Passes
Teresa Alfeld (she/her) is an award-winning writer/director from Vancouver, living and working on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. She is a member of the Director’s Guild of Canada, and the Documentary Organization of Canada. Teresa is drawn to complex characters navigating complicated worlds, and her films embrace both the humour and pathos of the human experience.
Directing credits include the feature documentaries DOUG AND THE SLUGS AND ME (Closing Night Gala film at DOXA 2022, premiered on CBC January 2023), and THE RANKIN FILE: LEGACY OF A RADICAL (opening night film at DOXA 2018, broadcast premiere on Knowledge Network 2019), the short documentary JEAN SWANSON: WE NEED A NEW MAP (Hot Docs 2021, VIFF 2021) and short dramatic films ROADKILL (Canadian Film Fest 2013), CHARLIE GAUVIN (Female Eye Film Festival 2012), and BUNKY THE VAMPIRE KILLER (Toronto Independent Film Festival 2010).
Katrina Beatty has written and directed several short films and music videos including Cold, 21 Floors, Nausea, The Dinner Table, The Meat Market, and Day to Day on various formats from 16mm film to the RED EPIC. In learning to produce her own films, Katrina developed skills she is able to transfer to other productions. Outside of writing and directing, Katrina is most passionate about producing, and in 2010 she partnered with Lightframe Entertainment to produce their inaugural feature film Money. Beatty then partnered with Money co-producer Wes Miron on the short films Breathing Empty and Cold. Most recently Katrina completed the film I Think I Do which was broadcast on The W Network in Canada and Lifetime Network in the United States and distributed outside of North America by Daro Film Distribution.
When not occupied with the production of her own films, Katrina can be found in the production department at the Film & Video Arts Society – AB (FAVA). When not acting as producer for herself or others, whose stories she feels passionate about, she can be found working as an Assistant Director or an Editor. An alumna of the WIDC Banff program, she is currently writing her first feature narrative.
Julian Carrington supports the administration of the Hot Docs portfolio of funds and helps to run the Festival’s market programs, assisting filmmakers with generating distribution opportunities. Julian is also the founder and co-programmer of the For Viola screening series. Across these combined activities, he seeks to equip filmmakers with the resources to tell authentic, revelatory, and socially resonant stories, and to help connect those stories with audiences. Prior to joining Hot Docs, Julian managed the Documentary Organization of Canada’s Festival Concierge service. In that capacity, he supported independent filmmakers in developing distribution and audience-engagement strategies and promoted Canadian documentaries at festivals around the world. Julian also serves as a film programmer for Toronto’s Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival, and previously served as an associate programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival.
David is an off-grid dwelling filmmaker, artist, commercial fisher and carpenter who has had the honour of living in Dawson City, within the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Traditional Territories, Yukon for the past 24 years. In all aspects of his life he nurtures a close relationship to nature, kairos and laughter.
A proud biracial Filipina-Canadian, Marcia has more than 20 years of experience in the development and production of Canadian screen-based content for traditional and digital platforms and audiences. Prior to joining the CMF, she held roles at the Canadian Media Producers Association, the Bell Fund, the Cogeco Fund, and the Independent Production Fund, where she worked to establish policies and opportunities to foster and promote the Canadian media production sector and led files related to advancing sustainability, equity, and inclusion. She has also worked as a producer, production manager, and assistant director.
Teresa is a partner in Sagafish Media, a Yukon production company centred on screen storytelling in Canada’s North. She is a producer, writer and editor, and her filmography includes the award-winning Journeys to Adäka, Aurora Love and the co-production with the National Film Board, Voices Across the Water. She has two documentaries in production, five films in development, and various commercial, digital and creative projects at different stages.
Her company invests heavily in development, and partners in development have included Northwestel, the CBC, the NFB and Knowledge Network. With a slate of films in development, she’s venturing into international co-production. She is also the president of Screen Production Yukon Association.
