Derek Johnson is the Manager of Current Series Operations at FX Networks. In this role, Johnson focuses on projects in pre- through post-production, improving workflows across all FX departments, and the studio/network’s diversity efforts.
Prior, Johnson was selected to participate in the Disney General Entertainment Content Executive Incubator Program, a 2-year practicum through core disciplines of television across the studios and networks established to create a pipeline of diverse, next-generation executives. In this role, he had the pleasure of working with teams at Freeform, 20th Television, and FX. Before this, Johnson served as the Studio Commercialization coordinator at FX, where he helped drive financial and brand ROI for all FX original series, working on projects and products ranging from series merchandise to soundtracks. While with this team, he managed the development and launch of FX’s first narrative mobile game, It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile, which reached #4 on the Apple App Store and #6 on the Google Play Store in Strategy. Johnson started his career in the William Morris Endeavor mailroom and moved to assistant roles in Global Finance & Distribution (now Fifth Season) and later Digital Media.
Johnson received a Bachelor of Science in Management Science and Comparative Media Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Donisha Prendergast travels the world sharing and preserving stories to advance humanity. Though she is from a musical family lineage and the eldest granddaughter of Jamaican Reggae Royalty Bob & Rita Marley, she has chosen the art of filmmaking as her tool for social impact and advocacy. Her vibrant talents and vast experience covers many disciplines including both documentary and narrative filmmaking, alternative education, motivational speaking and international activism. She was worked alongside government and grassroots organizations at various levels to plan and execute Pan-African and Art focussed symposiums like Africa Unite Youth Symposiums and Manifesto Jamaica Festival, lecturing on the Japanese led Activist cruise initiative – Peace Boat, marching with indigenous communities to highlight issues around cultural preservation and rights or leading social justice campaigns to help re-unify families impacted by cannabis criminalization and other systemic discrimination.
As a film producer, she has creatively contributed and supported projects for names like the inimitable Beyonce, Director Melina Matsoukas, Handmaid’s tale star O-T Fagbenle, International Reggae Artists Sean Paul, Shaggy and the Marley family. Her on screen work as an actress includes female lead in Canadian Screen Award winning films Akilla’s Escape(2020) and Black Bodies(2020), SXSW Jury Prize winner OMI(2021) The Story of God (2018) with Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman on Disney Plus and documentaries Rasta, A Soul’s Journey (2013), Reaching for Zion (2016) and the soon to be released 50 Days in Afrika. Her screenwriter’s credits are also growing with projects like with Jamaican TV movie Savannah (2017), short films Earthworm(2016) and Awaking Sankofa (2018), which was shot in the Cape Coast dungeons in Ghana, and most recently on the Jamaican-Canadian feature When Morning Comes (2022) as story co-creator (story by), story editor as well as acting coach and associate producer credits.
Donisha has been quietly using her talents and platform to support the development of black filmmakers and the community in Toronto for almost a decade. Now, with a slate of film projects in development and no limit on her creative capacity, she is looking forward to continuing to create some room at the table. Her diverse perspective and approach to Creation is layered with nuances and insight from the African diaspora. She has recently founded her non-profit Humanity Ova Vanity as a vehicle to activate and facilitate the integration of best practices that can help to preserve and stimulate a culture of artistic integrity while bridging the gap between the world of film and the communities that inspired these stories… right the story.
Dwayne Holness believes your greatest advantage is to be underestimated. From humble beginnings in Kingston, Jamaica, to growing up in what many would consider one of the roughest neighborhoods in Toronto, Dwayne has built a career on his own terms. As an award-winning entrepreneur, creative director, speaker, and community leader, Dwayne is a testament that the opportunities to succeed as a Black creative are truly endless.
A force within the marketing and video production industries for over a decade, Dwayne is the founder and CEO of Corex Creative – a video marketing agency specializing in corporate videos, digital strategy, and brand development.
His innovative perspective, distinct imagery, and innate understanding of diverse storytelling have landed him in the director’s chair for campaigns and productions of notable brands such as, CSA Group, The Academy, TD Bank, Canadian Tire Corporation, the LCBO, and the Canadian Screen Awards. Dwayne has also been the visual architect for music artists, Chronixx and Lauryn Hill, leading the creative direction for their world tours.
