Connecting with our community from coast to coast is one of the most important parts of the DSO's work. Every conversation helps us better understand the challenges people are facing, learn what's happening in different regions, and build stronger relationships across the Canadian screen industry.

This July, Executive Director Winnie Luk and Director of Programs and Development Alethea Bakogeorge travelled to Montreal to attend the Fantasia International Film Festival, where they met with partners, disabled creatives, and organizations working to advance accessibility in Quebec. Winnie then headed to Vancouver to participate in EXNW and continue connecting with the community on the West Coast.

Here's a look at some of the highlights from both trips.

Fantasia International Film Festival

Since its beginnings, Fantasia has explored the diverse realms of genre cinema, providing an environment where emerging artists are given exposure alongside their more established counterparts, both locally and internationally. This year, the festival provided a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with partners, meet new collaborators, and continue conversations about accessibility in Quebec's screen sector. 

Winnie and Alethea met with Carolyn Mauricette, Director of Canadian Programming at Fantasia, and discussed the possibility of presenting an accessibility-focused panel at a future edition of the festival.

They also reconnected with Miguel Sorto, founder of FICAM - Festival International de Cinéma Adapté de Montréal, to discuss accessibility at film festivals in Quebec and plan two panels for the 2026 edition of the festival. The sessions will focus on accessibility in production and accessibility at screen industry events. Stay tuned to learn more details soon!

The trip to Montreal included a meeting with Marina Mathieu, Executive Director of Coalition M.E.D.I.A., and representatives from SODEC to explore opportunities to make industry events more accessible for audiences and participants throughout the province. They also discussed ways to share DSO resources with Coalition M.E.D.I.A.'s members and BIPOC communities across Quebec.

Accessibility in the workplace was another important topic of conversation. Winnie and Alethea met with Jason Goodall, Vice President, Fictions & Advertising at AQTIS 514 IATSE, to explore opportunities to share DSO resources with members in Montreal and across Quebec. Representing more than 8,000 freelance professionals working in over 200 audiovisual occupations related to design, planning, production, and post-production, the organization is a strategic partner in promoting practical accessibility resources throughout the province.

Beyond scheduled meetings, Winnie and Alethea had the opportunity to connect one-on-one with disabled creatives and meet many more members of the community during networking events. These conversations continue to shape the DSO's work and help ensure our programs and resources respond to the needs of disabled professionals working throughout the screen industry.

And finally, no trip to Montreal would be complete without spending some time with one of our own. It was wonderful to catch up with DSO Board member Rachel Desjourdy and have the opportunity to connect in person.

Following Fantasia, Winnie travelled to Vancouver to attend the East by Northwest (EXNW) Global Summit, presented by the Racial Equity Screen Office. The event brought together creators, producers, funders, executives, and industry leaders from across Canada and the Asia-Pacific region to explore new opportunities for collaboration, financing, and storytelling.

One panel that particularly stood out was “Unlocking the APAC Market: What's Selling, What's Getting Funded, and How Projects Move Forward”. Featuring five powerhouse Asian women leading the conversation, the session explored how projects are structured, funded, and moved forward across the region, and how producers can work across diverse regulatory and funding landscapes. It also addressed how market access is secured, and what it takes to build sustainable partnerships across Asia-Pacific.

The DSO was proud to support EXNW as a Community Partner this year. The summit included accessibility measures such as captioning and accessible seating, and we're excited to continue working with the EXNW team as they plan their next events. Through accessibility consultations and recommendations, we'll help identify opportunities to build on this year's efforts and make the summit even more accessible and inclusive.

Beyond the sessions, EXNW was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with friends and partners, including Knowledge Network, Bell Fund, CISF, Ontario Creates, CMF, CRTC, ISO, CMPA, GEMS, Creative BC, TELUS, Whistler Film Festival, IATSE 891, Creatives Empowered, and many disabled creatives. Winnie also had the pleasure of meeting new members of the community, continuing to build relationships that will help advance accessibility across Canada's screen industry.

Another highlight of EXNW was the Global Connector Awards, which honour visionary individuals whose leadership, advocacy, and commitment to building bridges across cultures, industries, and communities have advanced the global entertainment industry. Congratulations to this year's honourees: Lalita Krishna, Prem Gill, Jose (Joey) Javier Reyes, Larry Grant, and Randall Park.

It was especially meaningful to see our friends and partners, Lalita Krishna, Chair of the Canadian Independent Screen Fund (CISF) for BPOC Creators, and Prem Gill receive this recognition. As Prem recently concluded her tenure at Creative BC, it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything she has contributed to the industry and wish her all the best in this next chapter.

See you next year, EXNW! We can’t wait to work together.