Meet the Producers, presented by the CMPA will give screenwriters the opportunity to sign up for one-on-one ten-minute meetings during a one-hour breakout session at the TSC. Each registered delegate may sign up for a maximum of five meetings over a 60-minute session. Participating delegates should have a project that they are specifically looking to find a Producer for. Participating Producers have indicated the types of projects that they are interested in.

Presented By

Lark Productions is an award-winning boutique television production company. Established in 2010, Lark develops and produces scripted and unscripted content that travels internationally. Among its productions are MOTIVE (CTV, ABC, USA), CRASH GALLERY (CBC), EMERGENCY ROOM: LIFE + DEATH at VGH (Knowledge Network, Discovery Fit), THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF VANCOUVER and TORONTO (Slice), and HIGH MOON (Syfy). Lark also enjoys a distribution and development deal with NBCU International. As Development Coordinator at Lark Productions, Cailey Cavallin assists in the development of a diverse slate of projects for the Canadian and international marketplace. Cailey is a graduate of Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program and holds an Honours BA in English Literature from the University of Ottawa.

We are looking for TV projects with the potential for ongoing series, especially but not limited to sci-fi/supernatural genre shows, crime dramas/mysteries, procedurals, and female-led stories.

Elizabeth is Director of Scripted Development for Omnifilm Entertainment Ltd and has been with the company since late 2016. Her role encompasses many varied areas of responsibility, from company promotion to creative development and production management. Much of her promotional focus is on identifying potential producing partners and buyers abroad, particularly in the UK where she retains strong relationships. On the development front, Elizabeth sees projects through from initial conception, pulls together the strongest and most suitable talent possible, and works closely with talent to nurture the material and pitch to its full potential. During production, she is a key part of managing and reviewing each creative stage and other core production aspects. As a Media Arts graduate of Royal Holloway University of London specialising in writing and producing, Elizabeth was given her break by acclaimed UK producer Claire Lewis, coordinating and researching on development projects and the award winning UP series for ITV documentaries. Elizabeth then progressed to freelancing for various companies, including the BBC and Channel 4, where she held roles such as Researcher, Script Editor and Assistant Production Coordinator on multiple projects including BAFTA Award winning shows, IN THE FLESH, RUN and Jimmy McGovern’s ACCUSED.

What we are looking for

Necessary requirements: The scripted team are looking for television series pitches (no features), live-action (no animation), and creators must have an agent or manager. For junior writers, the material should include a pitch document, short is fine, and a pilot script. If a pilot script is not available, a sample in a similar genre must be available as an alternative. Hard copies of the material don’t need to brought in person to the pitch, they can be sent afterwards electronically – unless of course it is a look book which helps illustrate the pitch conversation.

Not necessary but preferred: Because it is rare for one financier to be able to solely finance a show, we are looking for projects that can sell in more than one territory and are suitable for multiple targets so that we are not limited in pitching. If a project can only work in Canada, it most likely won’t work for us. Returnable series are ideal (limited can work but less preferred), drama as opposed to straight comedy is preferred, projects that are based on IP with an already established built-in audience helps too. If you are pitching something based on IP, the person pitching should ideally know already if the rights are available.

Kim Todd produced the third season of THE HANDMAID’S TALE, working again with Warren Littlefield, with whom she produced three seasons of the series FARGO. For her work on FARGO, she received an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award, two PGA Awards, and two Critics Choice Awards. Kim also produced the series DIRK GENTLY’S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY and IMPULSE.

From 2000 to 2014 Kim developed and produced television and films through her production company Original Pictures. She was Executive Producer of the series FALCON BEACH, THE ATWOOD STORIES, winner of two Gemini Awards, THE SHIELDS STORIES, GUINEVERE JONES, and WHAT’S YOUR NEWS? She also executive produced two TV movies under the title THE MURDOCH MYSTERIES, the movie A BEAR NAMED WINNIE, starring Michael Fassbender, which won the Crystal Heart Award at the Chicago Heartland Film Festival, and THE MANY TRIALS OF ONE JANE DOE which won 4 Gemini Awards. She produced the feature films THE JOURNEY HOME and LEAVING METROPOLIS.

