Instructors
PRODUCTION
ERIC IDRISS-KANAGO
Eric Idriss-Kanago is a producer with more than 20 years experience, involved in cinematographic and televisual works released for movie theatres & TV and in three continents. His permanent strive for authenticity and quality has led to a large number of his productions being selected and awarded in the world’s most important film festivals (Berlinale, Mostra de Venise, Seattle, Fespaco). In 2018, he founded Yzanakio in Montreal, with the ambition of contributing to build a more inclusive collective memory. Eric is also the co-founder of Black on Black Films and M.É.D.I.A, two organizations working for more equity for BIPOC creators.
GENTILLE MENGUIZANI ASSIH
Producer, writer and director, Gentille M. Assih has been working in television and film production for over 15 years. After training in writing and directing creative documentaries, she studied Human Resources Management, before completing her Master’s degree in Cinema at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). The author of four feature-length documentaries, her work boldly tackles taboo issues that she doesn’t hesitate to name and tell. While her camera, as a writer-director, focuses uncompromisingly on social problems and ills, her sensitive writing conveys a resolutely positive vision of humanity.
Over the years, Gentille M. Assih has put her management training to good use, working in production management after further training at INIS. She carved out a place for herself in the television industry as a production manager and then line producer at Serdy vidéo, Productions Déferlantes and Untamed Productions, among others, before setting up Productions colorées. Gentille works with other production teams as Producer and/or Director on various projects.
AONAN YANG
Aonan is a co-founder of film production company GreenGround, focuses on producing films that are boundary pushing with high artistic merits, as well, of filmmakers who are visible minorities and from under represented film communities. His latest production includes two poignant works of Denis Côté – HYGIÈNE SOCIALE, Best Director at Berlinale 2021 in the Encounters section and WILCOX , Locarno 2019; THE NAMES OF FLOWERS by Bahman Tavoosi, Jury Prize at Tallinn Black Night IFF 2019 and Best Feature at Venice Film Week 2020; documentaries PRIMAS by Laura Bari, TAMING THE HORSE by Tao Gu, and IN THE WAVES by Jacqueline Mills, winning awards at True/False, Mar del Plata, RIDM, DOXA, VIFF and Xining First, China. He is Canadian producer in spotlights at Cannes 2019 and alumni of Trans-Atlantic Partners 2019. He served as Executive Producer for GEOGRAPHIES OF SOLITUDE by Jacquelyn Mills, winner of 3 awards at Berlinale Forum 2022, and is currently producing films of Sofia Bahdanowicz, Aboozar Amini and Julien Elie. Aonan is an active guest speaker at film schools and often serve as jury member at festivals and funds. He is also a co-founder of CineGround Media, a unique camera and post production hub in Montreal catering to local film productions and abroad.
RICHARD JEAN-BAPTISTE
After a diverse career including directing and producing documentaries, in 2008 Richard became a partner at Sid Lee; one of the biggest advertising agencies in Canada. Within these last 15 years, Richard founded and successfully led one of Sid Lee’s biggest child company; Jimmy Lee. Richard has produced more than fifty scripted and non-scripted projects including; The LibTv content channel, THE RAMS, THE CHRONICLES OF AN UNWORTHY MOTHER, THE INTERNS, MAKE ME A TALE, ÉLOIZE, CIRCUS STORY, GUANTANAMERA BOXE and TAKEDOWN, THE DNA OF GSP. His productions have been seen in theaters across Canada as well as on CBC, Radio-Canada, TVA, Télé-Québec, TV5, HBO Canada and several festivals. Richard has several nominations and awards to his credit including Numix, Gémeaux, Cyber Lions of Cannes, Boomerang, Digital Marketing Awards and FWA. In 2021 Richard decided to leave the world of advertising to fully dedicate himself to his passions, television and cinema. The scarcity of diversity among experienced producers in Quebec and Canada is no stranger to Richard’s career decision. Richard brings his extensive and unique experience along a different diversity perspective on content produced in Canada.
MARIE KA
After eight years at the helm of a Senegalese production company whose works are shown around the world and broadcast on television, Marie Ka moved to Canada. A Montrealer since 2018, she fulfilled several delegated production mandates on documentary and fiction projects before dedicating herself to Inaru Films. Convinced of the importance of images for society, Marie is involved in several initiatives aimed at increasing and consolidating the place of under-represented creators in the audiovisual industry.
MYLÈNE AUGUSTIN
Before beginning her production training at L’inis, Mylène Augustin worked as an editor and digital project manager. From 2014 to 2020, she held several delegated production mandates on a dozen short films at the documentary studio of the English program, then at the animation studio of the French program of the National Film Board of Canada. In 2020, with a view to promoting new voices in Quebec auteur cinema, she joined forces with Marie Ka to realize the vision of Inaru Films. Today, the Montreal-based production company supports creators who take a fresh look at realities here and abroad, in a spirit of inclusivity and collaboration.
