Content

Rob Wade was named CEO of FOX Entertainment in October 2022. He is responsible for the company’s growing portfolio of businesses, including FOX Network; in-house unscripted studio FOX Alternative Entertainment (FAE); scripted content creator FOX Entertainment Studios (FES); Studio Ramsay Global in partnership with Gordon Ramsay; Emmy Award winning animation...show more

Speaking on: Summit Series: Rob Wade, Fox Entertainment

David Walberg is executive director and CEO of Pink Triangle Press, Canada’s leading LGBTQ2S+ media group, and one of the world's longest running queer publishers. David is a serial entrepreneur and internet pioneer, as well as a writer, editor, publisher and producer who has made a significant impact on our...show more

Speaking on: Beyond the Frame: The Pink Paper’s Blueprint for 2SLGBTQ+ Representation

Catherine Warren is an media-tech innovator, economic development CEO and Board Director, advancing companies, governments, and investors through strategic capital, community-building and global growth strategies. Catherine’s leadership has resulted in $3B in high-impact investment to Canada since 2018. 

As Chief Executive Officer of Vancouver Economic Commission, she led a portfolio including the...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Cori Wellins is a partner in WME’s Scripted Television Department.  She represents a broad array of producers, writers, showrunners and talent.  Wellins’ clients include Lee Eisenberg (Lessons in Chemistry), Liz Meriwether (The Dropout), Charlotte Stoudt (The Morning Show), Alan Yang (Loot), Tara Hernandez (Mrs Davis), Zoe Lister Jones (SLIP), Melanie...show more

Speaking on: International Media Leaders: Charting the Course Forward; Meet an Agent

Peter White is Executive Editor of Television for Deadline. Having joined Deadline in 2017, White heads the U.S. TV staff while leading our coverage of the networks, studios and streamers. His specialties are late-night, unscripted TV, executive turnover and the podcasting business. He is based in Los Angeles, having moved...show more

Speaking on: In Conversation With Amy Reisenbach, CBS Entertainment; Summit Series: Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group

Lauren is the Head of Programming for OUTtv, currently with services in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  With servicing multiple territories, she has successfully negotiated contracts with companies worldwide.  Lauren is part of the development team at the network and continues to work closely with...show more

Speaking on: Speed Meetings: Scripted; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Stephanie Wilson Chapin is a dynamic and passionate leader who has been immersed in the media industry for over two decades. With an extensive background in digital strategy, product management, marketing, consumer research, and editorial strategy, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise in transforming ideas into tangible, data-driven solutions that...show more

Speaking on: 30 Minutes With: Stephanie Wilson Chapin, YouTube Canada

Melanie Windle (BFA, MFA) is an award-winning producer, mentor, and media entrepreneur. She is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Entertainment Society, and Executive Producer of the Sustainable Production Forum, an annual world leading event that accelerates decarbonization and sustainability in arts and entertainment.

Prior to this, she served as Director...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables

Justina Wójtowicz joined Rive Gauche in August 2020 and is EVP Acquisitions Co-productions & Sales. She oversees Global Acquisitions, Co-productions, development as well as working daily with international producers & broadcasters to secure production finance and partnerships. 

Prior to Rive Gauche she was the Head of Acquisitions at Beyond Distribution charged with overseeing all global acquisitions...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Distributor; Speed Meetings: Unscripted/Factual/Doc

Passionate about music and what it brings to the moving picture, Lindsay has been working in Music Supervision for over 20 years. She is known for her work on One Tree Hill, where she featured over 1700 songs from breaking artists to iconic names like Led Zeppelin and U2, and more recently for...show more

Speaking on: More than a Great Playlist: The Business of Music Supervision

Speaking on: Diversity of Voices: Working with Netflix + Lunch

Speaking on: Diversity of Voices: Working with Netflix + Lunch

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit Pitch Forum #3: Comedy Pitches

Jay Carolyn Wu (they/them) is a creative producer and writer/director. They were a development executive for scripted original comedy & drama at Bell Media from 2021 to 2023. During that time, they covered a slate of 15+ projects for Crave and CTV, including Sullivan's Crossing and The Spencer Sisters, both of which premiered...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables; Production Partners

Li Yeh is Director of Strategic Planning for English-language original programming for Bell Media. Li leads the business and content rights strategies for development and independent productions working closely with the senior leadership team. With a focus on Bell Media’s strategic priorities, Li also manages relationships with external stakeholders. 

With over 20 years of...show more

Speaking on: Meet a Decision Maker; Topic Tables

Speaking on: Indigenous Screen Summit: Networking Breakfast + Opening Ceremonies

Speaking on: Production Partners

Dayna Zipursky has been a part of the Canadian production company Neshama Entertainment team since it was created six years ago in partnership with MarVista Entertainment (which is now part of FOX Entertainment). She currently serves as Senior Vice President, Production Strategy, Post & Operations where she oversees both the production and post-production teams...show more

Speaking on: Collaboration Station Cocktail

Head of Entertainment Law Group at Goodmans. Focuses on film, TV, and online media in Canada and US. Clients include independent producers, Canadian and US networks, Hollywood studios, US cable and OTT services, European broadcasters, distributors, publishers, game companies, private equity investors, talent guilds/agencies, and writers/performers.

Recognized by Chambers Canada...show more

Speaking on: Topic Tables