Max Fraser is a veteran Yukon filmmaker and screen industry builder. His most recent work is the eco-action fantasy Polaris, an inter-provincial co-production that premiered in July 2022. It currently is on a festival run that will be followed by theatrical release and broadcast/streaming. His TV documentary Bond of Strangers – The Operation Husky Story—was supplemented by an online digital experience. This doc aired on documentary channel, Knowledge Network and Northwestel TV.
In addition to many short films, Max produced the two-part TV mini-series from Lulu Keating – the comedy-drama Broke Down Dawson Town – and the award-winning TV documentary Never Happen Here: The Whitehorse 9/11 Story. He currently sits on the board of Screen Production Yukon Association and is a member of the Documentary Organization of Canada and the Yukon Film Society.
Max has several projects in development and pre-production through his production and holding company Hootalinqua Motion Pictures Inc. He is available to share his expertise as mentor, consultant or executive producer to other northern filmmakers.
Born in Teslin, Yukon, of the Inland Tlingit people, Carol Geddes’ first film, Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief, won a Silver Medal for Educational Documentary in San Francisco. Since then
Geddes has produced 25 films and television programs, including 2 seasons of the APTN seriesAnash. Her film, Picturing A People, was nominated for a Gemini for Best Canadian Documentary.
Whether writing, producing or directing, her prolific output has highlighted the stories and struggles of Aboriginal life in Canada.
One of Playback’s 10 to Watch for 2022, Mitch Geddes is a Production Executive on Bell Media’s Original Programming team, responsible for overseeing the production and ongoing development of current original drama series and feature film projects across Bell Media’s family of channels. He currently manages a portfolio of projects in ongoing production, including the CSA Award-winning drama series TRANSPLANT (CTV/NBC), the original paranormal drama SURREALESTATE (CTV Sci-Fi/Syfy), along with new series LITTLE BIRD (Crave/APTN) and THE SPENCER SISTERS (CTV). Upcoming films for Crave in Mitch’s portfolio include RICEBOY SLEEPS, UNTIL BRANCHES BEND, STELLAR, and THE YOUNG ARSONISTS. He previously served as a coordinator of scripted original programming for the team.
Before joining the Original Programming team, Mitch held various broadcast roles and production positions with independent production companies in Toronto. Mitch actively collaborates with numerous industry initiatives focused on emerging and underrepresented talent, including formerly co-managing the HGF/Crave Shorts to Features program, and participating as a mentor for the Reelworld Film Festival Emerging 20 Program.
Christine Genier Wolf Clan Woman and a citizen of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. She is a broadcaster, journalist, writer, poet, performer, apprentice language keeper, culture keeper, aspiring matriarch, mother, daughter, sister, and wife. In her work, Christine shares a lived experience that spans over four decades of bridging culture and recovering the Indigenous Space with those prepared to engage. She is a gatherer of stories and moderator of talks.
As manager of Northwestel Community TV, which oversees both Yukon and NWT, Mike works to elevate northern film projects and to strengthen pan-northern partnerships in film and television to help grow the industry in exciting new ways.
Hayley is a Vancouver-based director (DGC), writer and producer. A graduate of Dalhousie University and Vancouver Film School, she has written and directed documentary, narrative and commercial work. Hayley’s award-winning films have travelled to festivals around the world and aired on Telus Optik, the Knowledge Network, CBC and Air Canada.
Kim Hsu Guise (she/her/elle) is the Feature Film Executive, Western Region for Telefilm Canada. Kim has over 20 eyars of experience in the film and television industry as a lawyer, business affairs advisor and production executive. She has a full spectrum of experience including negotiating production-related deal terms, assessing project pitches for financing, setting strategic direction, and building and leading a diverse team of industry experts. She is passionate about enabling people from diverse backgrounds and experiences to tell stories that are meaningful to them and their communities. Kim has deep experience designing programs and strategies to empower underrepresented creators and set them up for success.
