2025 Industry Series

Industry Guests

Canadian Film Fest is grateful to our esteemed Industry guests in attendance.

We invite filmmakers and passholder to participate in our dynamic Industry events throughout the Festival week, each conversation and event is an opportunity for continued learning in our ever-changing industry, and a platform for indie filmmakers of all experineces to discover career building insights and connections.

For the full events listing, see: www.canfilmfest.ca/industry-2025

Keep checking back for updates as we confirm key participants!

Industry Day 1

Monday, March 24

CFF Masterclass: Fix it in Prep
Sponsored by CMPA

lori lozinski, producer, Violator Films Inc.
lori lozinski is an award-winning filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC and the President of Violator Films Inc, an independent production company that has been telling maverick stories since 2007. She is recognized for producing socially conscious character-driven stories with female creatives. Notable productions include Little Bird, Don’t Even, A Motorcycle Saved My Life, The Pilgrimage, Kimmapiyiipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, Sugar Daddy, RETAKE and Once There Was A Winter. lori is an alumna of the Canadian Film Centre, Trans Atlantic Partners, Women In The Director’s Chair, and was nominated for the 2019 & 2020 CMPA Indie Screen Awards for Established Producer.

Lauren Grant, Producer Clique Pictures
Lauren Grant owns Clique Pictures, a vibrant film and television production company that focuses on working with female creative talent in front and behind the camera. Her producing work includes the films Sugar Daddy, The Retreat, Riot Girls, Wet Bum, Picture Day, as well as the documentaries On the Line, Metamorphosis, and Traceable. Lauren serves as an Executive Producer on The Sticky for Amazon Canada. She won a Canadian Screen Award for the short documentary Take a Walk on the Wildside and a Genie award for Savage. The Hollywood Reporter named Lauren one of 15 Talents to Watch, and she is an alumna of ACE Producers, Trans-Atlantic Partners, Rotterdam Lab, Berlinale Talent Campus, and TIFF Studio. She’s currently completing her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia.

Industry Day 2

Tuesday, March 25

CFF Industry Panel: GLOBAL VOICES, CANADIAN HEART: International Storytelling in Film
Co-Presented by ConneKt Film

Anya Vagabova, ConneKt Film, Founder/CEO
Anya Vagabova is a Ukrainian filmmaker based in Toronto and the Founder and CEO of ConneKt Film. Dedicated to empowering filmmakers, she connects emerging talent with opportunities, resources, and networks. Anya’s experience spans virtual production, program management, and producing, with contributions to organizations like Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV (William F. White), Frantic Films, the Canadian Film Centre and xoTO Schools at NABET 700-M UNIFOR. Passionate about inclusivity and innovation, she champions diverse voices and global storytelling.

Yazmeen Kanji, Film Director & Founder of Films With A Cause, One Day
Yazmeen is the founder of Films With A Cause, along with an award-winning emerging director, writer, producer, and cultural consultant in the screen industry. Yazmeen is the former Advocacy and Outreach Lead at BIPOC TV & Film as well as an alum of Inspirit Foundation’s Narrative Change Lab. Yazmeen’s filmmaking career began with award-winning narrative shorts, including From Syria to Hope (2019), which won Best Short Doc at the Toronto Short Film Festival. Her second documentary, With Love From Munera (2020), premiered at the Inside Out Film Festival and was an official selection at TIFF Next Wave, winning the Audience Choice Award at the 2021 Breakthroughs Film Festival. She has also worked on several CBC projects, including co-producing a documentary for The Passionate Eye. Yazmeen’s first fiction short, One Day, is having its Toronto premiere on March 26th at 11:00am at the Canadian Film Festival.

Amir Kahnamouee, Writer, Please After You
Amir Kahnamouee is an Iranian-Canadian writer and actor based in Toronto. His first feature script, PORT OF CALL, was a finalist in the Canadian Film Festival Script Contest.

Amir was the recipient of the 2018 Daryl Duke Prize for excellence in a screenplay for an unproduced long-form dramatic film. He participated in the Whistler Film Festival Screenwriting Lab in 2018 and the script he came out of the lab with, went on to win the Writer's Guild of Canada Jim Burt Prize and was optioned by Vortex Productions.

His feature film, PLEASE, AFTER YOU was awarded Harold Greenberg Development funding, as well as Canada Media Fund production funding, had its world premiere at the Whistler Film Festival in 2024.

Celestina Aleobua, Director/Producer, Tina, When Will You Marry?
Celestina Aleobua is an Actress, Writer, Director, and Producer based in Toronto, Canada. Born in Lesotho to Nigerian parents and raised in South Africa, Celestina has a passion for telling stories that preserve African culture and history. As a filmmaker, her narratives focus on cultural enlightenment through the creation of authentic black stories. In September 2023, Celestina, alongside her co-creator Naira Adedeji, pitched their television series Jaded at the Toronto International Film Festival and won two awards. Celestina is the founder of ThatAfrikan Productions and has written, produced, directed and starred in numerous films and TV shows, including After 30 (2025), Tina, When Will You Marry? (2024), Second Wind (2022), Finch (2019), The People of Sand (2018), Showtime's Fellow Travellers (2023), and Skydance/ Amazon Studio's Reacher (2022).

Tarique Qayumi, Writer/Director Aqautinter Films Ltd, Conceiving Clara
Tarique Qayumi's dramatic escape from Afghanistan, hidden in the back of the truck with his mother, inspired him to be a storyteller. He joined the Warner Access x Academy Directing Program, enabling him to direct CBC's Allegiance later this year.

His second feature, "Black Kite," a historical drama blending animation, documentary, and live-action, premiered at TIFF in 2017, screened at 20 festivals, and won three Leo Awards for Best Writer, Best Direction, and Best Picture. It was sold to Amazon Studios.

