2023 Participants

2023 Participants

We take humor seriously!

Allana Harkin
Allana Harkin

Allana Harkin is an Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer and comedian who has garnered 10 Emmy nominations and 2 Producer Guild nominations for her work on seven seasons TBS’s Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. She co-directed the Emmy nominated special The Great American Puerto Rico and wrote and directed the award winning short film The Godmother which played at festivals across North America and premiered on TNT. Most recently she directed Nesting for Crave and the Popularity Papers for BBC studios. As a performer Allana was the first correspondent on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and for 7 seasons interviewed hundreds of people across the country. She started her comedy career as a writer, performer and founding member of the acclaimed Canadian Comedy Nominated Toronto sketch troupe The Atomic Fireballs. She can found on socials @allanaharkin

Andrew Barnsley
Andrew Barnsley

Executive Producer

P10

Andrew Barnsley is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Executive Producer based in Toronto and Los Angeles. A six-time Canadian Screen Award winner, three of his series have been nominated for Best Comedy over the past 10 years.

Andrew is currently executive producing the second and third seasons of CBC’s hit comedy series SON OF A CRITCH (39 x ½ hour). Most recently, Andrew was the Executive Producer of Amazon Prime’s comedy series KIDS IN THE HALL (8 x ½ hour) and CTV/Bell Media’s hit comedy series JANN (22 x ½ hour) starring Jann Arden.

Andrew previously served as an Executive Producer on the CBC/PopTV smash hit comedy SCHITT’S CREEK (80 x ½ hour) starring Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, for which he received Emmy, Golden Globe, and Canadian Screen Awards. Additionally, Andrew executive produced Family Channel/CBBC's series MY PERFECT LANDING (15 x ½ hour), the CTV sitcom SPUN OUT (26 x ½ hour) starring Dave Foley, the TMN/Movie Central documentary series SPORTS ON FIRE, and the HBO Canada documentary feature SPIRIT UNFORGETTABLE. Since 2001, Barnsley has produced content across multiple genres and formats including comedy, animation, live-action, children’s, documentary, and live concert specials.

In addition to his role at Project 10, Andrew is the President of Toronto Film School. He is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (USA), the Canadian Media Producers Association, and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. He holds an MA in Communications and Culture from Ryerson and York Universities, a BAA from Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts Program, and a BEd from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Billy Wee
Billy Wee

Director of Adult Animation

Netflix

Billy Wee is a Director of Adult Animation at Netflix where he oversees comedy series like Big Mouth and Disenchantment. He previously worked at HBO Max and TBS where he developed and produced animated series like Fired On Mars, Close Enough, Clone High, Ten Year Old Tom, Scavengers Reign, and Final Space, as well as live-action series like Our Flag Means Death and The Last OG.

Brian Dorfman
Brian Dorfman

Brian Dorfman is the SVP of Casting for NBC Entertainment Content, reporting to Grace Wu, EVP of Casting, Television & Streaming. With over 25 years of casting experience, Dorfman has overseen the casting of hit-series including This Is Us, Superstore, The Blacklist, Parenthood, New Amsterdam, and Community.

Prior to joining NBC in 2006, Dorfman began his early career as a Production Coordinator on the first season of In Living Color. He then found his way into Casting at Warner Bros. Television where he eventually became a Casting Director, working on comedy titles like Two of a Kind and Whose Line Is It Anyway? After his tenure at WBTV, Dorfman served as the Executive Director of Casting for Comedy at ABC Entertainment, later rising to VP of Casting for Comedy at ABC/Touchstone Television. While at ABC, he worked on comedy classics Spin City, The Drew Carey Show, My Wife and Kids, According to Jim, and George Lopez.

With the launch of streamer Peacock, Dorfman covers Comedy, Drama, and Unscripted series across all NBCUniversal platforms. His latest highlights include Bel-Air, Night Court, Killing It, and Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin. Dorfman is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in Casting—striving to bring underrepresented talent to the forefront of Television.

Carlyn Klebuc
Carlyn Klebuc

General Manager, Original Programming

Bell Media

As General Manager, Carlyn Klebuc oversees development and production of all of Bell Media’s award-winning English-language independent programming and original digital content.

