Dorian Rowe
Edmonton Film Commissioner, Edmonton Screen

Dorian Rowe has been a leader in the Canadian screen industries for more than two decades. He served as Executive Director of the provincial Crown corporation responsible for interactive digital media, film, and television in Newfoundland and Labrador. There, and in government, his responsibilities also have included working with the music industry, delivering film industry professional development programs, spearheading the establishment of an interactive digital media tax credit, and advocating for the successful creation of an all-spend film tax credit. He has worked in a variety of production and post-production roles including as a writer and editor and as showrunner of two unscripted series. Always keenly involved in the bigger picture of cultural industry growth, he has served on many industry boards and committees, including as co-chair of the National Tax Credit Committee. While responsible for film tax credit and equity investment programs, and serving as provincial film commissioner, production activity more than doubled on his watch.

Jon Allan
Economic Development Officer, Rocky Mountain

Jon Allan is an award-winning economic development professional with over a decade of experience advancing investment, tourism, strategic partnerships, and place-based community growth. Recognized nationally for his work, he has led initiatives across sectors including film, politics, real estate, and specialty coffee — and he is the co-founder of Alberta's first rural film office, the Mountain View Regional Film Office (founded 2023).

A serial entrepreneur and community-builder, Jon brings a cross-sector perspective shaped by his background in entrepreneurship, economic development, and municipal policy. He holds credentials from York University, Niagara College, and the University of Waterloo.

Shivani Saini
Founder and Executive & Artistic Director, Creatives Empowered

Shivani Saini is an award-winning Producer and Consultant, whose passion is to create and support works that positively transform the human condition.

A Radio & Television arts graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University, Shivani has over 30 years of industry experience, and as a Producer has contributed to over 1000 episodes of broadcast television, film and media - including the award-winning and critically acclaimed one-hour dramatic television series Blackstone, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video and APTN Lumi.

In 2014 she founded Atelier Culturati, a strategy and creative consultancy that helps leaders in arts, culture and entertainment transform vision into cultural and creative impact.

Shivani is a Reelworld Trailblazer Award Recipient, which recognizes talented Canadians who have set themselves apart as innovators and change-makers in the entertainment industry.

She is also the Founder and Executive & Artistic Director of Creatives Empowered, the first non-profit organization in Alberta for film, television and media professionals who are Black, Indigenous and People of Colour.

Winnie Luk
Disability Screen Office 

Winnie Luk is the inaugural Executive Director of the Disability Screen Office (DSO). The DSO is a national, disability-led, not-for-profit organization that develops opportunities for disabled creatives and advocates for a more accessible Canadian screen industry. Our vision is an accessible and inclusive Canadian screen industry where disabled creatives thrive.

Winnie is a disability advocate, 2SLGBTQI+ activist, and film industry leader with over 30 years of experience in the non-profit, film, entertainment, and public sectors. Among her numerous accomplishments, Winnie was the Managing Director of Rainbow Railroad for four years, a charity which supports LGBTQI+ individuals seeking safe haven from around the globe. Previous to that, she was the Director of Operations and Events at Inside Out, the presenter of the Toronto and Ottawa 2SLGBTQI+ Film Festivals. She was with Inside Out for 16 years. Winnie also worked with the City of Toronto for eight years in the Parks and Recreation Department, where her work included supervising disability recreation programming.

Additionally, Winnie is an Advisory Committee member for the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, Advisory Committee member for CISF (Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BPOC Creators), Steering Committee member for the Collaborative Network, Project Advisory Committee member for Independent Living’s Festivals and Events Accessibility Project and shareholder of the Glad Day Bookshop, the world’s oldest LGBTQI+ bookstore. 

Her lifelong encounters with mobility disabilities, chronic pain, and ADHD, as well as her identities as a Chinese Queer Woman, fuel her passion for advocating for accessibility rights and fostering equity in all communities.

(Virtual Attendance)

Holda Ali
Programming Manager, Black Screen Office (BSO)

Hoda Ali is a Toronto-based professional with nearly a decade of experience in the screen industry. She currently serves as Programming Manager at the Black Screen Office (BSO), where she leads national and international initiatives that support Black creatives across film and television, including writer and producer development programs and industry delegations. Previously, she worked on the Community Impact team at TIFF, where she led, programming, partnerships and access-focused initatives. Hoda’s career spans documentary research, producing, programming, and production, grounded in a commitment to storytelling as a tool for cultural shift, expanded access, and meaningful change across the screen industry.