Jen Holness is a happy workaholic. She writes, produces, and directs. Her doc, Subjects of Desire, was a 2021 TIFF Top Ten film, and her doc series BLK: An
Origin Story recently won 5 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Director for her episode.
Jen’s dramas include, Shoot the Messenger and Guns, with the latter winning her a Best Writing CSA. Her features, Home Again and Love, Sex and Eating the Bones have screened globally, winning numerous festival prizes. SHE IS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION ON HER NEXT FEATURE WITH DIRECTOR RT THORNE (the Porter, utopia falls).
She is a Founder of the Black Screen Office, a CMPA Board Member and Chair of the REDIAC Committee, Co-chair of Ontario Creates Industry Committee and Co-Chair of CISF seeking independent funding for BIPOC Creatives and Producers.
Jo-Anne Liburd is a Communications Consultant whose clients span a range of industries, from the screen sector to travel to healthcare. A focal point of her professional and volunteer work, however, is supporting community-profit organizations to address the needs of equity-deserving populations. She brings a passion for social justice, an inquiring mind, and an ever-present sense of humour to each collaboration.
John Gibson is a leading advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the entertainment industry. He founded the DEI program at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in 2012, spearheading initiatives promoting multiculturalism among member studios like Walt Disney and Netflix. With partnerships with over 50 influential organizations, including the American Black Film Festival and National Urban League, John fosters inclusivity through advisory roles and global outreach efforts. His leadership extends to managing relationships with civil rights groups and non-profits, solidifying his commitment to fostering belonging for diverse voices in entertainment. Gibson's work significantly advances DEI and global inclusivity in the industry.
An award-winning documentary filmmaker, director, producer and playwright based in Toronto, Ontario working both in English and French.
Her TV credits include, directing an episode of CBC GEM’s televised play, 21 BLACK FUTURES, directing an episode of TFO’s unscripted docu-series, COULEURS DU NORD, and story producing 3 segments of CBC’s factual show TERRY FOX: THE POWER OF ONE. Besides, she was a Director Observer on CBC’s episodic drama series MURDOCH MYSTERIES. She also wrote 10 episodes of TFO’s podcast VOIX DU NORD.
Her recent accomplishments encompass being awarded entry into the Berlinale EFM Doc Toolbox lab and the Canadian Academy Women Director program. She’s an alumna of the Hotdocs Accelerator lab, the Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Talent lab, Women in the Director’s Chair and the Director’s Lab North Theatre residency.
When she is not working as a gun for hire, creating documentary plays or producing her own indie projects, Katia hosts the DGC Podcast, facilitates Diversity & Inclusion workshops for the DGC and is the co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for the DGC Board – Ontario District Council.
With a long-standing passion for film and television, Margaret has a breadth of industry knowledge. Over the past three years as a Relationship Manager in Commercial Banking for the Media & Entertainment sector, Margaret has helped film and television producers overcome numerous barriers to bring their content to life – whether it is their first or fiftieth production. Prior to RBC, Margaret previously worked at Corus Entertainment as Project Manager in Business Operations for Original Content and International Distribution, and held various roles at TIFF, NBCUniversal, was CMPA Diversity Mentorship Trainee alongside production company, Conquering Lion Pictures, and is an alumni of the inaugural Reelworld Producer Program. She sits on the board of Black Women Film! and BIPOC TV and Film, and completed her MBA at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.
Maya Annik Bedward is a Jamaican-French Canadian director and producer in the film and television industry. Her work has been showcased at prestigious events such as TIFF, Hot Docs, Black Star, and the New Orleans Film Festival. Her passion for storytelling has taken her to various corners of the globe, including living in Brazil and the UK, before returning to Toronto to establish Third Culture Media. In 2023, her producing work on PATTY vs PATTY earned her the Canadian Screen Award for Best Short Documentary. Additionally, her directing work on the digital series LIDO TV secured her a nomination for Best Direction. Maya is a fellow of both the EFM Toolbox Programme and the BSO-DGC Black Women Directors Accelerator. Committed to fostering a more equitable and inclusive industry, she is a founding member of the Black Screen Office. Currently, Maya is in production for her upcoming feature film, BLACK ZOMBIE.
Orla Garriques is a multi-faceted professional working at the intersection of film, television, digital media, arts and education.
She has delivered collaborative initiatives that promote content and talent at home and abroad for leading media institutions such as the National Film Board of Canada, Canadian Film Centre, Toronto International Film Festival, Hot Docs, and South African Documentary Association.