Kim has been recognized for her work. She was the recipient of the 2018 Women in Film and Television Vancouver Bron Iris Award which is awarded to the person who as demonstrated a commitment to the promotion of women creators and their screen-based works either through curating or programming, or through print and online media sources. Kim is also a 2016 Canadian Screen Award winner as the Executive Producer, Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction for “Secret Alberta: The Former Life of Amber Valley.”
As the Senior Content Lead for Crave, Natalie Igelfeld (she/her) leads acquisition strategy for the programming team at Crave and STARZ. In addition, she works collaboratively with Bell Media’s original programming team in the selection and commissioning of Canadian originals for Crave – including series, documentaries, and feature films.
Florence Lamothe is co-director and co-founder of Tënk Canada, a cooperative streaming service dedicated entirely to independent documentary films. After completing her studies in political science and communication, she travels for years while developing her photography skills. In 2016, she is hired by Tënk France and works in Lussas, France, as assistant for content acquisition. Convinced of the necessity to build a similar platform for documentaries in Canada, she develops and launches with Naomie Décarie-Daigneault the new and independent branch of Tënk in Quebec, in 2020. The mission of Tënk is to defend and support documentary filmmaking. Tënk’s goal is now to expand across Canada to be more representative of the entire documentary community in the country. The coop aims to develop new publics for auteur documentary, to create new knowledge about documentary films, and to be a direct support to the creation of documentary films.
Leslie Leong is a visual artist focused on recycling and sustainability, living and working in Whitehorse, Yukon. Her practice began in photography and ceramics over 35 years ago and today, she employs a variety of expressive forms often using unorthodox materials, forcing her to adopt non-traditional techniques.
Leslie currently has “Immersion”, an immersive video instillation on display at the Yukon Arts Centre. In 2021, she was the armour builder for the post-apocalyptic film, “Polaris”.
Brenda is the Lead Programmer for the Calgary International Film Festival and Festival Director for the Calgary Underground Film Festival. In addition, was Executive Producer of the Talent to Watch film Events Transpiring Before, During and After a High School Basketball Game (2020).
She has film production experience, a member of IATSE 212, and has been involved with several other start-up film festivals. In 2009, Brenda was awarded Avenue magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, and in 2018 was awarded Distinguished Alumni from MacEwan University’s Arts and Cultural Management program.
Joy was appointed CEO of the National Screen Institute in January 2020. By providing a clear vision for the organization, Joy’s work has resulted in unprecedented growth and furthered the organization’s mission to increase the number of underrepresented storytellers through training and mentorship programs. Joy currently serves on the board of the Canadian Independent Screen Fund for BIPOC creators and Canada’s National Ballet School. In September 2022, Joy received the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee medal in recognition of outstanding service to her province and community.
A Peabody-Award winning filmmaker and four-time Canadian Screen Award nominee, Jason’s work spans documentary, docuseries, virtual reality, narrative games, and animation. His directorial debut in a documentary feature, Ask No Questions, premiered in competition at Slamdance in 2020 and won the Copper Wing (best world cinema) and Phoenix Film Festival. His follow-up feature, Eternal Spring (長春), won 15 honours at film festivals around the world in 2022, including the top audience prizes at Hot Docs, and was named Canada’s official submission to the 2023 Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.
Masha Loftus is an experienced producer of documentaries, animation and digital media, supervising multiple award-winning projects. She has also voice-directed for animation and video games. A native of Changchun, China, Masha was fascinated by the untold story behind the 2002 TV hacking in her hometown. Masha began her media work at Peking University’s student newspaper and as a host with CCTV 4 in China. She holds a law degree from the University of Toronto and an entertainment law certificate from Osgoode Hall.
An Indigenous media content creator with almost 4 decades in the industry, Gordon is a successful documentary producer/director. He joined Knowledge Network as Producer, Original Documentaries in 2021. He’s currently writing an Indigenous feature length screenplay which has an executive producer attached, and two TV series pilots.
