Totally Indie Day

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Moving Forward with Inclusivity

Presented by STORYHIVE, this session will gather diverse experts in filmmaking for a discussion about how meaningful diversity and inclusion transforms their ways of working, both in their organizations and on set. The conversation will push us to remove barriers for diverse filmmakers and reimagine what truly representative content can be. With Master of None, Wonder Woman, Get Out, and Insecure expanding our notions of commercial success, diverse casts and crews have new opportunities to tell their stories. Join us as our guests discuss representation on screen and behind the scenes, as well as the benefits of going beyond the checkbox. 

Guests   
Emily Best, Founder & CEO, Seed&Spark 
Jem Garrard, Writer/Director, Android Employed
Doreen Manuel, Coordinator/Instructor – Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking, Capilano University
Cowboy Smithx, Producer, Elder in the Making 
Shirley Vercruysse, Executive Producer, BC & Yukon studio, National Film Board of Canada 
Mayumi Yoshida, Director, Akashi 

Moderator
Megan Lau, Manager, STORYHIVE: Communications, Engagement & Equity at TELUS

In the Writers’ Room 
TV writers share their inspiration, and their thoughts about having a voice in the writers’ room, breaking a story and lessons learned along the way. 

Guests
Sheri Elwood, Writer/Executive Producer, Lucifer 
Michael Grassi, Writer/Executive Producer, Riverdale 
Simon Barry, Writer/Executive Producer, Ghost Wars
Thomas Schnauz, Writer/Executive Producer, Better Call Saul

Moderator
Tim Goodman, Chief TV Critic, The Hollywood Reporter

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Digital Storytelling Platforms 
The fast-paced digital entertainment market continues to evolve; new players come and go, business models change and online audiences grow. Finding the right distribution platform is the biggest issue facing our content creators right now, as monetizing high-quality episodic series made for the internet remains challenging. Our session will look at the various platforms available for content creators, from YouTube, CBC Digital and STORYHIVE to Vimeo and Cracked, and our guests will outline the state of the online market (and the pros and cons for producers) when navigating digital storytelling platforms.   

Guests
Chris Harris, Director, Digital Content, CBC 
Meredith Carlin, ‎Director of Content Marketing & Development, Scripps Lifestyle Studios, Scripps Networks Interactive 
Emily Best, Seed&Spark 
Winston Rowntree, Creator, people Watching 
Ali Adab, VP Content & Partnerships, BBTV
Jonas Woost, Executive Producer, Original Content & STORYHIVE at TELUS

Moderator
Marcia Douglas, Director, Business and Legal Affairs, CMPA

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Innovations in Storytelling 
Our guest speakers will discuss new formats in storytelling including 360º, VR and podcasting. This panel is specifically relevant to emerging filmmakers, as it demonstrates access to VR and other formats.    
By fully immersing the viewer in a 360º canvas, with sound that can pitch and throw from any direction, VR has the potential to become the ultimate storytelling device. Filmmakers are already creating more content for consumer-grade devices like the Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard, and the new wave seems interested in exploring the boundaries of storytelling and fully accounting for the viewer and the viewer’s relationship to the story. Audio storytelling is also on the rise, and podcasters are coming from various backgrounds—screenwriting, filmmaking and playwriting. Let’s hear from our guest speakers, who are creating exciting new work and altering the future of screenwriting as we know it. 

Guests
Cary Smith, Executive Producer, Red Bull Media House
Evette Vargas, CEO | TV + VR Writer | Director | Producer, Digital Reign Productions
Nina Sudra, General Manager, VICE Canada 
Kyle Gest, Creator, The Lapse Storytelling Podcast

Moderator
Lizzy Karp, Senior manager, Distribution, Experiential & Engagement, Telus/STORYHIVE

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A Day in the Life
Creating episodic TV is a collaborative medium. A Day in the Life session goes behind the scenes with the key creatives from the new SyFy and Netflix horror series Ghost Wars as they share their combined effort in transforming a show into visual magic.  

Guests
Kristin Lehman, Actor
Rachel Langer, Consulting Producer/Writer, Ghost Wars
James Robbins, Production Designer
Sara Irvine Erickson, 1st AD

Moderator
Kevin Eastwood

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Trending Now
All hail the hyphenates! The writer-director asserts his/her vision on screen, crafting words on the page and translating them into imagery as if the movies sprang from the mind’s eye fully-formed. In this conversation, three “auteurs” at different stages of their careers share insights into the special challenges and opportunities that come with taking on this most demanding of dual roles. 

Guests 
Kathleen Hepburn, Writer/Director, Never Steady, Never Still
Kyle Rideout, Co-Writer/Director, Public Schooled
Mina Shum, Writer/Director, Meditation Park

Moderator
Kevin Polowy, Yahoo Movies

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Enjoy an evening reception and mingle with your fellow delegates.
Catering provided from Emelle's Catering