Klebuc and her team work closely on productions commissioned from independent producers, as well as original digital productionfor Bell Media’s multiple English-language linear and digital properties and platforms.

Klebuc joined Bell Media in 2008, most recently acting as Assistant General Counsel, Canadian Independent and In-House Production. Previously, Klebuc was an associate at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, specializing in lending, structured finance and securitizations and entertainment law.

Klebuc completed her degree in Film Studies at Queen’s University, and later received her LL.B. at the University of Saskatchewan. Klebuc is a trusted board member of Rethink Breast Cancer and Co-Chair of Entertainment and Media Law Symposium (Law Society).

Catherine Halaby
Catherine Halaby

Catherine Halaby is the Head of Entertainment for TikTok in North America, where she leads the team partnering with creators, publishers and public figures across the US and Canada to grow audiences on platform. Prior to TikTok, Catherine was a creative strategist and branded content producer, a career she began as an intern at Funny Or Die. She holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BA in History from Yale College.

Colin Davis
Colin Davis

EVP of Comedy Development

Sony Pictures Television Studios

Colin Davis is EVP of Comedy Development for Sony Pictures Television Studios (SPTS). In this role, Davis oversees development of comedies for all platforms.

Most recently, Davis was Head of Scripted Originals for the Roku Channel, Roku’s free ad-supported streaming service, presiding over a diverse slate of programming across drama, comedy and animation. In that role, he led a team of creatives building and launching Roku’s move into original programming and spearheading the production and rollout of successful series including the reboot of Reno 911!, Die Harter starring Kevin Hart and greenlighting and shepherding the award winning break out feature film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Before Roku, Davis led scripted programming for the short-form streaming service Quibi, and spent four years in comedy development at Turner where he most notably championed Search Party. Davis started his television career at Fox Broadcasting Company.

Davis, who is based at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City, resides in Los Angeles.

Conan Smith
Conan Smith

Conan Smith is a 30 year veteran in the entertainment business. He currently runs the comedy department at Buchwald. Over the years he has represented clients as an agent, manager and producer at various entertainment companies. He is known to have a keen eye to spot emerging talent and help them navigate a path to success. He enjoys developing and packaging content with his clients, pitching and selling.

Cymbre Sklar
Cymbre Sklar

Head of Casting for Feature Animation

Netflix

CYMBRE WALK SKLAR is a 2 time Emmy nominated Casting Director and Executive. She is currently the Head of Casting for Feature Animation at Netflix.
Prior to joining Netflix, Cymbre was a Casting Director at DreamWorks Animation TV where she earned 2 Emmy nominations for her work on "She-Ra & The Princesses of Power" and "Archibald's Next Big Thing". She cast over 30 series which can be seen across multiple platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Peacock.

Cymbre previously worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation as the Casting Associate on such films as “Tangled”, “Wreck It Ralph”, “Frozen”, “Big Hero 6?, and “Zootopia”.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Cymbre partnered to form The Group Entertainment, a NYC based independent management/production company and Associate Produced “Mentor” which premiered at Tribeca in 2006.

Cymbre earned a MFA from the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at USC where she was awarded the Peter Stark Filmmaker Award for producing her short film “Stuffed".

Cymbre also has a BA in Theater from Marymount Manhattan College.

She was the Producing Director for IAMA Theatre Company for 10 years and currently serves on the Board of Directors.

Dan Dion
Dan Dion

Dan Dion is currently the Head of A&R (Artist and Repertoire) at 800 Pound Gorilla Media, a comedy record label and video production company based in Nashville, TN. (Roster and production clients include such JFL artists as Daniel Sloss, Sam Morril, Foil Arms & Hog, and Kyle Kinane) He works primarily to identify artists with which to record albums, as well as video components ranging from YouTube-intended projects up to the specs of the major streamers.

The landscape of comedy audio is in ever-changing, and a dispute over compositional royalties has roiled the industry. The coupling of video to nearly every audio project has created new opportunities for promotion, fanbase growth and revenue. At this round-table we will discuss what makes a successful comedy recording project, and what 800 Pound Gorilla looks for in both emerging and established artists.

He was a comedy producer for Audible for several years before making the move to Nashville. His background has been in producing live comedy, running the Purple Onion and managing the Holy City Zoo in San Francisco.

