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In Conversation about Procedurals
Date: February 24, 2025
Venue: TIFF Lightbox
Doors Open: 6PM
Event: 7PM – 10PM
Procedural drama series have been a mainstay since the early days of television. In spite of an expanded TV Universe, procedurals still draw the biggest linear audiences for their networks as viewers continue to embrace programs that offer familiar formats, stories and indelible characters. Our In Conversation about Procedurals, features an outstanding panel, including: Amy Cameron EP and Founder Cameron Pictures, Jocelyn Hamilton, President Lionsgate Canada, and screenwriter/producer, Chris Pozzebon Executive Producer of Blindspot (NBC) and Hard Boys (Hulu/Corus). Together we explore the challenges of writing compelling procedurals and the skills that writers need to possess to succeed in this genre.
Jocelyn Hamilton
President, Television, Lionsgate Canada
Jocelyn Hamilton leads all operations for Lionsgate Canada’s television business which includes the strategic planning and day-to-day management of Lionsgate’s television development and production activities in Canada. In her role, she focuses on building and broadening strong relationships with creative talent and Canadian broadcasters, while overseeing all aspects of the studio’s original slate across all genres.
As Executive Producer, Hamilton has helped bring to life such high-profile projects as Cardinal (CTV/Hulu); Mary Kills People (Lifetime/Global); Nurses (Global/NBC); Private Eyes (Global/ION); Ransom (Corus/CBS); Burden of Truth (CBC/CW); Moonshine (CBC/CW), The Spencer Sisters (CTV/CW); and newest series Mistletoe Murders (Hallmark). She also oversees all unscripted content including Billionaire Murders (Crave); Thunder Bay (Crave); Arctic Vets (CBC/Roku); Border Security (Global/Netflix); Project Bakeover (Food Network); Make it to the Moon (Discovery); Chicago Strangler (Discovery+); and Death in the Bayou: The Jennings 8 (Discovery ID).
Hamilton also oversees the Lionsgate Canada podcast network under the umbrella of Lionsgate Sound which includes popular titles such as Think Queen, hosted by former Canada’s Drag Race contestant, Kyne; Lights Out: The Loss of a Lifetime with sports journalist Matt Stanmyre; My Friends Do Dope Shit hosted by content creator Sasha Exeter; and Somewhere in the Skies hosted by author Ryan Sprague.
Hamilton has over 35 years of creative, strategic and business experience in the entertainment industry. Prior to Lionsgate Canada, she served as VP, Programming & Original Productions for Corus Entertainment where she was responsible for all content strategies, programming and original productions. She held a number of other key roles over many years at Corus Entertainment, which included overseeing Comedy and Drama original programming for all Corus specialty networks as well as Movie Central and HBO Canada. Hamilton was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2024 inaugural Most Powerful Women in Canadian Entertainment list.
Hamilton is on the board of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television and Hollywood Suite, was Board Chair for Women in Film and Television for five years. She has won numerous awards over the years including Emmy, Gemini and Canadian Screen awards, and was named the recipient of the 2022 Women in Film & Television – Toronto (WIFT-T) Crystal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Business.
Amy Cameron
Executive Producer, Cameron Pictures, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent
Amy Cameron is an award-winning journalist, author, TV series creator, broadcast executive and executive producer. She is the co-founder of the Toronto-based independent production company Cameron Pictures Inc. and is currently an executive producer on Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (premiered on CityTV in February 2024 and in production on Season 3.) Cameron was also an executive producer on Mary Kills People (Global/Lifetime), Little Dog (CBC) and Pretty Hard Cases (CBC/IMDb TV). Prior to launching Cameron Pictures with her sister Tassie, Cameron was the Executive in Charge of Production at CBC TV Drama for the critically acclaimed The Book of Negroes, Republic of Doyle, Shoot The Messenger and also oversaw the international ratings giant Heartland. In addition to previous work as a comedy production executive, Cameron worked as the Head of Development at Vérité Films and was also the co-creator of CBC’s Wild Roses. Cameron is an award-winning journalist (Maclean’s, The Globe & Mail, Owl Magazine, The New Brunswick Telegraph Journal), author of Playing with Matches: Misadventures in Dating (2005) and was the recipient of the Canadian Film Centre’s 2019 Award for Creative Excellence. Cameron recently completed an MFA from the University of King’s College in Halifax, holds a BFA from Montreal’s Concordia University and also has a diploma from a very fancy fashion design school in Paris, France, which she never uses.
Chris Pozzebon
Executive Producer and Showrunner
Chris Pozzebon is the Executive Producer and Showrunner of the Emmy-nominated series The Hardy Boys. Previously, Pozzebon served as a writer and Executive Producer of NBC’s smash hit Blindspot, working on all 100 episodes over five seasons. He was also Executive Producer and Showrunner of Wong & Winchester. Other credits include Schitt’s Creek, The L.A. Complex, Open Heart, Little Mosque, and Almost Heroes. He is currently developing new projects in Canada and the United States.
Chuck Tatham
Corey Mandell + MOWs
Date: April 14, 2025
Venue: TIFF Lightbox
Doors Open: 6PM
Event: 7PM – 10PM
Corey Mandell, famed UCLA Screenwriting Instructor, award winning screenwriter and playwright and Toronto Screenwriting Conference favourite returns to the TSC to deliver an essential master class on writing scenes that grab the reader’s attention and keep them reading.
Corey Mandell
Corey Mandell is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written projects for Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, John Travolta, Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Family, Working Title, Paramount, Live Planet, Beacon Films, Touchstone, Trilogy, Radiant, Kopelson Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures.
