EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & HEAD OF POLICY

Kirwan Cox is a writer, producer and policy advocate specialising in broadcast advocacy for English-language media in Québec’s official-language minority community. As Executive Director of the Quebec English-language Production Council (QEPC), he helped pioneer research and interventions on behalf of English-language producers in Québec, including forming partnerships with the National Film Board of Canada and intervening at the CRTC on behalf of minority-language production. His work spans producing documentaries, educational programming and policy studies documenting the challenges of English-language media production in Québec.

PRODUCER & DIRECTOR, COMPASS PRODUCTIONS

Joe Balass founded Compass Productions in 1997 and has since established a body of work in both fiction and documentary filmmaking. His award-winning titles include Nana, George & Me, The Devil in the Holy Water, Baghdad Twist, JOY! Portrait of a Nun, The Length of the Alphabet, Venus, The Affairs of Lidia and Am I the Skinniest Person You’ve Ever Seen?. He is recognised for a distinctive blend of seriousness and humour and for elevating under-represented, racialized and queer voices. His films have screened at major festivals including TIFF, Tribeca and IDFA, and both the Cinémathèque québécoise and the Toronto Jewish Film Festival have hosted retrospectives of his work. His most recent feature, Calorie (2025), shot in Canada and India, is currently touring the festival circuit and additional projects are in development.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / CEO, GALAFILM PRODUCTIONS INC.

Arnie Gelbart founded Galafilm Productions Inc. in Montréal in 1990, following his earlier tenure as President of Cleo 24 and work as Assistant Director on Luis Buñuel’s The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. Under his leadership Galafilm has produced nearly 400 hours of documentaries, television dramas, youth programming and feature films, released in both French and English. The company has earned over 200 national and international awards (including a Primetime Emmy) and was among the early adopters of HD production in Canada. Gelbart remains committed to high-quality, bilingual storytelling with an international scope.

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT OF PMA PRODUCTIONS INC.

Kenneth Hirsch founded PMA Productions Inc. on the heels of a decade’s service with the National Film Board of Canada. As Executive Producer, he manages the intricate relationships between creative teams and financial partners, ensuring production quality across the company’s slate. His credits span documentaries such as Shylock (1999, Gemini-nominated), War at Sea I & II (1995), Web of War (1995), Anatomy of Desire (1995), and Outbreak: Anatomy of a Plague (2010). He also directed/co-directed episodes of Extraordinary Canadians. A graduate of Harvard University, Hirsch is known for his strategic yet creative production leadership.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, POUTINE STUDIOS

With over two decades of experience, Debra Kouri has produced acclaimed scripted and unscripted projects across both English and French markets. Known for her creative vision and production leadership, she has overseen titles such as Office Games (Tubi), The Bend (Super Channel), and The Detectives (CBC), along with numerous documentaries and factual series. As founder of Poutine Studios, Debra continues to develop and produce socially impactful content while mentoring emerging BIPOC producers and supporting new voices in Canada’s screen industry.

SVP & CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, APARTMENT 11 PRODUCTIONS

Mindy Laxer holds a senior role at Apartment 11 Productions, where she focuses on the development, financing, licensing and strategic partnerships of children’s and family-oriented content. Before moving into media, she taught elementary school for ten years, during which she earned the Reader’s Digest Leadership in Education Award. Laxer’s educational background informs her media work, ensuring a strong mix of creativity, commercial strategy and positive social impact in the family entertainment space.

LEGAL & BUSINESS EXECUTIVE / CREATIVE LEADER

Stéphane Moraille is a creative industry veteran whose career spans music, entertainment law and technology. A Master’s graduate in Intellectual Property Law from Osgoode Hall Law School (York University), she has held leadership roles in legal and business affairs at PHI, VICE and Lussier & Khouzam. As a founding member of Bran Van 3000 (nominated for the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize in 2015 and 2022), she earned Juno, Félix and SOCAN Awards and a Gold record. Moraille serves on boards including the Songwriters Association of Canada, UMAC, MuchFACT, and CALQ. She now leads Cylexica, a tech-driven company combining IP protection and cybersecurity for creative-industry data and assets.

PRODUCER & FOUNDER, MUSE ENTERTAINMENT

Michael Prupas has over 40 years of experience in the Canadian and international film and television industry. He began as an entertainment lawyer and senior partner at Heenan Blaikie, representing pioneers of the Canadian film industry such as Denis Héroux, André Link, Robin Spry, Nicolas Clément and Roger Frappier. In 1998 he founded Muse Entertainment, which has since become a major production company with offices in Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles. Under his leadership, Muse produced high-profile miniseries such as Human Trafficking, The Kennedys and The Pillars of the Earth — all recognised with Golden Globe and Emmy awards. Prupas remains an expert in international co-production and continues to serve as executive producer on numerous projects.

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, CINEFLIX MEDIA

Glen Salzman co-founded Cineflix Media (with Katherine Buck) in 1998, growing the company from its original factual-television roots into a leading international production and distribution group. As CEO he oversees commercial strategy and global expansion across the Cineflix group — including C3 Media and Buccaneer — and is responsible for the company’s overall performance and business development. Under his leadership, Cineflix has built a rich catalogue of thousands of hours of programming and established operations in Montreal, Toronto, New York, London and Dublin, becoming a powerful player in both unscripted and scripted content markets.

CO-CHAIR, QEPC & ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ACTRA MONTRÉAL

Anna Sikorski serves as Associate Director of ACTRA Montréal (the Quebec branch of the performers’ union representing English-language recorded media) and as Co-Chair of the Quebec English Production Council (QEPC). In her roles she advocates for the rights, representation and professional development of approximately 4,000 performers working in English-language media in Canada. Sikorski’s work supports equitable recognition of Canadian culture and strengthens voices in the English-language production sector of Québec.

PRODUCER, BAND WITH PICTURES

Michael Solomon is the founder of Band With Pictures, a Montréal-based feature-film production company founded in 2010, specialising in IP acquisition, development, production and financing. Prior to that, he held roles at Muse Entertainment, Artisan Entertainment, Revolution Studios, Newmarket Films and Serendipity Point Films. As a member of AQPM and a board member of QEPC, Solomon directed his attention to international co-production. His recent credits include Black Conflux (TIFF 2019), My Animal (Sundance 2023 / Paramount Pictures) and The Things You Kill (Sundance 2025, Canada’s entry to the 98th Oscars).

DIRECTOR & PRODUCER, H2L PRODUCTIONS

Stacey Tenenbaum is a producer-director and founder of H2L Productions, a boutique documentary film company that specialises in cinematic, character-driven stories. With 16 years of prior experience in factual television, she co-created series such as In Real Life (YTV) and received an International Emmy nomination in 2012. Her films including Shiners, Pipe Dreams, Scrap, The Death Tour and Tough Old Broads have screened worldwide and been broadcast on CBC, PBS, NHK and TV5. Known for her ability to find compelling characters and deliver films infused with heart and humour, Tenenbaum continues to bring meaningful nonfiction content to international audiences.

INDEPENDENT PRODUCER

Ian Whitehead is a producer whose career spans more than 200 hours of scripted television across drama series, miniseries, television films and features. His work includes large-format green-screen productions such as Assassin’s Creed: Lineage and international co-productions such as Versailles, collaborating with partners in the UK, France, Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. He has held executive roles at several leading Québec production companies and his productions have earned nominations from BAFTA, the Canadian Screen Awards, the Directors Guild of Canada, and the Rockie Awards.