Mahalia Verna, a creative industries executive with over 20 years of experience, namely at the National Film Board (NFB) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). She has senior leadership experience in complex organisations, with an emphasis on strategy, production, operations, fundraising, marketing and communications. She is a dedicated professional with a deep understanding of the importance of the insight, oversight and foresight required to affect change and impact policy-makers, as well as a diverse and collaborative consultative history working with all levels of government, professionals, and organisations such as the Black Screen Office (BSO), Women in View and the McCord-Stewart Museum. She is a growth and impact strategist with an extensive knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing Canadian entities in the domestic and international markets. As a former producer, her credits include award-winning projects such as documentaries “Dieu a-t-il quitté l’Afrique”, “Au nom de la mère et du fils”, the feature film “Saved by the Belles”, several short films, and regional television special series for CBC. For seven years she served as Co-Producer and Host of “Coco Café”, a monthly live performance series that showcased Black talent in spoken word and music, and she produced literary segments for CKUT-FM radio in Montreal.
Scarlett’s early experience in the industry began at TVOntario where she worked primarily in international sales. As a highly successful Sales Executive at TVOntario, she initiated and closed TVOntario’s first educational broadcast and educational non-broadcast sales in Brazil. During that time, she developed and nurtured a few valuable relationships with developed and nurtured a few valuable relationships with producers and broadcasters which have culminated in several significant professional achievements, including her representation of Ataranjuat: The Fast Runner, winner of the Camera D’Or at the 2001 Cannes International Film Festival. She regularly attends industry trade events such as MIP-TV & MIPCOM in Cannes, France.
Rama Diallo is a Business Affairs Executive, currently in-house at Front Street Pictures in Vancouver, BC. With an educational and professional background incorporating Communications and Legal Affairs, Rama brings with her a wealth of knowledge on all things media. Rama’s skilled attention to detail and constant thirst for further knowledge has equipped her with the tools integral to the successful management of various aspects of the production process. From liaising and negotiating with key industry stakeholders, to analyzing and operating within complex legal parameters, her ability to think outside the box continues to drive Rama in her dynamic output of innovative contributions to the world of film and television.
Samah Ali is a distributor and film programmer hailing from Toronto, Canada. She programs for Academy Award qualifying festivals Seattle International Film Festival, DOC NYC, and Hot Docs Film Festival. Previously, she founded Sisterhood Media, a production company and streaming service that operated between 2017-2022. As a decorated thought leader and avid festival lover, she focuses on building a more equitable future in the industry by working with filmmakers on their distribution strategies with her consultancy, Stratali. You can interact with her on Twitter @sistersamah.
With over a decade of international work in Community organizing, Communications, Events and Project Management, Marina Mathieu is an experience enhancer. She holds a Bachelor in Communication from the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), a Certificate in Sexual Health from Laval University, and is currently finalizing a Masters in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies at York University. Passionate about issues related to discrimination, human rights, and the status of women internationally, she hosted and moderated conversations and events with pillars like Michaëlle Jean and Dominique Anglade. As a filmmaker, she wrote, directed and produced three short films with subject matters ranging from denouncing police brutality against racialized people in Canada to addressing the problem of uterine fibroids in women of African descent. Her latest production, which features two young women displaced by natural disasters, was awarded Best Documentary Short at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF). Marina believes in care, empowerment, equity and solidarity for all living beings and she abides by these values in all the projects she leads or gets involved in.
Keziah Myers believes in the skills and uniqueness of this country and knows that there is so much talent yet to be discovered. Currently as the Executive Director of ADVANCE – Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, Keziah’s main role is to advocate for the betterment, upliftment, and retention of Black Talent within the music industry. Leading this organization, Keziah focuses on changing processes, creating opportunities, and providing resources to ADVANCE members, and music industry organizations. Prior to ADVANCE, Keziah led music licensing initiatives at Entandem, and the A&R Operations at SOCAN, where she was instrumental in ensuring diverse hiring, updating internal systems, improving operations, and enabling all offices to better serve 150 000 members. Beyond this, Keziah has held positions in Label Operations Management and Publicity. She has also sat on Entertainment & Music Organization Boards, adjudicated as part of FACTOR and JUNO juries, and is a regular guest presenter for Art-Focused programs, colleges, universities and high schools.
