2026 Speakers

Neishaw Ali

Neishaw Ali

Founding Partner, CEO, and Executive Producer
SPIN VFX
Tex Antonucci

Tex Antonucci

Vice President, Business Affairs | Executive Producer
Lark Productions
Sammie Astaneh

Sammie Astaneh

Founder
Service Street Pictures
Luke Azevedo

Luke Azevedo

Chief Executive Officer
Edmonton Screen
Andrew Barnsley

Andrew Barnsley

Chief Executive Officer
Project 10 Productions
Nicole Bell

Nicole Bell

Head of Canada
YouTube
Rick Bergan

Rick Bergan

Head of Content Distribution, North America
Stingray
Mark Bishop

Mark Bishop

Chief Monetization Officer
Blue Ant Rights & Streaming
Brendan Brady

Brendan Brady

CEO and Executive Producer
Accent Aigu Entertainment
Photo Credit: Ted Belton
Julie Bristow

Julie Bristow

Founder and CEO
Catalyst
Grainne Brunsdon

Grainne Brunsdon

Chief Operating Officer
Screen Australia
Drew Buckley

Drew Buckley

Group President & Chief Operating Officer
Propagate Content
Mathieu Chantelois

Mathieu Chantelois

Executive Vice-President, Communications, Strategy and Public Affairs
Canada Media Fund (CMF)
Karin Chien

Karin Chien

Producer & Distributor
Elsie<br>Choi-Pletts

Elsie
Choi-Pletts

EVP, Head of Scripted TV
CJ ENM America
Sean Cohan

Sean Cohan

President
Bell Media
Jessica Commanda

Jessica Commanda

Lawyer & Program Manager
Kirk Cooper

Kirk Cooper

Founder and CEO
International Queer Pavillion
Shannon Cooper

Shannon Cooper

VP, Acquisitions & Development
AMC Global Media
Valerie Creighton, C.M., S.O.M.

Valerie Creighton, C.M., S.O.M.

President & CEO
Canada Media Fund (CMF)
Damon D’Oliveira

Damon D’Oliveira

Founder & Partner
Conquering Lion Pictures
Amber Dowling

Amber Dowling

TV Critic and Entertainment Writer
Alice Dutrut

Alice Dutrut

Manager of Content
Paramount+ Canada
Tyrone Edwards

Tyrone Edwards

Anchor
Etalk
Adam Feigen

Adam Feigen

Development Executive, Scripted, Original Programming
Bell Media
Jessica Lea Fleming

Jessica Lea Fleming

Director, Industry Development
Canada Media Fund (CMF)
Jonathan Ford

Jonathan Ford

Managing Director
Sphere Abacus
Mia Galuppo

Mia Galuppo

Senior Entertainment Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Natalie Gergely

Natalie Gergely

Vertical Drama Writer and Producer and Co-Host of "The VertiGals" podcast
Prem Gill

Prem Gill

Creative Industries Executive & Bell Fund Board Director
Veronica Graham

Veronica Graham

Director, Content Strategy & Curation
Bell Media

Noreen Halpern

Chief Executive Officer & Founder
Halfire Entertainment
Robert Hardy

Robert Hardy

Executive Director
ScreenSask
Jason Harvey

Jason Harvey

Founder & CEO
Underscore Animation, Inc.
Tieren Hawkins

Tieren Hawkins

Vice President, Vertical Content
Blink49 Studios
Brent Haynes

Brent Haynes

Head of International Originals, Canada and Australia
Amazon MGM Studios
Austin Herring

Austin Herring

CEO
Snow Story Productions
Barry Hertz

Barry Hertz

Film Editor
The Globe and Mail
Peter Hill

Peter Hill

Executive Director, TV Distribution
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Meghan Hooper White

Meghan Hooper White

EVP, Global Strategy and Co-Productions
Studio TF1 America
Kyle Irving O.M.

Kyle Irving O.M.