His work as a portrait photographer of comedians was compiled in the book ¡SATIRISTAS!, a collaboration with Paul Provenza.

Daniel Weidenfeld
Daniel Weidenfeld

Senior Vice President, Animation

FOX Entertainment

Daniel Weidenfeld was named Senior Vice President, Animation, for FOX Entertainment in 2019. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing all animated production and development for FOX Entertainment. Among the series under his purview are FOX’s iconic comedies THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY and BOB’S BURGERS, as well as THE GREAT NORTH, HOUSEBROKEN and the upcoming comedies KRAPOPOLIS, from creator Dan Harmon, and GRIMSBURG, executive produced by and featuring the voice of Jon Hamm. Both KRAPOPOLIS and GRIMSBURG are fully owned by FOX Entertainment and produced by its Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment.

Prior to joining FOX Entertainment, Weidenfeld was a writer and producer on a number of series, including Adult Swim’s “Lazor Wulf,” “Brad Neely’s Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio,” “China, IL” and “The Eric Andre Show”; TBS’ “The Pound Hole”; and Netflix’s “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike.” From 2008 to 2010, he was Vice President of Content Development, TV & New Media at Generate, LLC. Weidenfeld graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature.

Danny Feldheim
Danny Feldheim

SVP and Head of Comedy Development

ABC Signature

Danny Feldheim is currently the SVP and Head of Comedy Development at ABC Signature. He was previously SVP at Paramount+ and its predecessor CBS All Access, where he helped launch the Original Series division of the streamer working across both comedy and drama series. He was responsible for shepherding the streamer’s series such as Star Trek spinoffs Picard, Discovery, Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds as well as The Offer, The Good Fight, and The Stand. He also started CBS All Access’ push into comedy with No Activity and Players and its move into documentaries with Console Wars.

David Eilenberg
David Eilenberg

Vice President and Head of Content

Roku Media

David Eilenberg is the Vice President and Head of Content for Roku Media. He is leading the charge to establish Roku’s free ad-supported streaming service The Roku Channel as a destination for both scripted and unscripted original content. He is responsible for overall vision, creative strategy, go-to-market execution, as well as long-term growth goals and target audiences, both domestically and in international territories, for content across Roku Media. In his prior role as Head of Roku Originals, Eilenberg and his team brought highly anticipated titles, including “WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story,” “Meet Me in Paris,” “The Great American Baking Show,” “Martha Cooks,” “Emeril Cooks,” and many more to millions of streamers to enjoy for free.

Before joining Roku, Eilenberg most recently served as chief creative officer at ITV America, responsible for the company’s creative strategy and growth opportunities across six production labels – ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment and Good Caper Content – and leveraging global formats for the U.S. market. Among the many series he has spearheaded are the multi-Emmy-winning Queer Eye (Netflix); Love Island (CBS and now Peacock in 2022); Hell’s Kitchen (Fox); The Chase (ABC); My Mom, Your Dad (HBO Max); and Rat in the Kitchen (TBS).

Prior to ITV, Eilenberg was senior vice president of unscripted development, late night and specials at Turner, overseeing such series as King of the Nerds and Cold Justice, as well as the late-night CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien. Before that he was head of development and current programming for Mark Burnett Productions where he helped develop and produce award-winning hits including The Voice, Shark Tank and Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? A prolific creator, writer and producer, Eilenberg was head writer on Weakest Link and a writer on Da Ali G Show. He also was co-director/producer of the critically acclaimed documentary On Common Ground, and co-created the series Dismissed.

David Zucker
David Zucker

American Film Director

More than four decades after TV Guide called his first movie “vulgar and uproariously funny,” legendary filmmaker David Zucker is still pulling our leg. Zucker’s flagship film comedy, 1977’s The Kentucky Fried Movie, soon followed by the instant-classic Airplane!, served as a one-two punch to the funny bone, launching a singular career in satire and spoof for the prolific writer, director and producer. Through a string of box office hits and classic comedies, David Zucker, along with his brother Jerry Zucker (Ghost) and longtime friend Jim Abrahams (Hot Shots), has firmly established himself among the most successful filmmakers in Hollywood, or at least their native Wisconsin.