DISTRIBUTION
MILA AUNG-THWIN
Mila Aung-Thwin is co-founder of Montreal’s EyeSteelFilm. Productions include Last Train Home (winner of 2 Emmy Awards); Up the Yangtze (Golden Horse Award winner); Rip: A Remix Manifesto (IDFA audience choice prize winner); and I Am the Blues (CSA winner). Most recently, he directed Let There Be Light (Big Sky Fest’s Artistic Vision winner) and co-edited Softie (Sundance Festival award for editing). He frequently mentors upcoming filmmakers – recent workshops include Guangzhou, China; Durban, South Africa; and Yangon, Myanmar.
NETWORKING
DIANE GISTAL
As a cultural professional, Diane Gistal specializes in project management in the creative industries sector, prioritizing an approach based on inclusion, equity and diversity. Recent career highlights include her role as founder and executive director of Nigra Iuventa, a non-profit organization that supports, promotes and showcases artists from Afrodescendant and African communities. In 2021, the organization won the Conseil des arts de Montréal’s “nos indispensables de l’équité” grand prize. In addition, Diane is the co-founder of Black Joy MTL, a platform that aims to cultivate joy and promote well-being within black communities while promoting inclusion and the celebration of diversity. This initiative is a testament to her commitment to creating safe and inclusive spaces for all.
ELLA COOPER
Ella Cooper is an award winning independent producer, multimedia artist, educator, writer and director based in Toronto who has been working in the arts, film and cultural sector for over 20 years. She was recently long listed for a 2023 Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction in a Youth Series and is a writer director for the new TVO Kids series Sunny’s Quest produced by Montreal production company Apartment 11.
Ella is the founder of Black Women Film! Canada a not for profit supporting the development of Black women in film and media. She enjoys running Brown Rabbit Studios, a new BIPOC production company focused on content creation for tv, lifestyle, arts and children programming with a new animation in development with CBC Kids, Sphere Media & Karen Chapman and multiple on going commissions.
Ella received the Tiffany’s Hometown Hero Award and was nominated for the 2019 TAC Mayor’s Arts Award for cultural leadership and featured as one of 33 Black Canadians Making Change Now in Chatelaine magazine. Her photo series ‘Witness’ was just selected as 2020 Editors Pick in Canadian Art Magazine and her documentary, dance and video installation works have been presented in galleries, public spaces and film festivals in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Berlin. She was an artist in residence at the Banff Centre, Picture Berlin and is supported by the Ontario, Toronto & Canada Arts Councils.
PITCHING
GIULIA FRATI
Born in Italy, Giulia Frati is currently based in Tiohtià:ke /Montreal. She has been working in the audiovisual industry for over 20 years. Wearing many hats, she has collaborated as a producer, production manager, DOP, camera operator and sometimes even editor on a wide selection of major projects (fiction, documentary, animated series, web series, dance music and theater recordings). As a director, she has produced social documentaries and experimental shorts. Her feature film ECHOES OF ISTANBUL won the Iris Award for Best Documentary Sound in 2020. Giulia is also President of the Board of Makila, a non-profit media incubation initiative, and co-founder of Pitch Cuban Hat. Since 2009, these two initiatives have enabled her to help support creators from under-represented communities.
GUEST SPEAKERS
STEFAN VERNA
A graduate of Concordia University’s School of Cinema, he works in the Quebec film industry as a director, cinematographer and scriptwriter. His work covers a wide range of styles, including documentary, fiction, dance video and music video. Stefan Verna uses the 7th art as a transformative tool around themes such as social justice, environmental issues and the plight of Afro-descendant communities around the world. His deep interest in Hip Hop culture, Black cinema and dance also fuels the projects he creates. Since 2016, he has been co-founder of the Black on Black Films collective for Afro-Québécois.es filmmakers, and has been lecturing around the world on the history and aesthetics of Black Cinema for the past 5 years. His films to date include Ice Storm Cabaret, Chocolate City, Lakay, Diversidad : a Roadtrip to Deconstruct Diner, Drawing Blank, Metamorph. Stefan is currently directing the NFB documentary Night Watches Us and writing the feature film On Thin Ice with Loaded Pictures.
JASON BRENNAN
Jason Brennan is a proud member of the KitiganZibi Anishinaabeg community and President of the Gatineau-based Aboriginal production company Nish Media. Since 2005, NISH has produced more than 100 hours of documentaries, dramas and youth programming for several French and English Canadian channels. The fictional works “Le Dep”, “Rustic Oracle” and “L’Inhumain” have all been presented in Canadian theatres and selected in some of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Most recently, Jason Brennan produced the mini-series “Pour toi Flora”, the first Aboriginal written, directed and produced drama for CBC, available since May 2022.
CATALINA BRICEÑO
A change practitioner and seasoned manager, Catalina has been involved in the digital transition of the cultural and media sector since 1998. Her expertise is based first and foremost on her experience as an audiovisual and web series entrepreneur and producer, followed by a dozen years in management positions within parapublic organizations dedicated to funding Canadian screen-based production, including 8 years as Director of Strategic Intelligence at the Canada Media Fund. Since 2010, her role has been to help cultural decision-makers identify the factors driving socio-digital transformation and anticipate the effects of these changes on the cultural and media economy. Since 2018, she has extended this passion for research and prospective analysis to the academic sector, as a professor at UQAM’s École des médias.
PARTICIPATING ASSOCIATIONS
MORE INFORMATION
For any questions or additional information, please contact prisme@mainfilm.qc.ca