SPEAKERS

Lantagne has served as president and CEO of the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) since March 19, 2018. From 2014 to 2018, she worked at Attraction Images as vice-president of fiction and executive producer. While there, she developed and produced several feature-length fiction films, television series and documentaries.

Lantagne started working at Radio-Canada in 1999 as head of Canadian feature films before being appointed as director of the feature film and drama department. This position allowed her to usher in a new wave of bold, unique fictional television shows. Afterwards, she briefly served as Radio-Canada’s executive director of radio before moving on to executive director of television (2008-2014). In this capacity, she was responsible for all general television programming and scheduling at Radio-Canada and oversaw the in-house production of television shows of all kinds.

From 1991 to 1999, Lantagne served as project manager and team lead of film content at SODEC.

She holds a Bachelor of Law from Université de Montréal (1980–1983) and a Bachelor of Arts in French Literature from McGill University (1974–1977) for which she received a Gold Medal from the Governor General of Canada. Louise Lantagne is a member of the Québec bar.

Messier has been working in the cultural sector for more than 30 years. She currently serves as the president and CEO of the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM).

Previously, she headed the Société québécoise de gestion collective des droits de reproduction (COPIBEC). She worked as director of business development and new media at Radio-Canada after being director of the copyright department. She also assumed the general management of Québec Writer’s Union.

Member of the Québec Bar, Messier also holds a master’s degree in public administration.

Briceno’s expertise is based on a 20 years’ hands-on experience as an executive producer, followed by decision-making positions within government-related organisations. Significant achievements include her role in the growth and international success of Salambo Productions’ animated series Têtes à claques. She also established and managed the Canada Media Fund’s Industry and Market Trends department where she notably spearheaded the implementation of the Youtube Channel Encore+ dedicated to bringing back memorable films and television titles to both Canadian and International audiences.

As a scholar, Briceno addresses the digital transition of media and cultural industries and public policies. She is currently a visiting professor at the Media School of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) where she teaches Media Economy and Strategic Watch & Foresight.

Meloul has been general manager of Radio-Canada Television since October 2019. She is responsible for the ICI Télé, ICI ARTV and ICI Explora Channels, as well as the ICI TOU.TV streaming platform. With a long track record in the media industry in Quebec, she has in-depth knowledge, in a context where business models are being challenged by the competition of digital giants and the changing habits of French-speaking audiences. Until her nomination at Radio-Canada, she held the position of vice president, programming for French-language television at Bell Media. She was responsible of repositioning the channels, planning grids, original content and acquisitions for Canal Vie, Canal D, Z Télé, VRAK, Investigation, Super Écran and Cinépop.

Previously, she held the position of deputy chief legal officer at Bell Media and vice president, legal, regulatory affairs and Affiliate Relations for Astral TV channels. Earlier in her career, she worked as director and chief legal officer at Transcontinental Inc. and as senior advisor for Alcan inc. in Canada and the United States.

Asselin is an award-winning media executive with extensive experience covering many aspects of the industry, including multiscreen creative and content production, programming, distribution and strategy. For the last six years, she has led with great success the ICI TOU.TV streaming service and the Youth programming at CBC/Radio-Canada French Services.

Initially launched in 2010, ICI TOU.TV has emerged as one of Canada’s leading French-language OTT platforms, featuring a wide range of award-winning original Canadian series, Youth programming and international acquisitions. Asselin leads the service’s content strategy, subscriptions and growth. Her mandate also includes developing strategic alliances with other French-Canadian and international broadcasters.

Her role extends to the creative and content development of multiscreen and multiplatform Youth programming. Throughout her career, creating quality content for young audiences has been part of her focus, whether designing and producing Radio-Canada’s first website for kids; launching MAJ (Mon actualité du jour), the recent digital news platform, for kids aged 13 and under; or producing original content with Turbulent as partner and creative VP.

