Planet in Focus

The Funding Panel

Friday, October 12, 9:30 – 11:30 AM
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 4
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Now, more than ever, Canadian filmmakers rely on public funding to help finance their projects. Meet the funders directly, learn about their programs and hear tips on what makes a successful application. For emerging and veteran filmmakers alike.

PANELISTS

Marcia Douglas, Program Manager, Bell New Media Fund

Marcia Douglas is the Program Manager for the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, which invests in Canadian television programs and their associated digital media projects.  She has worked with lions and wolves and a helicopter coated in liquid latex in the name of media and entertainment. As an assistant director member of the Directors Guild of Canada, she worked on numerous TV and film projects for both Canadian independent producers and Viacom. She has produced several award winning short films and the theatrical feature Siblings which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She completed a post-graduate in Children’s Media through Centennial College. After working at Corus Entertainment in original programming she joined the Bell Fund. She is a member of the Program Advisory Committee for the Children’s Media Program and the Business of Film and Television Program at Centennial College and is a speaker at industry events and post-secondary institutions including Hot Docs, INplay, Centennial College and Humber College.

Martin Harbury, Film & Television Consultant, Ontario Media Development Corporation

Martin Harbury develops and administers programs for film and television, including the OMDC Film Fund and the Export Fund. The Film Fund supports documentaries in development and production. As writer, director, executive producer, producer and broadcast executive, Martin’s films have won numerous awards both domestically and internationally, including two Geminis, a Genie and a U.S. Cable Ace Award.

Mark Haslam, Media Arts Officer, Ontario Arts Council

Mark Haslam was the founder and first Executive Director of the Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and a Master of Environmental Studies degree from York University. For eight years he wrote, directed and produced documentary programming on human affairs, arts and the environment for Vision TV. He is a Fellow of the UK-based Leadership for Environment and Development International. With the Ontario Arts Council, he helps fund short, experimental and feature-length films.

Peter Kingstone, Acting Visual/Media Arts Officer, Toronto Arts Council

Peter Kingstone administers the Media Artists Grant for filmmakers.  The grant supports directors of short films, documentaries and experimental video.  Kingstone’s own artwork digs through history, community and narrative to examine our lives today.  His work focuses on video and video installation including drawing, sculpture and photography.  He has shown in video festivals and at galleries across Canada and internationally. He teaches at York University and The Toronto School of Art.

Ian Reid, Program Officer, Media Arts Section, Canada Council for the Arts 

Ian Reid manages the Canada Council’s Aboriginal Media Arts Program as well as several of Council’s funding programs for independent film and video artists. He also co-coordinates the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts on behalf of the Canada Council.

Melissa Amer, Deputy Director, English Market, CMF Program Administrator

Melissa Amer is a Deputy Director, English Market, CMF Program Administrator based out of Telefilm Canada’s Toronto office.  The CMF delivers $371M in funding annually to support the Canadian television and digital media industries.  Projects are supported through either the Convergent Stream which supports the creation of innovative convergent television and digital media content or the Experimental Stream which encourages the development of leading edge, interactive digital media content and software applications.