In 2020, he was chosen by Netflix to pitch his fictional series creation KANATA. In 2018, he placed in the top 25 for the Diversity of Voices Initiative at the Banff World Media Festival and received his narrative film Director Certificate from Langara College’s Film Arts program. In 2016, he co-wrote a short film script that placed in the top 10 at the Cannes Screenplay Contest.
Gordon is a multi-skilled creator, an accomplished producer, writer, director, cinematographer, editor and sound tech.
Born and raised in the Yukon, Neil began making movies as a young boy. He is an alumnus of the UBC Film Program and the National Screen Institute. With a varied career in the film and television industry Neil has worked as a Producer, Director, Cinematographer, and Gaffer. His credits include A.R.C.H.I.E. 2, GOLD RUSH, SKYMASTER DOWN, NANCY DREW, TRON LEGACY, and the TWILIGHT SAGA to name a few. In 2022 Neil stepped away from production to take on the role of Manager, Media Development for the Yukon Government.
Afro-L’nu demigirl Fallen Matthews is an interdisciplinary doctorate candidate from Dalhousie University. The fields of Africana Studies, Artificial Intelligence, English, Gender Studies, History, and Indigenous Studies all touch on her research interests while her project is grounded in psychoanalytic film theory. She has authored several peer-reviewed and non-refereed publications. Her praxis and pedagogy are defined by her marginalized positionalities along with a commitment to equity and diversity in addition to a sense of urgency inclined by her Fahr’s diagnosis.
As a Director of Photography on both commercial and documentary projects, Mike McKinlay has worked within the genres of verité, drama, historical, environmental awareness and wildlife production. Most recently he was the director of photography and co-director (with Isabelle Groc) of the documentary Toad People, which screened at the 2019 DOXA International Documentary Film Festival, won The Impact Award at the Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol, and is now streaming on CBC Gem. Other recent credits include films made for National Geographic, the NFB, Knowledge Network, the Wilderness Committee, and APTN. Before that, Mike carved out a respectable niche as a director of photography in the Canadian documentary scene, shooting numerous note-worthy and acclaimed documentaries. Recent awards include winning the Leo Award for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film for The Road Forward directed by Marie Clements, and being nominated for Best Cinematography for Takaya: Lone Wolf directed by Mary Margaret Frymire.
Nic Meloney is a mixed Wolastoqi/Canadian Journalist and Production Executive with CBC Unscripted. Working closely with independent creators from Unit, Métis and First Nations communities (as well as non-Indigenous ones) in documentary and factual productions. He is also a member of the CBC/Radio-Canada Indigenous Advisory Council and is part of the Indigenous led team developing CBC/Radio-Canada’s National Indigenous Strategy.
A member of Woodstock First Nation in Wolastokuk (New Brunswick) and a proud Cape Bretoner, he currently lives and works in Kjiputuk, Mi’kma’ki (Halifax, NS). Nic previous worked as a reported and video producer with CBC Nova Scotia and CBC Indigenous, covering the Atlantic region. His work has taken him to Indigenous communities across the country for the producton and development of digital video features and television documentaries, both long and short form, as well as syndicated, local and national news content.
Leena Minifie is a Gitxaala (Tsimshian) and British artist, writer, curator and media producer. She has relocated from unceeded Coast Salish Territory via Vancouver to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Leena holds a BA in Indigenous Studies and BFA in New Media from the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico. She has worked as journalist for agencies such as Ricochet Media, CBC Radio One, CTV First Story, Native American Calling (US), APTN National News and acted as a freelance producer. Leena’s experience includes over a decade of work as a facilitator, reporter, videographer, webinar & tv producer & production manager on media projects including documentaries, radio broadcast, language retention projects and news sites. She is currently the only First Nations woman to participate in the Aspen Institute and the U.S. Embassy’s Edward R. Murrow Journalism Program in Washington, DC. Leena leads with visual and pattern thinking and a multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving and communication. She believes that creative communications is all about creativity and passion with a healthy dose of sincerity, transparency, reciprocity and out-of-the-box thinking.