Sullivan currently holds the position of director of strategic planning at Bell Media, the largest Media company in Canada, where she manages the programming of many outlets including PAY TV, Vrak and Crave. Working closely with the originals team as well as premium partners like HBO and Showtime, her role mainly revolves around growing the most popular Canadian streaming service Crave in Québec. Before taking on her current role, she was director of original programming for French specialty channels, where she leveraged her previous experiences in television production.

Prior to joining Bell Media in 2013, she held the position of senior digital producer at LVL where she managed the relationships with both premium media and entertainment companies including Disney, AMC and NBC Sports and local companies, including CBC, Radio-Canada and Astral (Bell Media). While at LVL, she also led the “Innovation in Storytelling” program, aimed to use digital innovation to augment reach and desirability of original stories.

Sullivan holds a B.A. from Concordia University in Communications with a Specialization in Television, is a Certified Pragmatic Marketing Product Manager and is involved in many industry organizations supporting women’s presence.

With more than 20 years of experience in the Film & TV industry, Routhier is a mobilizer focused on the achievement of results. Having worked at Distraction Formats as director of international operations and marketing for 4 years, at the National Film Board of Canada for 13 years as director of festivals and partnerships as well as international sales and market development for all markets, Routhier is now the film and TV commissioner for the province of Quebec at the QFTC since 2016. In this role, she is responsible for the economical development of the audiovisual and media industry (film, TV, animation, VFX, VR-AR, music scoring and post-production) in Quebec.

In 2019, Routhier co-created the first Canadian Film Commissions network(canadianfilmcommissions.ca) in partnership with the Vancouver Economic Film Commission. Routhier is a board member of FCTMN (Femmes du cinéma, de la télévision et des médias numériques), she is a member of AFCI as well as the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

For the past 2 years, Routhier has won the Amateur Equitation Championship as well as the Gold Adult Modified Finale Medal on the Regional South Shore Equestrian Circuit (Association Équestre Régionale Rive-Sud Métropolitaine Chasseur-Sauteur).

In 2021, Routhier is being recognized by l’Université de Montréal as one of their 40 ‘leaders’ for their 40th anniversary of their Communication Department.

Vilayvong is a tax credit manager at the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) since July 2020 where she specializes in tax credits for films or production services. She started at the SODEC in 2001, working on interim funding before joining the tax measures department in 2011. She developed a strong knowledge of the Act respecting the sectoral parameters of certain fiscal measures specifically as it relates to the tax credit for Québec film productions and the film production services tax credit.

Ferron founded award-winning Format distribution/production company Media Ranch in 2008. With offices in Montreal, Amsterdam and Warsaw, the company creates, executive produces and internationally distributes original and proven television formats, including DR (Danish TV) formats. Media Ranch is represented by ICM Partners (U.S.), was named “distributor to watch” (K7 2020), and won a Rose d’Or Award (2015).

In 2019, Media Ranch launched format incubator Horsepower, with a third edition in 2021, in association with Quebecor Content, TF1 and La Fabrique des Formats. Horsepower has successfully generated new paper formats, commissioned in global territories.

A 2nd generation tv producer, Ferron began at Ferron International in 1987; then Production Director (Radiomutuel/Astra); VP Distribution (Technicolor), and COO (broadcaster TQS). She is a FRAPA member; speaker at global events — Realscreen Summit 2021, C21 Formats 2020 Master Class; Primetime Canada 2019, and sits on the Award juries of the Rose d’Or and MIPFormats.

A prominent figure in the Quebec television industry from 1988 onward, Deschênes founded in 1997 SPHERE MEDIA PLUS, now part of Sphere Media. Since then, the company has produced more than 30 dramatic and comedy television series for primetime broadcast on ICI Radio Canada, TVA Group, Séries+ (Corus Média), CBC, Bravo (Bell Media) and CTV networks and on Tou.tv Extra and Club Illico digital platforms. Over the years, he has received 50 Gémeaux nominations for Best Television Series, winning the award 15 times. Sphere Media’s English adaptation of 19-2 was crowned Best Dramatic Series at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards, and the series was nominated for a 2016 International Emmy® Award in the Best Drama Series category. As a passionate producer always on the lookout for new series, Deschênes is constantly developing projects, including Transplant, for the Quebec, Canadian and international television markets.