Qayumi recently completed his third feature film, "Conceiving Clara," in partnership with Telefilm. His TV series pitch, "Kabul Kitchen," won the Creator of Colour Incubator at TIFF '21 and received pre-development funding from CBC. This year, he returned as a mentor at Whistler Film Festival Screenwriting Labs.

Early in his career, Qayumi worked on popular TV shows in Afghanistan, including "Truth Unveiled," "The Defenders," and "Sesame Street," significantly impacting local culture.

CFF Industry Cheers & Chats: SCOUTING T.O.: Finding the Perfect Location
Sponsored by xoTO and DGC Ontario

Magali Simard, Moderator, Cinespace, Director, Industry & Community Relations
Magali Simard is the Director of Industry Relations at Cinespace Studios Toronto, Ontario’s largest film and television production hub. She oversees industry relations, government affairs, brand deployment and has launched CineCares, Cinespace’s workforce training program. She is a Board Member of Film Ontario, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, the Canadian Film Centre, and the City of Toronto’s Film Advisory Board.

She is the former Film Sector Development Officer for the City of Toronto and was a lead curator at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for eleven years. She is a recurrent guest speaker and columnist in Canadian media and at industry events.

Dason Johnson, Location Scout/Composer, No Fauxs Entertainment LTTD
Dason Johnson is a veteran location scout and manager in the film and television industry, with recent credits including Amazon Prime Video's "Reacher" (2024), "Gen V" (2023), and "Cross" (2023). As an emerging producer on Apple TV+'s "JANE" (2022/2023), he coordinated complex multinational scouts and shoots in California, Mexico, Kenya, Costa Rica and the Canadian Rockies. Through his company Nø Fåuxs Entertainment LTD, Dason composes, develops and produces original content across music, film, and television. Over the last 15 years his unique skillset has led him from scouting music videos for Swiss auteurs (Karim Huu Do + Drake’s “Jungle”), to collaborating with Noah "40" Shebib, and travelling deep into the Canadian north to discover the perfect frozen lake to film on! His favourite part of scouting is melding the real with the imaginary to delight, surprise and engage.

Richard Hughes, DGC Locations Manager, The Apprentice
I made super 8 film movies from ages 12 to the end of high school. Attended Sheridan College for film and television. Began working as a Production assistant in 1989. My first show was a Ron Howard movie called "The Dream Team" I later joined the DGC in locations in the mid 90's, and worked on productions such as The Santa Clause, Long Kiss Goodnight, Max Payne, Owning Mahoney, Hemlock Grove, The Boys, The Apprentice, and Wayward.

Bobby Donches, City of Toronto, Manager, Permitting, Film & Entertainment
Bobby Donches is the Film Permitting Manager for the City of Toronto where he leads, develops, and ensures effective delivery of economic development programs and activities to enhance the local and international competitiveness of the City's Film and Screen Entertainment Sector. Bobby has over 24 years of experience with the City of Toronto in various departments working closely with internal and external stakeholders. For the past 13 years Bobby has been a fixture in the Toronto Film Office coordinating location production filming, working with local and global partners such as studios, unions, content distributors, and government to enhance the industry footprint in Canada and abroad.

CFF Industry Panel: FUNDED AND SEEN: Untapped Support for Canadian Creators
Co-Presented by WebSeries Canada

Katie Uhlmann, Filmmaker & WebSeries Canada President / TO. Webfest
Katie Uhlmann is an actor, director, writer, stand-up comedian, and the CEO of the production company, Katie Chats Inc. She is best known as the creator, producer, co-writer and director of two seasons of her award-winning digital comedy series MY ROOMMATE’S AN ESCORT; in addition to six years of her own talk show KATIE CHATS, where she interviewed over 3000 professionals in the film and television industry.

Uhlmann is also the current President of the national organization WebSeries Canada which provides mentorship and community to emerging series creators across the country as well as orchestrating ‘TO Webfest’, one of the largest short-form digital series festivals in the world.

As an actor she has appeared in over 50 television shows and films including CBC's WORKIN' MOMS, Hulu/Family Channel's HOLLY HOBBIE, and NBC/Global's NURSES.

Spring 2023 Katie did a director shadow in NYC at the LAW AND ORDER studios on the CBS show FBI: MOST WANTED, and then directed the short film “WHEN YOU KNOW YOU…KNOW?” which garnered Uhlmann her first “Best Film” and “Best Director” awards and nominations on the 2024 festival circuit.

Currently, Katie is in post production on the comedy series entitled COWS COME HOME that she co-created, co-wrote and co-produced with Lindsey Middleton. The show is about female friendship and the world of competitive cow showing. The series was selected for the 2023 TIFF Series Accelerator. It will launch on BellFibeTV1 on June 10th, 2025. Uhlmann directed all six episodes.

Donna Cagnoli, Bell Fibe TV1, Producer
Donna Cagnoli is a producer and content distribution professional with over three years of experience in the entertainment industry. As a producer for Bell Fibe TV1, she oversees the development and production of original content on SVOD and the Fibe TV app. She specializes in managing production workflows, coordinating content delivery, and ensuring seamless distribution.

Passionate about storytelling, she combines her creative and strategic expertise to contribute to Canada’s evolving media landscape. She holds a master’s degree in marketing and a diploma in screenwriting and film producing from Concordia University in Montreal.

Paul Gardner, Bell Fibe TV1, Senior Producer
Paul Gardner is an award-winning producer with over 30 years experience developing creative content in the media industry. In his current position as Senior Producer for Bell Fibe TV1, Paul has overseen the development and production of an ambitious slate of original titles for Fibe TV1’s broadcast Channel, VOD, APP and Mobile content.

Previous to his work with Bell, Paul spent a decade working in Children and Youth programming as a Senior Producer for TVO Kids as well as establishing a freelance career on a wide range of projects from doc series to music videos, commercials and animation.