A native of Milwaukee, Zucker attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, joining with Jerry and Jim to create the?Kentucky Fried Theater on campus while working toward a B.A. in Film. With a borrowed video tape deck and camera, after graduation he brought their quick-paced and often absurd sketch comedy to California in 1972, becoming the most successful small theater group in Los Angeles history.

After parlaying their live brand into?The Kentucky Fried Movie, a collection of raunchy short parodies directed by John Landis (one year before he helmed Animal House), the trio conceived the idea that would create a whole new film genre. Airplane! broke all conventions, featuring dramatic actors like Robert Stack and Leslie Nielsen performing zany jokes with straight-laced sincerity. The New York Times called it “a splendidly tacky, totally tasteless…gooney bird of a movie that…surprises and delights with its free-spirited aerobatics.”

The spoof became the surprise hit of 1980, beginning a streak of film comedies including?Top Secret!?and?Ruthless People, after which David Zucker branched out on his own to direct?The Naked Gun franchise, BASEketball, Scary Movie 3 &?4, and many others, as well as writing and producing Scary Movie 5. He also produced the successful, if somewhat less hilarious?A Walk in the Clouds and Phone Booth. More recently, Zucker was brought in as creative consultant on the action comedy Mossad, which became one of Israel's biggest releases of 2019. He is currently producing a new feature project alongside his frequent collaborators Pat Proft?and Michael McManus, a film noir spoof, The Star of Malta.

Addionally, Zucker authored the memoir, Before The Invention of Smiling, an unexpected version of his own family's history. ?Like everything else Zucker has created, the memoir does not follow a traditional book format, resulting in a unique and original creation which combines Sarah’s story with accompanying family and contemporary period photographs. The book also features illustrations by award winning artists Cynthia Angulo and Gary Thomas to complete the visualization of the family’s history.

Outside of the entertainment world, Zucker has been a prominent advocate of environmental causes, serving on the board of the environmental nonprofit TreePeople and receiving myriad honors including its annual Evergreen Award. David Zucker resides in Brentwood, California.

Emilie Laford
Emilie Laford

Director of Talent

World Famous Comedy Store

Emilie Laford has been a comedy booker in Los Angeles for the past 15 years. She started as an assistant to the Improv’s VP of Talent where she learned everything one needs to know about booking from the best in the business. From there she went on to book such prestigious clubs as the Hollywood Improv and currently is the Director of Talent at the World Famous Comedy Store.

Gary King
Gary King

VP Development

Paramount Television Studios

Gary is a seasoned executive who has overseen development and production across tv, features and short-form digital content for several companies. A versatile creative who has worked in live-action, unscripted and animation, both as a network exec and a producer. He is currently serving as Vice President of Development for Paramount Television Studios overseeing shows at Paramount+, Amazon, Apple and BET.

Projects he’s overseen include the upcoming Amazon series CROSS, the Netflix original series TRANSFORMERS: WAR FOR CYBERTRON TRILOGY, season 3 of DISNEY XD ESPN SPORT SCIENCE, the pilots for Disney XD's PARKER PLAYS and POLARIS PRIMETIME, the short film incubator FREE PERIOD for Disney Channel, as well as the independent features IN THE BLOOD and HOUSE BY THE LAKE.

King began his career at New Line Cinema and has spent time as an executive at Warner Bros. and Disney Channel, in addition to working with producers such as Fast & Furious filmmaker Justin Lin, and former NBA All-Star Baron Davis.

Greig Dymond
Greig Dymond

Director of Development, CBC Comedy

CBC

As Director of Development for CBC Comedy, Greig Dymond is responsible for driving and overseeing the quality and diversity of the network's comedy-development slate. Since 2013, Greig has served as Development Executive and/or Production Executive on a variety of CBC Comedy series, including Schitt's Creek, Baroness von Sketch Show, Son of a Critch, TallBoyz, Run The Burbs, Workin' Moms, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and stand-up festival programming from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Halifax. Prior to joining CBC Scripted Content he was an arts editor and writer at The Grid (Torstar) and CBCNews.ca. Greig's writing on culture has also appeared in Toronto Life, The Globe and Mail, and the National Post. His forthcoming book, The Toronto Toros: Adventures in Unconventional Hockey, will be published by ECW Press.