Scott Lepp
Iylond Entertainment

Scott Lepp has more than 200 episodes of network television experience and 7 produced features across more than 20 years in the entertainment business. In 2026, Lepp is releasing two features, LUMI for Telefilm Canada and the documentary MÉTIS SCRIP & THE OTIPEMISIWAK for Telus Originals while the Telefilm feature LITTLE PEOPLE and a slate of 3 documentaries are set for production throughout the year.  

Lepp is President of independent production company Iylond Entertainment whose latest feature LUMI will have its festival release in late summer 2026. Previous films include HAILEY ROSE which was released theatrically and on Super Channel in 2024, and ICE BLUE, a microbudget darling that won several festival awards across Canada and the United States. 

Previously, Lepp was the Producer of APTN’s hit series TRIBAL, Associate Producer for CBC’s HEARTLAND and has sat on several boards serving the film and television industry in Alberta.  

In his free time, Lepp enjoys reading and learning about finance, psychology and filmmaking. He loves mentoring emerging filmmakers and hanging out with his wife Crystal and their two girls, Iyla and London.

Mark O'Neil
Panoramic Pictures

Lisa Broadfoot
Vice President, Industry and Business Affairs, Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) 

Lisa is responsible for providing strategic advice to CMPA members with respect to industry matters, business affairs, and production financing.

As a member of the CMPA’s senior leadership team, Lisa develops and executes strategies and advocacy related to sources of production financing, provides advice to members regarding industry and business affairs, builds relationships with industry stakeholders, reviews and advises on public policy matters and engages in government relations efforts relating to industry and business affairs matters.

Prior to joining the CMPA, Lisa was Senior Vice President, Business Affairs & Production Financing with Boat Rocker Media, and before that she was Director, Production Finance and Operations with DHX Media (now WildBrain). She has hands-on business affairs and finance experience in the areas of children’s and youth, animation, scripted drama, factual, and documentary productions. She has also been an Executive Producer in commercial film production, and a producer and production manager for documentary feature films and television.

Lisa sits on Ontario’s Screen Industry Advisory Council and the Toronto Film, Television and Digital Media Board. She has been an instructor in Production Accounting and Tax Credits for Women in Film and Television – Toronto and is co-chair of Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute’s School Council.

Lisa has a BA and MA in English Literature from McGill University.

Andrew Scholotiuk
Northern Gateway Films

Andrew is an award winning producer with 17 years experience in film and television and video games. Andrew is a recipient of Advanced Imaging Society’s Lumiere award. His film and TV properties have sold to broadcasters in over 100 countries including Fox, Lifetime, Hallmark, UpTV, NBC Universal, TF1, Corus, including theatrical release. Before becoming a producer, Andrew was a director of photography and clients included IBM, Coors, Powerade, and Cirque du Solei. Andrew acts as virtual production supervisor for Northern Gateway Films’ LED volume. He’s worked with video game company Beamdog (owned by Bioware co-founder Trent Ostner) and created a new virtual production department to support and develop the creation of new IP and linear media products. In his younger days, Andrew also worked in theatre and dance as a stage manager on internationally touring productions.

Andrew Williamson
Regional Feature Film Executive - English Market - Western Region, Telefilm Canada

Andrew Williamson is a seasoned producer and industry leader with extensive experience across the Canadian film and television sectors. He has served on the boards of Producing for the Planet, Langara College, and the CMPA – BC Producers Branch, reflecting his broad perspective on industry development and sectoral policy. Andrew has collaborated with partners including the NFB, CBC, Bell Media, Knowledge Network, ARTE/ZDF and NBCUniversal. He has produced award-winning documentaries and feature films, while mentoring emerging filmmakers to help grow the next generation of storytellers. Beyond the screen industry, he advances climate action through advocacy and community engagement.

(Virtual Attendance)

Dylan Pearce
Northern Gateway Films & AMPIA Chair

Dylan Pearce is a Canadian Screen Award nominee and Lumiere Award-winning Director/Producer for his 3D feature 40 Below and Falling. Dylan has worked in the industry for over 15 years and has directed eleven feature-length films which have had both theatrical release and broadcast (Amazon, A & E, Canal+, Hallmark, TF1, Corus, SuperChannel and W Network). Dylan recently was the creative director on Lasting Impressions, a stereoscopic art show bringing to life some of the world's most famous impersonates works of art. Dylan is currently developing his next 3D feature film based around a video game set in the world of E-Sports.

Griffin Cork
Numera Films

Nick Haywood
Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Matt Watterworth
No Cap Content

Taisa Dekker
ACTRA Alberta

Meghan Westelmajer
Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)