Corey is also a distinguished instructor at UCLA, where he earned his MFA. He teaches workshops in LA, and across the world. His students have sold scripts to Warner Brothers, Paramount, HBO, Netflix, FX, Amazon, Disney, Universal, MGM, Peacock, Showtime, NBC, ABC, MTV, Sony, Nickelodeon, A24, Hulu and Apple TV.
Others have gotten staffed on such shows as Stranger Things, Ted Lasso, Wandavision, Mr. Robot, Station Eleven, This is Us, Bojack-Horseman, The Leftovers, Yellowstone, Marvel’s Agents of Shield, Orange is the New Black, Selena, The Walking Dead, You’re the Worst, Community, Schitt’s Creek, Catastrophe and Succession.
Desgrassi: School for Showrunners
Date: March 24, 2025
Venue: TIFF Lightbox
Doors Open: 6PM
Event: 7PM – 10PM
Featuring Linda Schyler and Stephen Stohn discussing how they built one of the preeminent showrunner training habitats in the last 30 years and joined by Sarah Glinski and Michael Grassi discussing what they learned at Degrassi and how those lessons have helped them become two of Canada’s top showrunners.
Linda Schuyler
Executive Producer/Showrunner, HOLLY HOBBIE, DEGRASSI: NEXT CLASS
Linda Schuyler is a Canadian television producer best known for being the co-creator and producer of the Degrassi franchise, which has spanned five series over four decades. She is a co-founder of Playing With Time, Inc. (with Kit Hood), and Epitome Pictures (with Stephen Stohn), the production companies involved with the franchise over its 40-year-long history respectively. Consisting of over 500 episodes, the Degrassi franchise (1979-2017), has won the prestigious Peabody Award, two International Emmys, over 25 Gemini/Canadian Screen Awards, two Prix Jeunesse International Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, the Critics’ Choice Award and was nominated four times for a Prime-Time Emmy Award. In 2010, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television honoured Degrassi with a special on-air tribute, and Linda with an Academy Achievement Award.In 1994, in recognition of her contribution to Canadian television programming, Linda was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2012, she was also appointed to the Order of Ontario, and has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from both Wilfrid Laurier University, and the University of Toronto.
Stephen Stohn
Stephen Stohn is perhaps best-known over the decades as the executive producer of the Degrassi television franchise, and its related webisodes, merchandising and web sites. Consisting of over 500 episodes, the Degrassi franchise (1979-2017), has won the prestigious Peabody Award, two International Emmys, over 25 Gemini/Canadian Screen Awards, two Prix Jeunesse International Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, the Critics’ Choice Award and was nominated four times for a Prime-Time Emmy Award.
In 2023, Stephen was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his long-time contributions to the Canadian entertainment industry. That same year, Stephen and his wife Linda Schuyler were inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame on behalf of the Degrassi Franchise.
Sarah Glinski
Executive Producer/Showrunner, HOLLY HOBBIE, DEGRASSI: NEXT CLASS
Sarah Glinski is an Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer currently serving as Executive Producer and Showrunner on the Hulu/DHX/Universal Kids series HOLLY HOBBIE. Previously, she ran DEGRASSI for Netflix/DHX. Over the last decade, Sarah’s produced over 200 episodes of television and 2 MOWs. She has also staffed on LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRAIRIE, and BILLABLE HOURS.
Sarah’s been nominated for three Emmys, won three Canadian Screen Awards and was named one of Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation. When Sarah’s not brainstorming ways to get characters in trouble, she’s keeping her two young daughters out of it.
Michael Grassi
In addition to his work on Lost Girl, Grassi also spent time in the writing room on Schitt’s Creek, and executive producing Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars.
Writing Careers & Industry Forces
Date: March 24, 2025
Venue: TIFF Lightbox
Doors Open: 6PM
Event: 7PM – 10PM
As the CRTC moves forward with the implementation of Bill C-11, the Writer’s Guild of Canada (WGC) continues to take an active and direct role in advocating for its membership and the new definition of Canadian program. Neal McDougall, Assistant Executive Director of the WGC and Kelly Lynne Ashton, Screen-based Media Consultant, sit down in conversation with Glenn Cockburn to discuss the WGC’s positions on what defines a Canadian program and the market forces impacting careers in screenwriting.
Neil McDougall
Assistant Executive Director of the WGC
Neal McDougall is Assistant Executive Director at the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC). Since 2013, Neal has advocated for Canadian screenwriters in proceedings before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), federal Parliamentary committees, and with funding bodies and elected officials. Prior to that, Neal worked in policy and program development at the Canada Media Fund (CMF). He is a Board member of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE), and his writing on topics from broadcasting policy to artificial intelligence has been published in tvo.org, Cartt, and the Toronto Star. Neal has worked as a professional screenwriter himself and was an award-winning student filmmaker. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from York University, where he studied film and video production.
Kelly Lynne Ashton
Consultant
Kelly Lynne Ashton has worked in the Canadian film, television and digital media industries as a business affairs executive in film and television production companies, as a producer at a children’s web studio, as manager of an online youth research company and in government relations and media policy for a talent union. Kelly Lynne is currently bringing together the different strands of her career in the Canadian cultural industries – legal, business, regulatory policy, marketing, and research – to providing consulting services to clients. She has authored several public and internal research papers covering the film, television, interactive digital media and performing arts sectors. Her most recent research work has been the ‘Being Seen’ reports on authenticity and inclusion in the screen industries. She supports funders as they work to break down barriers and create systemic change. She sits on the Board of Friends of Canadian Media and is active on the Policy Committee. As a multi-racial Canadian, diversity and inclusion are a priority in her work, and she brings that lens to everything.