Paul is a graduate of Niagara College’s Broadcasting program where he majored in film studies.

Melissa Amer, Telefilm, Regional Feature Film Executive for Ontario
Melissa Amer is the Regional Feature Film Executive for Ontario and Nunavut at Telefilm Canada. Telefilm’s mission is to support the development, production, promotion and distribution of the screen-based industry in Canada.

Mitch Geddes, Neshama Entertainment, VP, Development and Current
One of Playback’s 10 to Watch for 2022, Mitch Geddes is the Vice President of Development & Current Production for Neshama Entertainment, responsible for overseeing the creative affairs of original series and feature film projects for the studio through development and production. He currently manages a portfolio of projects including the third season of the original family drama THE WAY HOME (HALLMARK). Previous to Neshama Entertainment, Mitch served as a Production Executive for Bell Media’s Original Programming Team, overseeing the production of a variety of drama series including the CSA Award-winning drama series TRANSPLANT (CTV/NBC), the limited event series LITTLE BIRD (CRAVE/PBS), and the original paranormal drama SURREALESTATE (SYFY/CTV SCI FI), as well as a dynamic slate of films for CRAVE including Anthony Shim’s RICEBOY SLEEPS and Fawzia Mirza’s THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS.

Suzanne Marshall, Hollywood Suite, Senior Manager of Programming
Suzanne Marshall has over a decade of experience in the Canadian Film and Television industry, including with the Toronto International Film Festival and the Canadian Film Centre. In her current role as Hollywood Suite’s Senior Manager of Programming, Suzanne handles all aspects of programming, acquisitions, scheduling, and production commissioning. She is integral to the curation and acquisition strategy of Hollywood Suite’s branded channels. Always dedicated to supporting emerging voices in the industry, Suzanne works closely with the Canadian production community and is extremely adept at finding creative solutions for independent projects at any stage of their production, from development to post.

Mark Shapland, Program Manager and Climate Lens Facilitator, Independent Production Fund
Mark completed his Bachelors of Arts in Film Studies at Carleton University. With a passion of studying film theory and a desire to share the film-going experience with others, he went on to complete a graduate degree in Television & Film - Business at Centennial College. Upon graduation Mark interned in the distribution department at a production company, then started his career working for two national funding organizations, the Bell Fund and the Independent Production Fund. Since 2018, Mark has evaluated over 500 series applications, manages the Industry Development program that supports media organizations and events across Canada and leads all climate and sustainability initiatives at the IPF. Currently, Mark is the Program Manager and Climate Lens Facilitator at the Independent Production Fund (IPF).

CFF Industry Directors Roundtable: BREAKING IN: The Transition to Directing
Sponsored by DGC Ontario

Shawn Gerrard, Film & Television Director, Jane, Space & Time
Shawn Gerrard is a filmmaker from Toronto and alumnus of the York University film production and screenwriting program, the Toronto International Film Festival’s TIFF Filmmaker Lab, and the Warner Bros Discovery x Academy Access Directors roster initiative. In 2024, Shawn was selected as one of Playback’s 10 to Watch.

Nick Butler, Writer/Director/Producer Cloudy Pictures Inc., The Legacy of Cloudy Falls
Nick Butler is a Canadian filmmaker whose debut feature The Legacy of Cloudy Falls is being released theatrically in May 2025. His second feature Lunar Sway is currently in post-production. Both films received funding from Telefilm Canada. His short films have screened at over thirty international film festivals. He also has a background in casting including as casting director on the acclaimed Canadian feature Dim the Fluorescents, casting associate on Alexander Payne’s Downsizing and in the casting department of projects including HBO’s Euphoria, Oscar-winning feature film Room among many others.
Joanna Tsanis, Writer & Director, The Killgrin, Bloody Bites
Meelad Moaphi, Director & Screenwriter, His Father’s Son
Dan Abramovici, Actor/Filmmaker, Spaceman

Meelad Moaphi, Director & Screenwriter / Assistant Professor, Department of English and Film Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
Meelad Moaphi is a Toronto-based filmmaker. His directorial feature debut, HIS FATHER'S SON, was released in 2024. Born in Iran and raised in Japan, Meelad has worked internationally, directing culturally diverse content across several languages. His award-winning shorts include ARRHYTHMIA (2009), REPUBLIC OF GOD (2010), and WORTH (2019). Meelad was Associate Producer on Antoine Bourges’ CONCRETE VALLEY (TIFF 2022, Berlinale 2023). He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Joanna Tsanis, Writer/Director, The Killgrin
Joanna Tsanis is an award-winning Greek-Canadian genre filmmaker. Her short films have screened at festivals worldwide and have been featured in horror publications such as Fangoria, Dread Central, and Bloody Disgusting.

Her feature debut, The Killgrin, starring Konstantina Mantelos, Ramona Milano, Adam Tsekhman, Cristo Fernández, and Peter MacNeill, premiered at FilmQuest, winning Best Makeup FX and earning seven nominations. Her acclaimed short films have received multiple awards, including the Audience Award at Overlook Film Festival and Best Director at Nightmares Film Festival. They are available on ALTER and Arrow Player.

Joanna also directed two episodes for Screambox’s anthology series Bloody Bites and wrote Eleftheromania, a WWII-era short starring Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis. A former comic book columnist, she teaches Film Production at Rogue Studios, a school sponsored by Raimi Productions.

Rebecca Applebaum, Director, The Gift
An experienced performer herself, Rebecca loves finding the right actors for a project and bringing out their best on set. Her short film Spooning, which also screened at CFF, garnered a Best Actor win from the festival, an Outstanding Performance nomination from the ACTRA Awards, and was featured in CBC’s Canadian Reflections series.