Merola, president and producer, has developed Pixcom’s international television department extensively, steering the company to become one of Canada’s largest independent producer of entertaining, high production value scripted and factual series. Since his arrival in the company in 1997, Merola and his teams have produced over 100 scripted and factual series for dozens of networks in Canada and abroad. He is known for assembling the best teams of creatives for every project and as president, he oversees all of the company’s productions.

Falardeau is one of Canada’s most successful and acclaimed contemporary filmmakers. His international breakout film Monsieur Lazhar (2011) earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards. His latest feature, My Salinger Year (2020), starring Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver, opened the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. Chuck (2017), featuring Liev Schreiber, had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. In 2015 he wrote and directed My Internship in Canada, selected by the Toronto Film Festival for its Canada’s top Ten screening series. In 2014 he directed The Good Lie (2014), starring Reese Witherspoon. His earlier work includes a number of award-winning films such as La Moitié gauche du frigo (2000), Congorama (2006), and C’est pas moi je le jure ! (2008).

With over a 15+ year career in media, Langlois is a partner/shareholder and a skilled producer at Trio Orange. As head of fiction, she has a passion for producing authentic and powerful stories and for guiding talents to create strong content aimed at a global audience. Langlois is known for having produced 3 seasons of the critically acclaimed series Can You Hear Me? to watch on Netflix internationally. This raw dramedy has won an award for Best Comedy at Series Mania, an award for Best Non-English Language Drama Series at the Banff Rockie Awards and five Canadian Gémeaux.

In 2019-2020, Langlois has produced 2 seasons of the teen web series Young Nomads, which has won four Gémeaux. She has recently completed a 10-episode mini-series entitled Felix, Maude and the End of the World and is currently working on a romantic drama series Last Summers of Raspberries directed by Oscar nominee Philippe Falardeau for Quebecor/Club illico.

Langlois has been a panellist and a featured speaker in a few festivals and markets including C21 Content London in 2019.

Christine Maestracci is vice president acquisitions and international distribution at Quebecor Content. In this role, she is responsible for the content and format acquisition strategy for the platforms and business models of the group, while developing and maintaining partnerships with studios and distributors. She leads a team that scouts and acquires content across all major genres (films, series, documentaries, formats, entertainment shows and youth content), to provide fresh, original, and exclusive content for Quebecor’s platforms.

With more than 20 years of experience in entertainment and digital media, Maestracci is a strong advocate for Quebec talent as she oversees the international distribution of the original content and formats developed and created by Quebecor Content in collaboration with local and international partners.

Recognized by her peers, Maestracci is also acting president of the board of Femmes du Cinéma, de la Télévision et des Médias Numériques, Quebec’s Women in Film & Television chapter (WFTI), which ensures a better visibility of women in the entertainment industry.

Lambert is a prominent author-screenwriter and actor from Quebec. His short film Toutes des connes, was in official competition at Sundance and Telluride in 2014. Since then, he wrote three seasons of Adulthood (L’Âge Adulte), a web series that stood out remarkably through the world in festivals, winning, among others, the Best digital short-form drama series at the C21 DRAMA AWARDS 2020 in London and the Best international Comedy and Best Screenplay at MELBOURNE WEBFEST 2020. After having written and produced a first feature film, Les scènes fortuites, released in 2018, Lambert is currently working on his next film, Niagara. With the dramedy Audrey is back, he brings us a series thought and written in tandem with Florence Longpré, which highlights his singularity, his sensitivity and his humanity.