Jeff Schwartz
Jeff Schwartz

Senior Development Executive, Comedy & Drama

Amazon Studios

Jeff Schwartz is currently Senior Development Executive, Comedy & Drama for Amazon Studios. Over the last 7 years at Amazon, Jeff has developed and overseen series including SWARM, I’M A VIRGO, HARLEM, CATASTROPHE, MODERN LOVE, and HOMECOMING, among others. Jeff began his career as an independent film producer and graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Film Studies.

Jeremy Garelick
Jeremy Garelick

Producer

American High

Jeremy Garelick is a highly accomplished director, writer, and producer, and the co-founder of American High, an acclaimed production company specializing in provocative teen comedies. With notable works like The Break-Up, The Wedding Ringer, and Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever, Jeremy's talent and expertise have made a significant impact on the film industry. Under his leadership, American High has garnered widespread acclaim for its impressive roster of movies, including Banana Split, Big Time Adolescence, and I Love My Dad. Jeremy's remarkable career continues to shape the landscape of contemporary cinema.

Jonathan Stern
Jonathan Stern

Executive Producer

ABOMINABLE PICTURES INC

Jonathan Stern is as an executive producer and/or co-creator of over 18 series since founding Abominable Pictures in Los Angeles in 2006.

Past projects include “Wet Hot American Summer" (Netflix), the feature film "A Futile and Stupid Gesture" (Netflix), all seven seasons of “Childrens Hospital” (Adult Swim), “Mystery Science Theater 3000” (Netflix), “Medical Police” (Netflix), “The Hotwives of Orlando/Las Vegas” (Hulu), “Burning Love” (Yahoo! and E!), “Shrink” (Seeso), “Garfunkel & Oates” (IFC), “Do You Want to See a Dead Body” (YouTube Premium), and “NTSF:SD:SUV::” (Adult Swim).

Prior to starting Abominable Pictures, Stern produced indie films in New York including “The Vagina Monologues” and the Sundance-premiering “Scotland, PA” and “The Ten.”

Most recently, he EP'd the comedy series “Murderville” on Netflix and “The Scooby-Doo Reunion Special” for the CW (also writer/director). He’s currently in post-production on a new feature film as well as a slate of podcasts for iHeart Media.

Stern has three Emmy wins and five nominations, as well as Webby Awards, Streamy Awards, and a Comedy Award.

Justin Stockman
Justin Stockman

VP, Content Development & Programming

Bell Media

As VP, Content Development & Programming, Justin Stockman is responsible for English TV programming including CTV, Crave and Bell Media’s English-language specialty channels Discovery, MTV, E!, Much, CTV Drama, CTV Life, CTV Comedy, CTV Sci-Fi with a focus on developing groundbreaking new content.

Stockman’s role includes the ongoing negotiation and development of Bell Media’s Original Production programming content for all platforms with local producers and international studios. Additionally, Stockman retains oversight of the day-to-day operations and growth of Bell Media’s ad-supported creator and influencer network Much Studios.

Stockman also leads Bell Media’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, both internally as a member of the organization’s Diversity Leadership Council and with external partners like HireBIPOC, the definitive and ubiquitous industry-wide roster of Canadian BIPOC creatives and crew working in screen-based industries.

Formerly VP, Brand Partnerships and Client Strategy on the Bell Media Sales team, Stockman’s role included oversight of the Sales team in leveraging Bell Media’s competitive advantage in content, production, data and platforms with clients, agencies and internal stakeholders to drive new revenue opportunities through brand integrations and data-driven client strategies.

Previously VP, Premium SVOD and OTT, Bell Media, Stockman was responsible for strategy, management, programming, content licensing, merchandising and marketing partnerships for Bell Media’s premium subscription video on demand (SVOD) services, Crave, Crave + Movies + HBO and STARZ as well as driving direct-to-consumer revenue including customer acquisition and retention. Additionally, Stockman’s portfolio included oversight of English and French customer care centres for Crave and Bell Media’s over-the-top (OTT) services including TSN Direct, RDS Direct and STARZ, as well as Much Studios

Prior to this, Stockman worked as VP, Specialty Channels, where he oversaw all brands and day-to-day activities for Entertainment Specialty Channels Much, MTV, Gusto, E!, Bravo, Space, The Comedy Network and their complimentary digital networks, as well as pay channels TMN and HBO Canada.