Rebecca then burst into commercial directing with “Distant Friends”, a pandemic-specific spec she sold to BetterHelp that hit over 20 million views online. Her second spot for BetterHelp, “Want”, did even better. Winning the Special Jury Prize for Performance from the Marketing Awards, it also received a bronze statue from Clio Health, nods from The One Show, and ADC Awards — as well as international coverage in Adweek, Shots, Little Black Book, and Applied Arts, among others. Rebecca was shortlisted for the shots 2023 New Director of The Year Award and featured in Shoot Magazine’s New Directors Showcase.

Dan Abramovici, Writer/Director, Spaceman
Dan Abramovici’s first love was acting. Recent projects include What We Do In The Shadows, HBO’s Jane, and Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla.

As a writer, Dan gained acclaim for his debut feature, Ben’s At Home, which won a Canadian Comedy Award and had a theatrical run before releasing on Netflix. His follow-up script, You Have Feet In Your Shoes, earned a Top 10 award at Cinequest, where Laurence Kasdan (Star Wars) and Dennis Lehane (The Wire) served as mentors.

Dan then stepped behind the camera, directing the award-winning shorts liminal and Play It Again, which won numerous awards, including “Best Short” at Austin International Film Festival.

His upcoming feature, Searching for Marceau, is in development. The script is in the top 1% on Coverfly, a Nicholl quarterfinalist, and a CineStory recipient. As a proof of concept, he created SPACEMAN, starring JK Simmons (Whiplash) and Mena Massoud (Aladdin).

CFF Industry Panel: BRANDING, HUSTLING, & THRIVING: The Future of Film in Canada
Co-Presented by Future of Film Showcase

Eric Bizzarri, Future of Film Showcase Co-Founder and CEO
Eric Bizzarri is an award-winning Canadian director and producer based in Toronto, known for exploring themes of toxic masculinity, male-male abuse, and adolescent dynamics. His films have been featured on CBC Gem, Super Channel, Air Canada, Revry, and Amazon Prime.

His producing credits include DIASPORA (TIFF, Palm Springs International ShortFest), DESI STANDARD TIME TRAVEL (Toronto Reel Asian, San Diego International Film Festival), and GREAT SEEING YOU (Miami International Film Festival, Cinefest Sudbury). He also produced THE SECOND, directed by Every Frame a Painting creators Tony Zhou and Taylor Ramos and starring Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival before its international debut at the Hawaii International Film Festival, and CONDITIONS OF RELEASE, starring Eric Roberts, had its world premiere at the 2024 Warsaw International Film Festival.

As a director, his films MEA CULPA, PRESSURE PLAY, and I WANNA MAKE A MOVIE, OR I WANNA DIE TRYING have screened at TIFF Next Wave, Whistler Film Festival, Reykjavik International Film Festival, and more.

Eric is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Future of Film Showcase and holds a BFA in Film Production with Honors from York University. In 2023, he was a recipient of the Reykjavik International Film Festival Talent Lab.

Amira de Vera, Project Four Public Relations Founder/Owner
Amira de Vera is a publicist and entrepreneur specializing in entertainment PR, media strategy, and brand elevation. As the founder of Project Four Public Relations, she has built a leading agency representing top talent, films, and television projects, securing major media placements and industry recognition. With over 15 yeas of experience in entertainment publicity, Amira has successfully led campaigns for award-winning productions, network series, and rising stars, positioning them on global platforms and major media outlets. She works closely with actors, filmmakers, and studios to craft compelling narratives, generate media buzz, and drive audience engagement. A key player in the entertainment industry, Amira continues to champion diverse storytelling and innovative PR strategies, ensuring that the talent and projects she represents receive the attention they deserve in an evolving media landscape.

Aisha Evelyna, Actor/Filmmaker, Nola
Aisha is a Toronto-based actor and filmmaker of Caribbean descent, dedicated to amplifying underrepresented stories. She won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Web Program for THE DROP, where she also earned a Best Direction nomination. She co-created, wrote, directed, and starred in the series, which premiered on Narcity Canada in 2023.

Her debut feature SEAHORSE, a 2022 Telefilm Talent to Watch recipient, is in post-production. Aisha wrote, directed, and stars alongside Joseph Marcell (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air).

Named a 2023 ‘Screenwriter to Watch’ by Austin Film Festival, her short ALEX (2022) premiered at HollyShorts, Austin Film Festival, and was a Vimeo Staff Pick. Recent acting credits include REALLY HAPPY SOMEDAY (TIFF ‘24) and Rabbit Hole (Paramount+).

Christina Ienna, Director of Photography
Christina Ienna is an award-winning cinematographer and filmmaker based in Toronto. She has an extensive background in commercial, documentary and narrative production. She serves on the Board of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers and is a Women in the Director's Chair Alumni.

In her sixteen years of industry experience, Christina has filmed all over North America with companies like AMAZON, LIFETIME, PIXAR, CBC, THE GLOBE & MAIL, VICE, TOURISM CANADA and UNIVERSAL MUSIC. She spent the early part of her career working in Alberta and British Columbia before moving to Toronto. Christina leads with great curiosity, finding stories in the small moments and details that make up the human experience.

Shant Joshi, President/Executive Producer, Fae Pictures
Shant Joshi is an award-winning producer and president of Fae Pictures, based in New York and Toronto, on a mission to decolonize Hollywood. His credits include award winners at Sundance (Framing Agnes), Red Sea (In Flames), Iris Prize (Scaring Women at Night), Durban (Runs in the Family), premieres at Cannes, Toronto, Canneseries (Streams Flow From A River), Aspen (I Live Here), Palm Springs (Diaspora), Hot Docs, Black Star (Noor and Layla), Bentonville, and BFI London, and nominees for the Canadian Screen Awards (Queen Tut). He was also an executive producer on Nisha Pahuja’s Academy Award ® nominated film To Kill A Tiger, an impact producer on John Greyson’s TEDDY Award-winning film International Dawn Chorus Day, and an associate producer on Ingrid Veninger’s Canadian Screen Award-nominated film Porcupine Lake.

