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.
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.
ROCIO B. FUENTES
A graduate of EICTV (Cuba) and INIS, producer Rocío B. Fuentes worked in the Caribbean before moving to Montreal, where she joined the production company Les Films Outsiders and co-founded Les Films Cosmos. A Eurodoc graduate with valuable international experience, she has produced several short and feature-length documentaries and collaborates with other companies as a production manager. Her films and projects, both fiction and documentary, have been presented at international festivals and markets such as the Trinidad & Tobago International Film Festival, Festival Regard, Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, TIFF Filmmaker Lab, CPH:Dox Forum, and HotDocs Forum, among others.
DISTRIBUTION
SARAH OUAZZANI
A graduate in film studies from the University of Montreal, Sarah has been working in film distribution and programming in Canada and abroad since 2012. She has lived and worked in Canada, China, Mexico, Morocco, and India. As a programmer, distributor, and general manager of a cinema, she has collaborated with film festivals in Vancouver, Montreal, Agadir, Shanghai, and Edinburgh. As a distributor, she has helped bring several independent films to Canadian and international audiences, some of which have won awards at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals. Her passion for poetic, ambitious, and hybrid films led her to found a film distribution company based in Montreal.
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.
PITCHING
JESSE FREESTON
Jesse Freeston creates films, videos, and other narrative content from his home base in Montreal. As a freelance cameraman and editor, he has worked for various platforms, including Vice News, Politico, 60 Second Docs (winner of the 2019 Webby Award for Best Documentary Video Channel), and as a member of the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s media team. Since the 2009 military coup in Honduras, Jesse has worked extensively in the country, notably directing two independent documentary films: Revolutionary Medicine: A Story of the First Garifuna Hospital and Resistencia: The Fight for the Aguan Valley. He is a member of the Montreal filmmakers’ cooperative Makila and works in English, French, and Spanish. Before developing a passion for filmmaking, Jesse worked as a videojournalist for teleSUR and The Real News Network.
PARTICIPATING ASSOCIATIONS
MORE INFORMATION
For any questions or additional information, please contact prisme@mainfilm.qc.ca