In addition to his extensive experience in the Quebec television market in which he has worked as a host (The Voice) and actor since 1993, Lafortune is an insatiable viewer and a technology fanatic. Lafortune joined Pixcom in 2014. As vice president content and creative affairs and executive producer, he actively contributes to the creative development of all sectors at Pixcom. Over the year, he and his teams have produced many factual and scripted series that were successfully exported to international markets Victor Lessard, Le Monstre, Alerte Amber and The Wall- Cover your tracks, among others. Very involved in the cause for autism, he founded his own Fondation ‘Autiste & majeur’ to raise money and awareness.

Beauchamp has been active in the film and television industry for over thirty years as a distributor and a producer. She is the driving force behind the production company CarpeDiem Film & TV, which she founded in 2004. CarpeDiem specializes in international co-productions of intellectual property for family audiences, more specifically in animation. She invests herself in the artistic contents of her projects, in terms of the writing, art direction and production and has shown consistent and efficient results that correspond to the needs of her partners. More recently, she deployed the 360 Snowtime! brand, including feature films, TV series, books, merchandising products, museum exhibitions and soundtrack albums. With a strong presence around the globe, Beauchamp has been nominated for two of the most prestigious businesswomen awards: the 2018 Quebec Business Women Award (Prix Femmes d’Affaires du Québec 2018) and the 2019 Mercuriades Award (Prix Mercuriades 2019). In 2017, Beauchamp created Media Pink Parrot, an international sales agent company acquiring feature films, animated series and films for family and children. With offices in Canada and Spain, she is the president of the company, and is supported by a sales team including Tania Pinto Da Cunha (partner) and Genevieve Soucy.

Carrier has an impressive track record in corporate management, locally and internationally. He was appointed president of MELS in April 2020 with a mandate to continue the company’s development and accelerate its growth.

Prior to his appointment, Carrier was president and CEO of the video game developer Frima. He previously served as vice-president and studio head at Warner Bros. Games Montreal. He has also worked at O&O, a consulting firm he founded, Bluestreak Technology, and Ubisoft Montreal, where he served as vice president, communications and corporate affairs.

Dolan is a Québécois actor, director and screenwriter. He first received international acclaim in 2009 for his debut feature I Killed My Mother (J’ai tué ma mère), which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in at the age of 19. Mommy (2014), which he also wrote and directed, shared the Jury Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival (with Jean-Luc Godard’s Adieu à langage). A nuanced storyteller, Dolan has garnered many other awards, including the Ecumenical Jury Prize and the Grand Prix at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival for It’s Only the End of the World. The film also won Dolan the César Awards for Best Director and Best Editing. In a departure from feature film, he directed the video for Adele’s Hello, which won the Juno Award for Video of the Year. His first English-language film, The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, premiered at TIFF in September 2018. The film stars an ensemble cast, including Kit Harington, Natalie Portman, Jacob Tremblay, Susan Sarandon, and Kathy Bates. His 8th feature film, Matthias and Maxime, premiered in the official competition at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. He currently working on his first TV Drama, The Night Logan Woke Up.

Hailing from web design, interactive television, video game creation and film production, Ethier has been with the Montréal Film and Television Commission since 2005. As a cultural development agent, he has showcased what makes Montréal a world-class production center for film and TV projects to hundreds of producers from all over the world, either in person or virtually. Thanks to his understanding of production and his knowledge of Montréal’s varied architecture, studios and full offer service providers, he will always point you in the best possible direction. Last but certainly not least, his grasp of the City of Montréal’s inner workings make him the ideal go-to person for anyone interested in Montréal as a filming location.

Litinsky joined Muse in 2000 as president of production, Quebec. She has more than 30 years of experience producing high quality film and television for international networks and major American studios, such as Warner Brothers, MGM, Disney, Sony Pictures, Fox and Dreamworks. Litinsky is an Emmy Award nominated and DGC and Canadian Screen Award winning producer.

Throughout her career, Litinsky has collaborated with some of the media industry’s top producers and directors, including Jodi Foster, Ivan Reitman, Robert Altman, Darren Aronofsky, Steven Spielberg and Roger Birnbaum. She has forged long term relationships with major studios as well as industry executives, which, coupled with her reputation for delivering top quality projects on time and within budgetary parameters, drives Muse’s production service business.