Shant currently sits on the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) Regulatory Committee and was previously Co-Chair of the BIPOC TV & Film Board, on the CMPA EDI committee, and co-founder of the Future of Film Showcase.

He is an alum of the Canadian Film Centre, Rotterdam Lab, and Osgoode Hall Law School, and was named a MIPTV Producer to Watch, Reelworld Trailblazer, nominated for an Indiescreen Award, and to York University’s Top 30 Changemakers under 30.

Yuvi Randhawa, Actor/Filmmaker/Content Creator
Yuvi Randhawa is an actor, filmmaker, and content creator based in Toronto. He has combined his passion of performing on stage and screen with the world of social media to keep his supportive audience entertained through a vast variety of content! Whether he's crafting relatable and intricate characters and scenes that capture your attention on screen or talking about Hollywood’s latest news, Yuvi continues to grow as an artist and share his work to over 2 million followers for the world to enjoy.

CFF Industry Cheers & Chats: BEHIND THE LIGHTS: The Art & Craft of Cinematography
Sponsored by xoTO

Warren Sonoda, Filmmaker, DGC National President
BAFTA and CSA-winning, double Emmy-nominated filmmaker Warren P. Sonoda has directed over 110 episodes of TV including Trailer Park Boys, Resident Alien, Hudson & Rex, and the Crave comedy hit series The Trades, 11 feature films including Things I Do For Money and Coopers Camera, which was heralded by the Globe & Mail in 2023 as one of the 23 Best Canadian Comedies Ever Made, and over 160 music videos. In 2020, Japanese Canadian Sonoda was the first person of colour to be elected National President of the Directors Guild of Canada. He also failed Ryerson (TMU) film school, twice.

Gayle Ye, Cinematographer, Late Bloomer, Paying For It
Gayle Ye (they/she) is an Emmy award-winning Director of Photography, with work that has been praised by the New York Times and Roger Ebert for their stunning cinematography. Gayle recently lensed season one and two of Jasmeet Raina's "Late Bloomer" and Sook-Yin Lee's "Paying for it" which recently was named one of TIFF's Top 10 films of 2024.

Samy Inayeh, Cinematographer, The Way Home, Sullivan’s Crossing

Rico Moran, Cinematographer, His Father’s Son, I Like Movies

Industry Day 3

Wednesday, March 26

CFF Industry Showcase: CFF x Firecracker Department Present: THE 2025 COMEDY IGNITER
Co-Presented by WIFT+ Toronto

Naomi Snieckus, Firecracker Department
Naomi Snieckus, an alum of Second City Toronto, is a two-time ACTRA and four-time CSA nominee, and a 6 x CCA winner. Her TV/Film credits include Mr. D, Pretty Hard Cases, Murdoch Mysteries, Disney Zombies, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Netflix’s The Madness. She co-created CBC’s The Casting Room and Doing It With Brian and Darla, and is a founding member of the five-time CCA-winning The National Theatre of the World, now Baram and Snieckus. Naomi founded and hosts the Firecracker Department podcast, fostering a vibrant community for women and non-binary artists. She recently wrote, starred in and produced Big Stuff at Crow’s Theatre with her husband Matt Baram, which will start touring in 2025.

Lauren MacKinlay, Bell Media, Development Executive, Original Programming, Scripted
As a Development Executive for Bell Media, Lauren works with independent production partners, writers, and creatives on the development of new scripted projects for Bell Media’s Original Programming slate. Prior to joining Bell Media, Lauren's career as an award-winning producer included tenures at Neshama Entertainment and Sphere Media, with producing credits on THE WAY HOME (Hallmark), TRANSPLANT (CTV/NBC), BAD BLOOD (Netflix), 19-2 (CTV/Acorn) and more. She was a co-founder of the non-profit organization, Women On Screen, and in September 2022, she was named one of ten women on the Canadian Power List of Women in Film.

Sarah Quan, CBC, Executive in Charge of Development, Comedy
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 projects in development and production. Sarah started her career as a coordinator for independent film and digital series (How to Buy a Baby, Detention Adventure, We are Savvy). She has also volunteered on a number of initiatives including co-facilitating AccessCBC, an initiative for creators with disabilities and as an advocate for the Academy Executive Residency Program. As an award-winning producer and creative executive, Sarah is dedicated to discovering and nurturing underrepresented voices with fresh perspectives and producing work that changes culture and explores stories that have yet to be told.

Aurora Browne, Actor & Comedian, Baroness Von Sketch Show
Aurora Browne is an actor, improviser, writer and producer. A graduate of York University’s acting program and alum of Toronto’s famed Second City MainStage, she is best known to audiences as one quarter of Baroness Von Sketch Show.

Melissa D’Agostino, Filmmaker, Highball TV Co-Founder
Melissa has been obsessed with musicals and moving pictures ever since she was a little girl watching Judy Garland look wistfully to the sky and sing about rainbows and bluebirds.

An award-winning actor, writer, director and producer, in 2022, she directed her first feature, MOTHER OF ALL SHOWS, which she also co-wrote, and stars in alongside the brilliant Wendie Malick.

Melissa’s film script, THE FEMALE FRONT, was shortlisted for the Sundance International Script Lab and she has worked on film and television properties distributed by eOne, Slice, WE Network, TUBI, Amazon Prime and HighballTV. She is currently directing an animated feature starring Oscar-winner Anjelica Huston and celebrated actor Danny Huston.