Stockman was previously Executive Director, Marketing, Specialty Channels, where he oversaw all brand-positioning, consumer and trade marketing, social media marketing and social media communities for Bell Media’s Specialty properties.

Stockman has worked at Bell Media for more than a decade in various capacities including creative services and production as creative director, supervising producer, producer, writer, editor and web designer.

In 2015, Stockman was recognized with the 2015 Digital Play of the Year by Playback.

Stockman graduated in 1996 from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with Specialized Honours in Visual Arts Studio. In 2009 he earned his MBA through a joint program at Cornell University in New York and Queen’s University in Kingston.

Kelci Parker
Kelci Parker

Vice President, Animation

Hulu Originals

Kelci Parker serves as VP, Animation for Hulu Original’s expanding slate of adult animated programming. In her role, Parker oversees both development and current programming efforts for the slate, and reports to Jordan Helman, Head of Scripted Content, Hulu Originals.

In June 2022, Parker was promoted to her current position after previously serving as Vice President of Comedy Originals. In March 2022, she was honored as one of the top 150 Black Women in Hollywood for Essence Magazine and a rising star by Shadow and Act. Kelci is also listed on The Hollywood Reporter’s 2023 35 under 35.

Series in the adult animated space under the Hulu Originals banner include “Solar Opposites”, "Hit-Monkey", “King of the Hill” and “Futurama.”

Parker joined Hulu in July of 2020, and has served as a development/current programming executive on Hulu’s most watched comedy “Only Murders in the Building,” the critically-acclaimed “Life and Beth,” fan favorite “How I Met Your Father” and Marvel animated projects “MODOK” and “Hit-Monkey.” She has also been instrumental in fostering relationships with a variety of up-and-coming comedic talent and loves helping to find opportunities for underrepresented voices.

Parker began her comedy career as an assistant to Kent Alterman, the President of Comedy Central, before rising the ranks at that network, leaving as Director of Original Content in July 2020. She previously worked at Dickhouse Entertainment (Jackass franchise) and for director Spike Jonze. Born and raised in Albion, MI -Parker is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.

mike allison
Mike Allison

Executive Producer / Showrunner

P10

Originally from Florenceville-Bristol NB, Mike started out in the entertainment industry as an actor, writer and director in Maritime regional theatre. He has since performed across Canada as a singer/songwriter and as a standup comic. Currently he serves as Executive Producer/Showrunner of CBC’s flagship comedy series?This Hour Has 22 Minutes. His 14 seasons there have earned him a Canadian Comedy Award, a Writers Guild of Canada Award, and a Canadian Screen Award among numerous nominations. Other TV credits include, That’s So Weird;The Halifax Comedy Festival;The Scotiabank Giller Prize;and the web series Broad Appeal.

Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse is the regular film critic for the 24-hour news source CTV’s News Channel and CP24 and many radio stations on the Bell media Network. He is also the author of ten books on pop culture history, the host of the nationally syndicated Richard Crouse Show and a frequent guest on many national Canadian radio and television shows.

ASachi Ezura
Sachi Ezura

Vice President of Adult Animation

Paramount Global

Sachi Ezura is the Vice President of Adult Animation for Paramount Global, developing animated projects for Comedy Central and Paramount +. Previously, she was Senior Producer at The Greene Space, a live event space for NY Public Radio, and a development consultant for Irony Point. She has produced on Refinery29’s After After Party, BET’s The Rundown w/ Robin Thede, and MTV’s Girl Code. She was Executive Producer of Development and Talent at Seriously.TV, a digital comedy channel under Verizon Hearst Media Partners, specializing in the intersection of comedy, politics, and social justice. She came up in television development at MTV2, overseeing casting for MTV’s hit comedy series Guy Code and Girl Code, and as Director of Original Programming at IFC

Sarah Fowlie
Sarah Fowlie

Original Programming

Bell Media

Sarah Fowlie leads the Production of Original Programming across Bell Media's English Language platforms including CTV, CTV Speciality and Crave. Fowlie began her career at Bell Media in 1997 at The Comedy Network and has developed strong relationships with the Canadian and International content industry. She has held a range of positions in Acquisitions, Original Development and In-House Production. Recent Bell Media Original Productions include LETTERKENNY, TRANSPLANT, CHILDREN RUIN EVERYTHING, and CANADA’S DRAG RACE.