Litinsky holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University.

Girard holds the position of head of international distribution of Encore International, part of Encore, an integrated entertainment group, one of the most prolific production companies in scripted series (comedy and drama), live comedy specials, theater plays and artist management.

At Encore International, she handles distribution of Encore’s full content library for international licensing and format adaptations, (Fugueuse, For Sarah, Les Beaux Malaises, Boomerang) as well as the company’s third-party documentaries and factual series.

With more than 20 years of experience in the international TV and media business industry, Girard is specialized in identifying, acquiring and exploiting TV and media content rights for all media platforms, worldwide.

Girard holds an Executive MBA from Concordia University, a Bachelor’s degree in Translation from Université Laval. In 2017, she completed an Executive MBA from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership (Steinbeis University).

Langlois has been writing for TV for over 25 years. She is the creator and screenwriter of several award-winning comedies, including 142 episodes of Rumeurs, three seasons of the comedy Mauvais Karma (39 episodes) and more recently, Lâcher Prise (Freefall) (52 episodes) which memorializes a super-woman’s epic meltdown, which she brought to an end after four seasons. Langlois is currently writing a new series, working title La Candidate (The Paper Candidate).

Léger writes for film, television and theatre. Her script for Slut In A Good Way (Charlotte a du fun) earned her the award for best original screenplay at the Canadian Screen Awards 2019. The film, directed by Sophie Lorain and produced by Amérique Films, was screened at several festivals, including Tribeca, Tokyo and Angoulême. She also co-wrote the script for Little Queen (La Petite Reine) 2014, directed by Alexis Durand Brault.

Her television credits include writing Les Invisibles (adaptation of the popular French series 10%, Call My Agent) (TVA, 2019) and her work on the series Marche à l’ombre (Super Écran, 2017). Léger has also written for the theatre, including Catfitght, American Car, Opium_37 featured on the list of Quebec treasures in translation at Playwrights Canada Press, Princesses – Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui, 2011, I Lost My Husband (J’ai perdu mon mari) – Quai des arts, Carleton-sur-mer, 2014 and Free Girls (Filles en liberté) – Théâtre La Licorne, 2018. Her play Babysitter, staged at Théâtre La Licorne in April 2017, was later presented in Ohio, Limoges and Munich. She also wrote the play’s film adaptation, now in pre-production with Monia Chokri slated to direct.

Léger wrote the film adaptation of the novel La Déesse des mouches à feu (Godess of the Fireflies) by Geneviève Pettersen, directed by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette. The feature film was officially selected for the 70th Berlin International Film Festival 2020.

Multiple Gémeaux Award winning director Gagné (Best Director – Comedy 2020 and 2018; Best Director Digital Media – Comedy 2019; Best Digital Series 2014) is one of the pioneers of Quebec’s digital scene. Since 2012, his digital series have won him praise and recognition abroad as well as locally. Gagné has since moved to primetime tv (having now more than 25 hours of content under his belt) where he quickly gained recognition from his peers. He has directed three seasons of the hit show Freefall (Lâcher prise) and is currently shooting Nuit blanche for Radio-Canada, to be released later this year. His unique style has made him one of the strongest new voices to watch for.

After spending too much time in college and uni, Gagné held numerous jobs in the entertainment sector in Québec before embarking on an 11-year adventure with Cirque du Soleil.

Working his way up the corporate ladder At Cirque du Soleil, he became executive director, then vice-president, of Cirque du Soleil Images — the division responsible for all television content and audio recordings for Cirque. He had the privilege of being awarded the Prime Time Emmy Award for his work as executive producer on the docuseries, Cirque du Soleil Sans Filet/Fire Within.