Melissa was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for her solo work, and won a Canadian Screen Award for her performance in the series "Tactical Girls". She also the co-founder of the global streaming service, HighballTV.

Samantha MacAdam, Director, Shelved, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Prom Night
Named by Playback as "One to Watch," Samantha MacAdam is a Guyanese-Canadian director and award-winning writer. Sam's career began in film editing, where she honed her skill for timing and pacing—an invaluable asset in her directing work.

Sam has directed Anthony Q. Farrell's Shelved, the Canadian classic This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and the MOW romcom Fashionably in Love, which earned her a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Direction. Her short comedic film Prom Night was a top-five finalist in Just for Laughs’ Kevin Hart LOL Showcase, beating out 650 films. It now lives on the HartBeat Productions LOL website and is being developed into a feature film.

Sam’s dramatic work includes The Horrible History of Harriet Jones, a psychological thriller/horror short film. The film was acquired by Terror Films for an anthology series and will be screened at the TCL Theatres in Hollywood as part of HollyShorts’ monthly series. Sam is developing it into a feature with story consultant Jeff Howard (The Haunting of Hill House, I Know What You Did Last Summer - reboot).

Sam just wrapped post-production on her first romantic comedy for The CW, Fox Entertainment Studios, and Neshama.

Sam continues to follow her passion for writing and directing commercially viable stories with universal appeal.

Industry Day 4

Thursday, March 27

CFF Industry Cheers & Chats: DRESSED TO TELL: The Role of Costumes in Storytelling
Sponsored by xoTO | Co-Presented by CAFTCAD & NABET 700

Joanna Syrokomla, Costume Designer, CAFTCAD Awards Chair
Joanna is the founder and producer of the Canadian Costume Design Awards with CAFTCAD- The Canadian Alliance for Film & TV Costume Arts & Design. Selected film design credits include Escape from the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story, Little Italy, Love Jacked, and The Steps. TV design includes Murdoch Mysteries 12-18, Bitten & The L.A. Complex. Web series design has garnered Joanna a few awards including Mejor Vestuario Award at the Buenos Aires Web Fest for 1970’s web series Whatever, Linda, and IAWT and CAFTCAD Awards for the period Chateau Laurier.

Kristin Somborac, Costume Designer
Costume Designer Kristin Somborac’s distinct and unique style comes as the result of the perfect storm of a degree in fine art photography and a life-long love of all things sartorial. Experienced in a wide variety of projects, Kristin’s strengths lie in historical costuming and building the fantastical.
When not designing, Kristin likes to listen to loud guitars and spend time with her family on their eternal quest for epic waves and the ultimate snowboarding terrain.

Darynel Beckford, Costume Designer & Stylist
Darynel Beckford is a Jamaican Canadian Costume Designer/Professional and Wardrobe Stylist. Hailing from humble beginnings in Mandeville, Manchester, Jamaica, Darynel is known for his desire to push boundaries creatively and socially. His work has seen him work on projects now streaming on CityTV, CBCGem, and HBOMax, namely 'Sort Of", "Bam Bam : The Sister Nancy Story" and the Toronto premiere of “Uncomfy” directed by Jessica Hinkson and written by Jenna Harder, at the Canadian Film Festival.

Charlene Akuamoah, Costume Designer
Charlene Akuamoah, co-founded the unisex label broke&living and worked as a principal designer for over a decade. She then pivoted into the styling world working on shows such as The Marilyn Denis Show, MTV's The After Show, the Great Canadian Baking show and various music videos with artists like Savannah Ré and Koffee.

As a costume designer, her credits include 40 Acres, Village Keeper, Canada’s Drag Race, Avocado Toast, Robyn Hood, and the upcoming Netflix series BET. Charlene has earned multiple CAFTCAD nominations including a recent win for Styling/Design on her short film On A Sunday at Eleven. Named by OkayAfrica as one of 100 Women making waves, she constantly drives positive impact through her work.

CFF Industry Panel: BEYOND THE RED CARPET: The Future of Film Promotion
Co-Presented by Canadian Film Centre (CFC)

Rakhee Sapra, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications, CFC
Rakhee Sapra is the Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications for the CFC. She is a seasoned communications lead with experience leading consumer and corporate strategies across film, television, music and the intersection of these industries with technology. She has 10+ years of experience at a diverse range of companies from international recognizable brands to early-stage startups. Most recently she managed marketing and communications for Disney+ Canada, prior to that she built the brand for Dark Slope a Toronto based virtual production company and before that was Director of Communications at Universal Music Canada and VICE Media Canada.

Alma Parvizian, Managing Partner, Touchwood PR
With nearly to twenty years of experience working in arts and communications, Alma is an accomplished PR professional with an extensive background in crafting and executing strategic campaigns and working with industry leaders, creatives and media in Canada and internationally. As Managing Partner at Touchwood PR, Alma oversees PR strategy, business development, and client relations and over the years has worked with clients such as Netflix, Cineplex, Telefilm, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Pathé International, and more. Prior to joining Touchwood PR, Alma was an integral member of the Communications team at TIFF for six years, managing the press office for the Festival as well as planning and executing publicity campaigns for a number of year-round initiatives and programmes. She was also one of the key members of the Communications team responsible for planning and executing the media campaigns surrounding the opening of TIFF Lightbox and its highly anticipated programming.

Barry Hertz, Film Editor, The Globe and Mail

Danish Vahidy, Vice President Marketing, Mongrel Media

CFF Industry Panel: THE ART OF ADAPTATION: Making Darkest Miriam
Co-Presented by inkcanada

Karen Walton, Screenwriter, inkcanada Founder
Karen Walton is a celebrated screen and television writer best known for her debut feature script, the original Canadian cult horror classic, Ginger Snaps. She is currently a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the recently announced Netflix Canada original limited series created by Jesse McKeown (Co-showrunner, The Umbrella Academy). Over her 30 year career, Karen has written for award-winning Canadian and US television movies and series such as Queer As Folk and Orphan Black. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Karen spent her high school and university years in Alberta. She has lived and worked out of Toronto since 1994. Karen is represented by The Jennifer Hollyer Agency and LA's Marathon Management.