Fritz Mueller is a Canadian biologist, documentary filmmaker and the co-founder of Sagafish Media. An award-winning photographer and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Fritz has spent three decades in Canada’s North, with a career that spans science, government, visual art, and business.
Centred in the stories and people of the circumpolar North, Fritz’s documentaries include Journeys to Adäka, a film about seven Indigenous artists in Canada’s Yukon, Aurora Love, about Japanese visitors in search of the northern lights, and Voices Across the Water, a co-production with the National Film Board of Canada about two traditional canoe builders. For a decade, Fritz and his family have been visiting three sheep farms in Iceland and helping with their seasonal roundups. Smala, his story about Icelandic sheep farmers, is currently in post-production.
Paige Murray has worked at the CBC for over eleven years within the television content areas. She is currently Executive in Charge of Development, Drama on the Scripted Content team. In this role, Paige oversees the development of one-hour drama series and actively looks for creators and stories that reflect the spectrum of the Canadian experience to entertain and enlighten CBC audiences. Previously, she was Executive in Charge of Production, YA Digital Originals,
overseeing production and development of short and mid-length series for CBC Gem such as Series Mania Best Short Series winner and SXSW Episodic Jury winner
Something Undone, CSA nominated Decoys, For Heaven’s Sake, Homeschooled and Queens. Prior to this role she worked with the scripted content team as the Development Manager for Comedy and Drama and was the Canadian Reflections Programmer.
Additionally, Paige currently sits on the board of Breakthroughs Film Festival and the advisory board of The Future of Film Showcase.
Jeremy Parkin is an indigenous artist, producer, and performer from the Kwanlin Dün First Nation in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Blending influences from artists such as Shlohmo, Burial, Nosaj Thing, and SBTRKT; Jeremy creates detailed and textured soundscapes to paint vivid pictures throughout his music.
In the summer of 2022, he received a nomination for “Producer of the Year” at the International Indigenous Hip Hop awards, and saw production placements for Toronto MCs Papito Scotti and ALLSVNS, as well as Youtuber / Comedian Kurtis Conner. Aside from collaborating with many hip hop artists and creating self released work, Jeremy is also one half of the producer and MC duo known as “LOCAL BOY” with Kelvin Smoler. Jeremy produced the entirety of LOCAL BOY’s 2022 EP release titled “ONE FOR JAMES”.
Sarah Quan is the Executive in Charge of Development, Comedy Scripted at CBC. Prior to joining CBC, she served as Creative Executive at Northwood Entertainment (Anne With An E, The Grizzlies) where she oversaw the day-to-day creative and logistical slate of television and feature film projects in development and production. Sarah started her career in production as a coordinator and line producer for independent film and digital series. As an award-winning producer and 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.
Alex Rogalski is the Senior Canadian programmer for Hot Docs and has been working with the festival since 2010. His programming career has focused on documentary and Canadian cinema for festivals across the country including TIFF, Calgary International Film Festival, Human Rights Watch, Victoria Film Festival, Gimme Some Truth and others. He holds a Masters in Communication and Culture, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and has written for publications including POV magazine.
Robin is currently the CEO of Blue Docs Inc. - a distribution and equity funding company dedicated to funding, acquiring and distributing the best non-fiction work from around the world and is also the Head of Factual Content for levelFILM - a multi-facet distribution company based in Toronto, Canada.
Robin brings a strong background of over 25 years of film, video and arts-related work to the marketplace having worked at a variety of distribution companies including the National Film Board of Canada, Alliance Films, Lions Gate Film Entertainment, Seville Pictures and Capri Releasing. Robin recently sold his company KinoSmith to levelFILMS back in October 2021 and also programmed the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema for its first 10 years of operation. Notable releases managed and navigated by Robin include; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, All About My Mother, Away From Her, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Blackfish, Up the Yanghtze and Kedi.