Gagné joined Encore in 2006 and since, has produced a few successful comedies and drama series in Québec such as: Les beaux malaises (adapted in Serbia and the Balkans), Pour Sarah (adapted in France), Boomerang (adapted in Sweden) and Fugueuse/Runaway (currently being adapted in France). In the recent years, he has had the great pleasure of collaborating with exceptional writer Isabelle Langlois, on the four seasons of her comedy Lâcher prise/Freefall (licensed in a number of key territories such as Australia, New-Zealand, South Africa and France).

A creative and business mind with 20+ years’ experience in video games, animation and the toy industry. Faubert, formerly founder, president and chief creative officer of Hibernum, was leading and influencing all the creative, artistic and research and development aspects of the studio. At Hibernum, he built the studio from a one-person start-up in his apartment to 160 people while generating deals of over 60M USD and entertained more than 100M players around the world. 



Faubert’s rich expertise and key learnings take their roots in various creative industries which lead him to bring a fresh perspective and new approach to create, develop and push original IP’s at DDEG.

Faubert has been honing his creativity, artistic and business skills collaborating with high-profile partners such as Cartoon Network, Disney, Eidos, EA, Konami, Lego, Ubisoft, Megabloks, Mattel, Warner Bros and more.

Doré is the president and co-founder of Squeeze, a world-class 3D animation studio located in Quebec City and Montreal. His vision and leadership have played a major role in Squeeze’s fast expansion and recognition by the business community and the elite of the entertainment industry. He thus saw the studio win top honors at the prestigious Vision, Fidéides, OSEntreprendre and Mercuriades awards in addition to leading the international distribution of Cracké, the studio’s first original animated TV series. Prior to founding Squeeze, Doré worked in the video game industry as a producer at Ubisoft. He holds a doctorate (PhD) in regional development, a master’s degree in regional studies, as well as a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in geography.

Since 2017, Bilodeau holds the position of director of business development at Oasis Animation, a major 2D animation studio where her primary goal is to identify and develop business opportunities to ensure the studio’s growth.

From 2012 to 2017, she worked at comedy house Just for Laughs where she held several positions, including corporate financial analyst, a role in which she was responsible for the development and analysis of new investment projects. During this period, she also worked as a live show producer for Just for Laughs and was an operation manager for the Just for Laughs Theatrical division.

Bilodeau holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from McGill University in Montreal.

Graduated from Law School in 1992, Pilon started at the Laurentides Film and TV Commission in 2001 as a project manager. Enjoying her work more and more every day, she now holds the position of film commissioner and manages the organization since January 2012. In 2016, she accepted for a year a position as research and socio-economic planning officer at the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications. With this enriching experience in hand, Pilon is happily back. The Laurentides’s cinematic and televisual potential has caught the eye of some of the world’s most renowned filmmakers for its beauty, versatility and proximity to Montreal. Regional knowledge of the territory, network of contacts and support services provided by Film Laurentides have helped attract over 600 domestic and international productions over the last 20 years!

Paquet, vice president, marketing and content. Paquet was appointed to her current position in December 2017. She joined Videotron in November 2010 and served, in turn, as multiplatform director, director illico.tv, and director of digital, web, mobile and tablet platforms. In 2013, she was appointed senior director, multiplatform content and was given the responsibility to launch Club illico. In 2017, customer retention and loyalty (for Videotron’s TV, mobility, Internet and wireline telephony services) was added to her responsibilities. Prior to joining Videotron, Paquet worked at TVA Publications, a subsidiary within the Quebecor group, from 2005 to 2010. Paquet holds a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Université de Sherbrooke

President of IDEACOM since 2000, Normandeau acts as both content and executive producer, managing business development while spearheading the complex international co-productions that have become her signature.
Tackling compelling stories and major contemporary issues, her independent Montreal-based media firm has produced more than 500 hours of bold original series and documentaries, and has garnered over 100 awards and nominations along the way.
Normandeau is currently on the national board of directors of the Canadian Media Producers Association, is president of the AQPM—the French-speaking indie producers’ association. And, among her many accomplishments, was decorated by France with the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres—one of the country’s highest honors.