Sarah Quan
Sarah Quan

Executive in Charge of Development, Comedy

CBC

As Executive in Charge of Development for CBC Comedy, Sarah is responsible for developing high quality, impactful original scripted comedy series for the network’s development slate. Prior to joining CBC, she served as Creative Executive at Northwood Entertainment (Anne With An E, The Grizzlies) where she managed their slate of television and feature film projects in development and production. Sarah started her career as a coordinator for independent film and digital series (How to Buy a Baby, Detention Adventure, We are Savvy). She has also volunteered on a number of initiatives including co-facilitating AccessCBC, an initiative for creators with disabilities and as an advocate for the Academy Executive Residency Program.

As an award-winning producer and creative executive, Sarah is dedicated to discovering and nurturing underrepresented voices with fresh perspectives and producing work that changes culture and explores stories that have yet to be told.

Shelby Bronstine
Shelby Bronstine

Associate Producer & Manager, Business Affairs

P10

A graduate from Toronto Film School, Shelby developed her strengths for production coordination and organization in the VFX world, working previously as the Prep Comp Coordinator at Legend3D. Shelby worked closely with artists and senior production in order to complete VFX elements on multiple feature films including Ben-Hur, Passengers and Resident Evil 6. Switching gears, Shelby got the opportunity to learn the animation process as a Production Coordinator with Spin Master, working on seasons one and two of the successful kids’ series, Rusty Rivets. After one year of production, Shelby jumped at the chance to move into the development department as the coordinator working on multiple series in various stages of development. After 1 year working in development for Project 10, Shelby shifted her focus towards business affairs, working her way up towards managing business affairs. Her newly appointed Associate Producer title encapsulates her strengths in production and business affairs.

Shonna Foster
Shonna Foster

Director Of Development

P10

Shonna received her Honors B.F.A from York University. She is an award-winning director-producer and comes to Project 10 with over 15 years of extensive experience working on both the creative and business sides of the film and television industry. Professionally, she has held key positions which include Associate Producer, Business Affairs Associate, Assistant Production Manager, WGC Agreement Administrator, and Executive Assistant at award-winning production companies and industry organizations in Canada. As a freelancer, she has worked on productions for Sony Pictures, LifeTime, Warner, OWN, CBC, and Bell Media and has consulted on several pilot projects. Collectively, Shonna's notable work experience, extensive knowledge, and recognized work ethic have made her a valued and sought after asset by many production teams.

Shonna’s tenacity for sourcing great stories and passion for great storytelling lend to her role in development. She is eager to shepherd new projects from a vast array of diverse creators and to see projects through from development to both the small and big screen domestically and internationally.

Sonia Almanza Gambaro
Sonia Almanza Gambaro

Vice President of Television

3PAS Studios

Sonia Almanza Gambaro is the Vice President of Television at Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell’s 3PAS Studios. Gambaro was previously a literary manager at Equitable Management and her own company Pollinate Entertainment where she set up and sold projects to Netflix, Hulu, Freeform, Ellation, SonyTV, MWM, EndemolShine and brokered worldwide branding campaigns for clients. She also spent time at Madhouse Entertainment, Televisa USA ("Chasing Life”, “Devious Maids”) and Paradigm Talent Agency. Gambaro began her career in Hollywood as a segment producer after successfully touring over 60 cities as a DJ and mixing on LATV and KIIS-FM. She is currently producing season three of the successful Apple TV+ show ACAPULCO.

Tiara Guy
Tiara Guy

Associate Director of Industry Relations & Marketing Operations

SoundExchange

Tiara Guy serves as Associate Director of Industry Relations & Marketing Operations at SoundExchange. In this role, Tiara leads SoundExchange’s Artist and Label outreach program, building and fostering key relationships within the music community.