Jayden Soroka, an award winning animator and the 2020 recipient of Start Up Canada’s Entrepreneur of the North, has taken the road less travelled by embracing XR production north of 60. With over two decades of experience within multiple fields of storytelling, in 2021, Jayden felt called to share his passion and proficiency for digital creativity by spearheading a creative industries mentorship program. Over the past 13 years in the Yukon, Jayden has consistently pushed the boundaries of what can and will be done pan Territorially - developing courageous projects, building local capacity, and opening up the Yukon to opportunities previously only available outside the North.
Sarah Spring is the Executive Director of the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) and a veteran producer and consultant, Sarah has been actively involved in Canada’s vibrant film community for the past fifteen years. As a producer, Sarah was known as a champion of independent cinema and innovative storytellers. As Executive Director of DOC, Sarah advocates toward an equitable, functional and inclusive film industry.
Jon Taylor is a respected digital media executive, content producer and entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada. Jon is the CEO of the Independent Production Fund, Canada’s oldest funding agency and a pioneer in web series development and production financing. Prior to joining the IPF, Jon as the Executive Director of the Global Online Video Association, a US based think-tank and lobby group working with the world’s largest online Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs). Jon was Vice-President of the Digital Content and Strategy at Bell Media, Canada’s largest communications company, where he was notably the overall product lead for Crave TV, currently one of Canada’s top 3 OTT platforms. Jon has had an extensive career in television production, including works for Discovery Network, ESPN, MTV, the United Nations, the Academy Awards and the 2010 Olympic Games.
Stacey Tenenbaum is an award-winning producer and director. In 2014 she founded H2L Productions, a boutique documentary film production company specializing in crafting character driven stories which are shot internationally. H2L Productions’ first documentary feature Shiners was broadcast on the Documentary Channel, TV5 Quebec and PBS Independent Lens. Her second film Pipe Dreams Premiered had a theatrical release across Canada an the US and was broadcast on Documentary Channel, PBS / Independent Lens, and NHK. Her 3rd film Scrap, a character driven environmental documentary, had a theatrical release across Canada and the US and was broadcast on Documentary Channel, YLE and ERT. Before turning her attention to film, Stacey worked in factual television for 16 years, producing and co-creating award-winning documentary series such as The Beat (CTV) and In Real Life (YTV). In 2012, Stacey was nominated for an International Emmy for In Real Life III. Stacey is known for her ability to find and connect with great characters around the world. She is passionate about making cinematic films which are filled with humour and heart.
Elad is an award-winning director (DGC), producer and editor with a background in development and marketing. Born and raised in Israel, Elad moved to Vancouver, where he graduated from the Film Production Program at UBC and co-founded Scopitone Films. He has produced, directed and edited music videos, commercials, narrative films and documentaries.
Shirley Vercruysse is the Executive Producer of the National Film Board’s BC & Yukon Studio, where she leads the team producing documentary and animation projects. The studio’s latest feature documentary releases include Marie Clements’ Lay Down Your Heart, Elad Tzadok and Haley Gray’s Unarchived, Fritz Mueller’s Voices Across the Water, as well as the stop motion animation from Alicia Eisen and Sophie Jarvis Zeb’s Spider and the short documentary, A Motorcycle Saved My Life from Lori Lozinski. Coming soon is Tyler Funks’ feature doc Anything for Fame.
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 Producers globally to find the best LGBTQ+ programming.
Yiqian Zhang recently joined the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival as Manager of Funds & Labs. She has Canadian and International experience in both the festival and broadcast fields. She was co-producer on Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar’s Academy-award-winning documentary American Factory, which sold to Netflix and launches worldwide. She also worked on various productions as producer, associate producer, line producer, field producer and researcher, including Academy shortlisted documentary, Violet Du Feng’s Hidden Letters. Prior to moving to Canada in 2016, she worked at China Central Television’s (CCTV) Documentary Channel as project manager in the international co-production department.
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