Co-owner and Executive Producer
Eagle Vision
Christina Jennings

Christina Jennings

Founder, Chairman and President
Shaftesbury
Murdoch 20 Doc
Andrew Kelly

Andrew Kelly

Vice President, Scripted Development
Lionsgate Canada
Erika Kennair

Erika Kennair

Head of Scripted Content
The Mediapro Studio, US/Canada
Raja Khanna

Raja Khanna

Co-Founder / Chair
Dark Slope
Arvand Khosravi

Arvand Khosravi

SVP, Head of Scripted Television Strategy
Fifth Season
Kat Kowalski

Kat Kowalski

SVP, Content (Canada)
Paramount
Richard Life

Richard Life

SVP Acquisitions and Coproductions
Cineflix
Lainey Lui

Lainey Lui

Senior Correspondent
Etalk
Laura Mackenzie

Laura Mackenzie

Chief Executive Officer
Screen Nova Scotia
Beth Maher

Beth Maher

Executive Producer
Etalk
Michelle Mama

Michelle Mama

Founder / Executive Producer
Gay Agenda
Coco Mao

Coco Mao

CEO & Co-Founder
OpenArt AI
Laurie May

Laurie May

Founder
Elevation Pictures
Candice McFarlane

Candice McFarlane

Chief Creative Officer
Cinereach
Julie Meldal-Johnsen

Julie Meldal-Johnsen

EVP of Global Content
ITV Studios
The Honourable Marc Miller

The Honourable Marc Miller

Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture
Mark Montefiore

Mark Montefiore

Founder and CEO
New Metric Media
Bryn Mooser

Bryn Mooser

Co-Founder & CEO
Asteria
John Morayniss

John Morayniss

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Blink49 Studios
Kathleen Newman-Bremang

Kathleen Newman-Bremang

Deputy Director
Global, Refinery29 Unbothered
Marcia Nickerson

Marcia Nickerson

Governance Consultant
Julie Nolke

Julie Nolke

Actor, Writer, Filmmaker, and YouTube Creator
Pasha Patriki

Pasha Patriki

Film Producer / President & CEO
Justine Pimlott

Justine Pimlott

Co-Founder / Executive Producer / Producer / Independent Consultant
Red Queen Productions
Photo Credit: Genevieve Caron
Nicole Power

Nicole Power

Actor, writer and producer
Jesse Prupas

Jesse Prupas

SVP, Scripted
Muse Entertainment
Jeanie Pyun

Jeanie Pyun

Deputy Editorial Director
The Hollywood Reporter
Maer Roshan

Maer Roshan

Editor-in-Chief
The Hollywood Reporter
Chanelle Routhier

Chanelle Routhier

Film & TV Commissioner
Province of Quebec
Scott Roxborough

Scott Roxborough

Europe Bureau Chief
The Hollywood Reporter
David Salmon

David Salmon

EVP and Managing Director, International
Tubi
Kat Sandler

Kat Sandler

Showrunner, YAGA
Jeffrey Schenck

Jeffrey Schenck

Co-Founder
vertTV
Photo Credit: Natalie Kiwi
Alex Schmider

Alex Schmider

Producer & Senior Director, Entertainment
GLAAD
Lynne Skromeda

Lynne Skromeda

CEO & Film Commissioner
Manitoba Film & Music
Elise Speiser

Elise Speiser

Manager, Programming
Hallmark Media
Ryan Stasyshyn

Ryan Stasyshyn

VFX Supervisor & Head of Toronto Office
Rodeo FX
Justin Stockman

Justin Stockman

Vice-President, Global Content
Bell Media
Meg Symsyk

Meg Symsyk

President and CEO
FACTOR
Kim Temple

Kim Temple

Senior Manager, Programming & Industry Relations
Music Publishers Canada
R.T. Thorne

R.T. Thorne

Director, Screenwriter & Producer
Neighbourhood Watch
David Walberg

David Walberg

CEO & Executive Director
Pink Triangle Press
Sarah Weaver

Sarah Weaver

Director of Content
Bell Media
Diana Williams

Diana Williams

CEO & Co-founder
Kinetic Energy Entertainment
Trish Williams

Trish Williams

Executive Director, Scripted Content
CBC
Liz Wise Lyall

Liz Wise Lyall

SVP, Scripted Programming and Development
Lifetime Television Network
Tara Woodbury

Tara Woodbury

Director, Content - Canada
Netflix
Danielle Woodrow

Danielle Woodrow

Director, Content – Canada
Netflix
Sandra Yee Ling

Sandra Yee Ling

Head of Studio – Originals
GammaTime
Steven Zeitchik

Steven Zeitchik

Senior Editor, Technology and Politics
The Hollywood Reporter
Arnie Zipursky

Arnie Zipursky

Co-Founder / Executive Producer
Neshama Entertainment