Pickard is the editor of Drama Quarterly, C21Media’s magazine and website dedicated to the creative side of international television drama. A journalist with a background in local and national news reporting and editing, he is a former senior reporter for C21Media who covered the drama industry from events around the world. He was appointed editor of DQ in June 2015, building the title’s focus on all aspects of the craft involved in making television drama, and in 2021 oversaw the launch of the DQ100, an annual showcase of upcoming series and the writers, directors, actors, trends and trailblazers to watch. He has previously moderated panels at events including Content London, Content LA, Mipcom, MipTV, Series Mania and Berlinale.

With close to 25 years of experience in CGI and VFX, Boucher has acquired in-depth knowledge of the industry and possesses a rich and varied professional background.

Armed with a Computer Graphics degree from the NAD Center and 3D experience as a generalist, Boucher joined the Hybride team in 2002 as Lighting TD, Texture Painter and Matte Painter. After moving to California, he joined the Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) team in 2006, where he collaborated on major Hollywood franchises such as Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Terminator and Transformers.

Boucher’s feature animation experience from his work on Rango and Happy feet, two Academy Awards winners in the Best Animated Feature category, makes him a valuable asset to his team and his extended industry know-how is highly valued by his peers. Boucher also gained extensive management experience as acting VP for a studio specialized in digital entertainment such as: video games, VR and animation. He came back to Hybride in 2017 and has now taken on the role of director of operations and is one of Hybride’s main spokespersons at corporate events.

Cormier’s impressive track record includes more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, working in leadership and executive positions in both the US and Canadian market. Known for his organisational leadership and his ability to assess and integrate resources, Richard is an eminent figure on several continents. He has been twice on Caldwell’s “Top 40 Under 40” list, Canada’s most prestigious honour for young leaders. Before joining MELS, Cormier was responsible for the global production of content for Moment Factory and his latest project included The Discovery District for AT&T headquarters in Dallas, and the Moynihan station in New York city.

Benzine is a British-Canadian filmmaker and journalist, based in Toronto. As a filmmaker, he made last year’s groundbreaking COVID-19 documentary The Curve, as well as the Oscar- and CSA-nominated biographical documentary Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah, which recently became the first motion picture to be turned into an NFT. As a journalist, he has served as the Canadian Bureau Chief for C21Media and the Associate Editor for Realscreen, and written for publications such as the Toronto Star, the National Post, The Globe and Mail, The Walrus, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.

Martin is the CEO and co-founder (alongside his wife, Mitsou Gélinas) of Group Dazmo, a set of companies offering a vast range of rental, technical and creative services catering to the film, television, and advertisement industry. Founded in 1997, Group Dazmo comprises Grande Camera, Grande Studios, Cinepool, and Dazmo Music.

Martin strives to make Montreal shine on an international level by promoting the immense expertise and talent of our local technicians and artists, thus ensuring the continued growth and success of Group Dazmo.

An experienced manager who has headed diverse businesses in both Montreal and New York. Co-founder of Grandé Studio and vice-president of the Group, he has a solid background in film and editing technology. A steadfast and resourceful manager, Lapierre works closely with his team, is focused on results, and leads with positivity. In the fall of 2016, Lapierre and his partners launched the Grandé studios, overseeing 200,000 square feet of filming and sound stages as well as 20,000 square feet of production offices.

Paquet has been responsible for content acquisitions for all Quebecor platforms since 2013. In addition, he leads Quebecor Content’s efforts to bring the work of Quebec artists to international audiences, managing the international distribution of content and formats and the development of international business relationships and partnerships for the group. He also oversees the group’s content financing strategy.

Before joining Quebecor Content, Paquet was vice president, multiplatform content of Videotron, where he was notably responsible for the launch of Videotron’s SVOD service, Club illico. He previously served as vice president, digital media & strategic partnerships at Reader’s Digest Canada and also worked at CBC/Radio-Canada for 9 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism from Université du Québec à Montréal and a graduate degree in international journalism from Université Laval and the École supérieure de journalisme in Lille, France.