Naomi Jaye, Screenwriter/Director, Darkest Miriam
Filmmaker Naomi Jaye’s debut feature film The Pin opened in theatres across North America to rave reviews. Alumna of the prestigious TIFF Studio, Torino Film Lab, Berlin Talents and TIFF Talent Lab, she is in development on her next feature The Common Father, about a woman’s journey in search of her past.

Having recently expanded her screen-based practice to include large scale video installation, Naomi’s company Tremendous Productions has mounted three large scales video installations in as many years with partnerships including Theatre Passe Muraille, T.O. Live and the Harbourfront Centre. Her next project SLOW is a human-powered installation that explores Parkinson’s and the aging body.

Martha Baillie, Author, The Incident Report
Martha Baillie works part-time in a public library in Toronto. Her memoir, There Is No Blue, was awarded the Writers’ Trust Hilary Weston Prize for non-fiction 2024. Her novel The Incident Report, nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, has been adapted as a feature film, Darkest Miriam, directed by Naomi Jaye, starring Britt Lower,Tom Mercier, Sook-Yin Lee, and Jean Yoon, with Charlie Kauffman as executive producer. Her novel, The Search for Heinrich Schlögel was an Oprah editors’ pick. Her book Sister Language, co-written with her late sister, Christina Baillie, was a work of call and response about schizophrenia and language. It was a 2020 Trillium Award finalist. Martha’s non-fiction can be found in Brick: A Literary Journal. Her poetry has appeared in the Iowa review. Her multimedia project based on The Search for Heinrich Schlögel is archived at www.schlogel.ca.

Industry Day 5

Friday March 28

CFF Industry Panel: PITCHING THE UNKNOWN: How to Sell & Craft Your Unscripted Show

Paul Gratton, Whistler Film Festival Programmer Emeritus
Paul Gratton is the former Vice-President of Entertainment Specialty Channels for CHUM, where he oversaw the development of such successful specialty channels as Bravo!, Space and Drive-In Classics. Previously, he was a Vice-President of Programming for both Superchannel and FIrst CHoice during Canadian Pay television’s first decade on air. On the government side, he served as CEO of the Ontario Film Development Corporation. He has also served as Chair of the Canadian Television Fund and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and on the boards of the Independent Production Fund, the National Screen Institute, BravoFact and MAXfact. Mr. Gratton spent twelve years as Program Director for the Whistler Film Festival. His consulting activities include work done for Telefilm Canada, the Canadian Film and Television Producers Association, Bell Media, the Directors’ Guild of Canada, Premiere Bobine, Hollywood Suite and Television Quatre Saisons. Mr. Gratton has appeared on numerous occasions as an intervenor in front of the CRTC, and made the short list of candidates for the CRTC Chair position in 2012.

Billie Mintz, Journalist/Documentary Filmmaker, Gold Bars: Who the F*ck is Uncle Ludwig?
Billie Mintz is a renowned investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and showrunner whose work is known for its depth and revelatory storytelling.

His docuseries, “Selena and Yolanda,” released on Peacock in spring 2024, became the streamer’s most-watched series for unearthing new insights and groundbreaking revelations about Selena Quintanilla’s murder, shifting the public narrative. His acclaimed series on Charles Manson, also on Peacock, shed new light on Manson’s story through twenty years of previously undiscovered prison tapes.

His feature documentaries have won prestigious awards, showcased in over 60 international festivals, including Hot Docs. His work has been broadcast internationally on Sky Atlantic, Showtime, Peacock, CBC, and Netflix, achieving global distribution.

Billie is also a chicken farmer, an ordained minister of deliverance, and trained in shamanism.

He is represented by UTA.

Mike Lobel, Director/Picture Editor, Don’t Come Upstairs
Mike Lobel is a director, picture editor, and composer with 20 years of experience in film, TV, and commercials. He first gained recognition as an actor, best known for playing Jay Hogart on Degrassi: The Next Generation and DJ on Really Me.

A Banff Centre for the Arts music residency alumni, Lobel has composed original scores for numerous films and co-founded the indie-pop group Boys Who Say No and synth-pop group Future Peers, touring internationally.

His editorial work spans documentaries, TV series, films, and music videos, earning a 2023 Canadian Screen Award nomination for Detention Adventure, A series he has also directed.

Lobel is currently directing his first feature-length documentary, Don’t Come Upstairs—a personal exploration of reconciliation and the long-buried family secret his father kept from him and his siblings for over 30 years.

Yasmine Abbasakoor, CBC, Executive in Charge of Development, Unscripted
As Executive in Charge of Unscripted Development Yasmine works with independent producers to develop factual and documentary programming for the CBC. She also serves as a production executive on Bollywed and Locals Welcome. Prior to joining the CBC she worked within Canada’s independent production sector for 20 years.

Steve Gamester - Blue Ant Studios, Vice President, Specialist Factual
Steve Gamester is Vice President of Specialist Factual at Blue Ant Studios. He has worked as a Broadcaster, Executive Producer, Development Executive, Showrunner, Writer, and Director.

Steve’s shows have been nominated for over 30 Canadian Screen Awards. The feature documentary 9/11 Kids won the Audience Award at Hot Docs and the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social or Political Documentary in 2020.