Prior to founding Original Pictures, Kim was Vice President at Credo Entertainment where she was Executive Producer of the Showtime series MY LIFE AS A DOG, the series THE ADVENTURES OF SHIRLEY HOLMES, winner of two Gemini Awards, and a variety of TV movies.

Kim began her producing career with Atlantis Films where she produced THE DIVINERS, which won 4 Gemini Awards including Best Movie, THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE, which won a Cable ACE Award for Best Miniseries and three Gemini Awards, the series MEN, David Chase’s movie/pilot ALMOST GROWN, the Sarah Polley starring series RAMONA, winner of a Gemini Award for Best Youth Series, and The QUARREL, which won the Best Movie Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Kim has also worked as a director, a story editor and a writer. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in Creative Writing and English literature from York University in Toronto. She is vice chair and secretary of the Canadian Media Production Association’s board of directors, the past chair of On Screen Manitoba and a former board member of Manitoba Film and Music. She was presented with the CFTPA Mentor of the Year Award in 2009.

My interest is primarily television.

Brain Power Studio is a world-class media content maker with a global distribution team. The company has two fully equipped filming facilities located in Barrie and Newmarket, Ontario. At our core we are, and always will be, a family company. We are motivated and inspired by the people in our lives to make creative and innovative content. Every day we get up and make projects with partners who are like-minded and as playful as we are. We are always seeking out brave new projects and partnerships. We make things happen with our incredible ingenuity and our magic wand.

Looking for writers for: Women’s one hour drama

As manager of programs and development, Shelly runs the NSI Features First course. She takes great pride in her role as facilitator, guide and friend to her teams. Her interest in script reading and proofing has brought even more enjoyment to her job.

Shelly came to NSI from Frantic Films where she used her research skills to delve into all areas of unscripted development. Considered a people person, it was a useful skill to have when casting developing show ideas.

She prides herself on organization and creative thought and particularly enjoys hearing other people’s stories.

Based on the east coast, Shelly represents NSI from her office in Halifax, always looking for the next story to be told.

Shelly’s love of the movie industry began as a teenager when she was cast as an extra in the great Canadian movie Meatballs and got to hold hands with Bill Murray.

Shelly is interested in meeting writers who would like to learn more about the NSI’s programs.

Alessandra been championing great storytelling at global entertainment company Wattpad for the last 4 years, starting with writer and community management and eventually finding her way to Wattpad Studios as Manager of Content Strategy. She’s responsible for identifying the most exciting, most commercial content from the millions of stories on the platform, and has worked with Universal Cable Productions, Entertainment One, the CBC, Turner, HarperCollins, Hachette, and many other international partners to find perfect matches for content acquisition in both the entertainment and traditional publishing industries.

In her spare time, Alessandra can be found at the movie theatre, or volunteering with Players, a Toronto-based not-for-profit organization that produces ridiculous comedy musical shows for charity, or Instagramming her black cat, Matilda, who always manages to get more likes than her.

Jordan Barker is an award-winning Producer and co-founder and President of Gearshift Films based in Toronto, Canada. Gearshift is currently in post-production on Brent Cote’s crime drama TAINTED, starring Alan Van Sprang (Shadowhunters/Star Trek Discovery), John Ralston, and John Rhys Davies (Lord of the Rings). Gearshift’s is set to release STRANDED, starring Hannah Kasulka (The Exorcist), Corbin Bleu (High School Musical) and Craig Arnold, Igor Drljaca’s. Previous titles include THE WAITING ROOM, which bowed in competition at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated fort 2 Canadian Screen Awards, the horror smash TORMENT, the family adventure film LOST AND FOUND starring Justin Kelly, Jason Patric and Cary Elwes and HOME SWEET HOME, the English language debut of French genre director David Morlet (Mutants). Jordan has directed several high profile feature films including the LA shot thriller DURESS, starring Martin Donovan and Ariel Winter (Modern Family) and the Sony Pictures’ release THE MARSH, starring Academy Award Winner Forest Whitaker. THE MARSH debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 and is the follow up to his critically acclaimed first feature, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER.

Gearshift is looking for commercial projects that can appeal to international audiences with a particular interest in high concept thriller/horror, grounded sci-fi and compelling drama.