Tiara’s responsibilities include identifying unregistered creators and rights owners who have yet to claim the royalties they are entitled to through SoundExchange. Tiara educates creators on how to maximize their digital performance royalty revenue by registering with SoundExchange and assists registered creators with their current accounts, including searching and claiming their recordings, tracking their catalog, and reviewing their digital royalty payments.

Tiara brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to this role after having worked at SoundExchange in some capacity for more than a decade. Tiara launched her career in the music industry working in SoundExchange’s Data Management department before translating her expertise into Industry Relations.

Tiara holds a BA in media arts and design from James Madison University with a solid background in customer relations. She is based in the Washington D.C. area where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Yael Strasberg
Yael Strasberg

Creator Network Development Manager

Acast Canada

Yael Strasberg is the Creator Network Development Manager for Acast Canada, where she heads up Acast Canada’s acquisition and development slate. In her time at Acast, she has been instrumental in expanding the Canadian Creator Network by working with independent creators like Canadian True Crime, Cat & Nat Unfiltered, The Best Hang Podcast, Over n Out, as well as high profile network like Canadaland, Playmaker Capital Inc, URBANIA Media - and many more! Yael has also been instrumental in the development and launch of brand new shows by beloved Canadian talent such as Jessi Cruickshank & Myles Sexton (coming soon!).

Prior to joining Acast, Yael spent eleven years working at Entertainment One Films, Canada’s largest independent distribution company as the Director of Acquisitions leading the team in acquiring theatrical films. Prior to joining eOne, Yael held positions at Sony BMG Films and Untitled Entertainment in New York. She is currently based in Toronto.

Zach Feldberg
Zach Feldberg

Director of Current Production, Comedy & Head of Scripted Gem Originals

Originals

At CBC, Zach is currently the acting Director of Current Production, Comedy, overseeing the team responsible for the production of the broadcaster's slate of prime time comedy series and radio programs. He also continues to oversee the Scripted Gem Originals strategy and programming team, developing and commissioning series for CBC Gem. This slate includes such titles as Fakes, LIDO TV, The 410, For Heaven's Sake, Kenny & Spenny Paldemic, Next Stop, Save Me, the International Emmy-nominated comedy series The Amazing Gayl Pile and How to Buy a Baby, and many more.

Prior to originating the Gem Originals role, Zach spearheaded Shaw Media’s first digital programming mandate, including Global TV special The Second City Project and Food Network’s Super Snack Bros. He also produced digital products and content associated with the company’s priority linear series, including Big Brother Canada, Vikings, Trailer Park Boys and dozens more, yielding an International Emmy win in 2012, and a subsequent nomination in 2014.

P10

Andrew Barnsley

Executive Producer

Loading
ComedyPRO Logo

Andrew Barnsley is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Executive Producer based in Toronto and Los Angeles. A six-time Canadian Screen Award winner, three of his series have been nominated for Best Comedy over the past 10 years.

Andrew is currently executive producing the second and third seasons of CBC’s hit comedy series SON OF A CRITCH (39 x ½ hour). Most recently, Andrew was the Executive Producer of Amazon Prime’s comedy series KIDS IN THE HALL (8 x ½ hour) and CTV/Bell Media’s hit comedy series JANN (22 x ½ hour) starring Jann Arden.

Andrew previously served as an Executive Producer on the CBC/PopTV smash hit comedy SCHITT’S CREEK (80 x ½ hour) starring Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, for which he received Emmy, Golden Globe, and Canadian Screen Awards. Additionally, Andrew executive produced Family Channel/CBBC's series MY PERFECT LANDING (15 x ½ hour), the CTV sitcom SPUN OUT (26 x ½ hour) starring Dave Foley, the TMN/Movie Central documentary series SPORTS ON FIRE, and the HBO Canada documentary feature SPIRIT UNFORGETTABLE. Since 2001, Barnsley has produced content across multiple genres and formats including comedy, animation, live-action, children’s, documentary, and live concert specials.

In addition to his role at Project 10, Andrew is the President of Toronto Film School. He is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (USA), the Canadian Media Producers Association, and the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. He holds an MA in Communications and Culture from Ryerson and York Universities, a BAA from Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts Program, and a BEd from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.