CFF Industry Showcase: 2025 YOU-CAN-PITCH COMPETITION
Sponsored by Sphere Media, Sesler, Rhombus Media, Shaftesbury, and purpleDOG Post.
Co-presented by Black Screen Office, POV Film, and Reelworld Film Festival

Shawn Gerrard, Director, Jane, Space & Time
Shawn Gerrard is a filmmaker from Toronto and alumnus of the York University film production and screenwriting program, the Toronto International Film Festival’s TIFF Filmmaker Lab, and the Warner Bros Discovery x Academy Access Directors roster initiative. In 2024, Shawn was selected as one of Playback’s 10 to Watch.

Shawn has written and directed short films, a feature film, as well as episodic television. Shawn’s short films have screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Urbanworld among many others. Inheritance screened at TIFF in 2021. Shawn’s television credits include Jane on AppleTV+, Take Note on NBCUniversal’s Peacock. His short film My Viola was broadcast on CBC Canadian Reflections and on CBC Gem. Shawn’s feature film Space & Time is available to watch on Amazon Prime and Hollywood Suite.

Duane Crichton, Writer/Director, Home, Murdoch Mysteries
Duane Crichton is a Canadian writer/director who has produced high level work in commercial, documentary and narrative storytelling. He started his career directing music videos which led to winning two MMVA awards. He won the Shots Best Young Director Award at the Cannes Commercial Festival kick starting his commercial directing career. Over the years, he has directed campaigns for brands such as Rogers, Sick Kids Hospital, Home Depot, and many more. His short film Swimmer was screened at the New York Shorts Film Festival and the The Toronto Short Film Festival in 2023.His recent documentary Justice Denied (an episode of Black Life: Untold Stories) was screened at TIFF 2023. Last year he directed his first episode of Murdoch Mysteries for CBC.

RT Thorne, Director, 40 Acres,The Porter
Visionary, award winning filmmaker R.T. Thorne has emerged as one of Canada's most eclectic visual storytellers since debuting on the music video scene over a decade ago. A versatile triple threat, he is a director, screenwriter, and producer focused on telling stories that break new ground representing the unrepresented.

In the fall of 2024 Thorne’s feature film debut 40 ACRES starring Danielle Deadwyler, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was named one of TIFF’s top Ten films of the festival, before having its international premiere at the RED SEA Film Festival, and its U.S. premiere at SXSW. 40 ACRES is slated for release summer of 2025.

In 2022 he directed and Executive Produced THE PORTER, the critically acclaimed, multi award winning, Emmy nominated historical drama for CBC & BET. Previously he created the award winning HULU original UTOPIA FALLS, which he also directed and Executive Produced.

Known for his bold photographic eye, and story first approach, R.T. has directed episodic work for Netflix, Amazon, NBC Universal, Warner Television, Disney, HULU, The CW, and BET. His directing work has taken him to three continents, earned him multiple Canadian Screen Awards, Director’s Guild of Canada nominations, and Playback Magazine’s Director of the year in 2023.

Floyd Kane, Director/Producer, Diggstown, Across the Line
Floyd Kane is the founder of Freddie Films, a showrunner-led business that creates, develops and produces inclusive content for all platforms. He has produced several films and television projects, including ORAH, ACROSS THE LINE, JEAN OF THE JONESES, ANGELIQUE’S ISLE, and NORTH/SOUTH. He has written for CONTINUUM, BACKSTAGE, and SLASHER and is the creator, showrunner, and producer of DIGGSTOWN (CBC, BET).

Carolyn Mauricette, Director of Canadian Programming, Fantasia International Film Festival
Carolyn Mauricette is a Toronto-based Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, film writer, former Programmer/Development Coordinator for the Blood in the Snow Film Festival and current Director of Canadian Programming for the Fantasia International Film Festival. Looking to find more representation in genre, she co-created and ran the Blood in the Snow Horror Development Lab from 2021-2024, where jury-selected underrepresented BIPOC, LGBTQ2SIA+, women, and creators with Disabilities are paired with industry professionals to make their TV/Web series and feature projects a reality.

You can find her writing on Hollywood Suite and online and print editions of Rue Morgue Magazine and Grim Magazine, and she is a published contributing author writing about Japanese horror and racism in American cinema. Carolyn has also produced lectures for Toronto’s Black Museum in 2019, the Fantasia Film Festival in 2020 and 2021, and The Miskatonic Institute for Horror Studies in 2022. You can also find her in the 2020 documentary Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business, directed by Justin McConnell, Boutique: To Preserve and Collect, by Ryan Bruce Levey, and the documentary TV series A Year In Film and Cinema A to Z on Hollywood Suite.

Hilary Hart, Co-President, Game Theory Films
Hilary’s career in film began in short film distribution at Ouat Media, before moving onto the Canadian Film Centre. While at the CFC she contributed to an online film magazine, The Seventh Art, where she managed a Live Director's Series, which brought prominent directors to Toronto to screen and discuss their work. She then worked for three years in talent management, before partnering in 2018 with Will Woods to create Game Theory Films, a Toronto based independent film distribution company where she serves as Co-President. Hilary is a Berlinale Talents alumnus, voting member of the Academy Of Canadian Cinema & Television, and was named one of The Globe and Mail’s 22 Most Influential People in Canadian Film.

Alan Bacchus, Business Affairs Consultant/Producer, New Metric Media
A graduate of Queen’s University and the Vancouver Film School, Alan is a longtime Canadian film and television executive. As a Business Affairs specialist at New Metric Media Alan currently works on TV series such as Shoresy (Crave), and prior to that, working with Aircraft Pictures on series such as Geek Girl (Netflix), Circuit Breakers (Apple TV+) and Popularity Papers (YTV). For over 10 years, Alan served as Programs Manager of Bell Media’s Harold Greenberg Fund. Alan has also held roles at the Canadian Film Centre, Capri Films, and Norflicks Productions in several development and production capacities. As an independent filmmaker, Alan produced the short film Redlights, directed by Eva Thomas, a selection of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.