BOARD ELECTIONS - 2023/24 TERM
Welcome to the DOC Ontario Board Elections.
DOC Ontario’s board members serve two-year terms. There are seven candidates, including five current board members, running for five seats for the 2023/2024 term.
DOC Ontario members will receive a unique survey link where they can vote for up to five people. If you have any issues receiving your survey link, please contact warren@docorg.ca. Please submit your votes by December 9, 11:59pm ET.
Below are the candidates. Please click the + beside each name to see each candidate’s bio and election statement.
BIO
Co-founder of OYA Media Group, Sierra Leonean-Canadian Ngardy Conteh George is a twotime Canadian Screen Award winning filmmaker. She is committed to working with systematically excluded, and often unheard communities, especially those that represent the rich cultures and complexities of the African Diaspora.
She directed, co-produced and co-wrote Mr. Jane and Finch (CBC, 2019) winner of two 2020 Canadian Screen Awards: the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary and Best Writing for a Documentary. Her films include award-winning Sundance Documentary Film Fund supported feature-length documentary The Flying Stars (Best Documentary – BronzeLens Film Festival, 2015) and Dudley Speaks for Me, part of the Akua Benjamin Legacy Project (Best Canadian Presentation, Caribbean Tales Int’l Film Festival, 2016).
Ngardy co-founded OYA Black Arts Coalition, a not-for-profit organization focused on supporting Black filmmakers and entrepreneurs in the screen-based media industry. Through the organization’s Emerging Filmmakers Program she produced and mentored the Canadian Screen Award winning TV hour documentary for CBC Being Black in Toronto in 2021. Ngardy has been a Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Fellow and grantee and a Black Public Media & MIT Open Doc Labs visiting artist fellow. She is also a member of the Director’s Guild of Canada, I.M.P.A.C.T. and sits on the boards of Hot Docs and the Documentary Organization of Canada Ontario Chapter. Along with Alison Duke she is currently producing two feature length documentaries and a documentary series.
Ngardy is pronounced ‘Gaddy’.
BOARD STATEMENT
I’ve been a member of the DOC Ontario board for two years now and a member of DOC for several years prior. I’m also one of the DOC Ontario reps on the Hot Docs board. I truly enjoy having a more active role in our documentary community especially during these changing times. While on the board I have been able to bring partnerships and funding to DOC Ontario
expanding its reach and work with the Black filmmaking community. When I joined the board in
2020, I was spurred by the murder of George Floyd and the racial reckoning taking place in our industry. I realized that making films that highlight the disparities Black communities face was not enough to foster change. To make a difference, I needed to build on the work I have been doing mentoring through OYA Black Arts Coalition. I needed to voice my perspective and share my lived experiences in more spaces. I have been working in this industry making documentaries since I made my first short with the NFB in 2004 and have have often felt like an ‘outsider’ in our industry. I am compelled to actively engage and be in positions where I can help foster change, greater inclusion and understanding within our sector of the media
landscape. I wish to continue this work as a member of the board of DOC Ontario.
BIO
Nicholas de Pencier is a Director, Producer, and Director of Photography who works in documentary, performing arts, and video installation. Selected credits include Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (International Emmy), The Holier It Gets, (Best Canadian doc, Hot Docs), The True Meaning of Pictures (Gemini, Best Arts), Hockey Nomad (Gemini, Best Sports), Manufactured Landscapes, (TIFF best Canadian feature; Genie, best doc), and Act of God (Gala opening night, Hot Docs). He was also the Producer and Director of Photography of Watermark, (Special Presentation, TIFF & Berlin, Toronto Film Critics Award, Best Canadian Film, CSA Best Documentary), and Black Code (TIFF) which he also directed. With his partner Jennifer Baichwal, he is the co-director (and also DOP) of Long Time Running, a feature documentary on the Tragically Hip’s iconic Man Machine Poem tour from the summer of 2016, which premiered as a Gala at TIFF 2017, released by Elevation Pictures, and broadcast by Bell and Netflix. The Anthropocene Project, de Pencier’s most recent collaboration with Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky, includes a major touring art exhibition which debuted simultaneously at the Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery of Canada, a feature documentary film which premiered at TIFF 2018 before playing Sundance and the Berlinale, and an educational program in partnership with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Anthropocene: The Human Epoch won two Canadian Screen Awards: Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary Award and Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary, as well as the Toronto Film Critics Association Prize for Best Canadian Feature Film of 2018. De Pencier was also awarded the 2019 Robert Brooks Award for Documentary Cinematography from the Canadian Society of Cinematographers. Most recently he was the Producer and DOP on Into The Weeds (opening night, Hot Docs 2022), and the Series Producer of Summit 72. More information can be found at mercuryfilms.ca.
BOARD STATEMENT
I’m pleased to put my name forward for re-election to the DOC Ontario board. I continue to believe in the utmost importance of truth-telling in media, and helping each other in this goal by gathering in the kind of community that DOC and the DOC Institute provides. Diverse and younger voices need to lead DOC into the future as we re-imagine, through programming and advocacy, how our stories get told and seen, and what constitutes a career as a documentary practitioner. To do this we will need to be reactive to the trends and opportunities in the changing ways that people experience media, and also proactive in those spaces, creating new relationships and venues for our work.
I look forward to the possibility of continuing to serve on the DOC National Advocacy Committee, and as one of the DOC Ontario representatives on the Hot Docs Board, helping to be a voice for the filmmaker community there. We are all stronger with the collective voice that DOC gives us. I have thirty years of experience in documentary, but am still listening and learning every day as a working cinematographer, producer, director, and board member. The DOC board is a dynamic, hard-working group that I am proud to be a part of, and will gladly continue my contribution if re-elected.
BIO
Peter Findlay is a documentary filmmaker whose work has appeared on CBC, CTV, PBS, Discovery, History TV, TVO, ZDF-Arte, and SBS Australia, among others. Most recently, his self-produced film Company Town premiered on CBC’s “POV” in October, 2020 and went on to earn four Canadian Screen Award nominations, including best documentary and best direction in a documentary series. Company Town was also named the winner of the Radical Change Award at the Canadian Labour International Film Festival, as well as winning best feature documentary at the Workers Unite Film Festival in 2021 in NYC.
Findlay’s other work has been screened at festivals across North America and garnered nominations and awards from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and TV, Houston Worldfest, HotDocs, New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, the Canadian Association of Journalists and the Canadian Science Writers Association. He is also DOC Ontario’s co-representative to the national board of DOC where he has been an active participant in the organization’s ambitious strategic planning process and a revitalized Governance committee.
BOARD STATEMENT
I’ve had the privilege of being on the board of DOC Ontario for the past two years and am excited about the opportunity to continue building on the important work we undertook during a term that seemed to fly by – even during a pandemic.
I was welcomed to an organization at an important time in its evolution that’s constantly looking ahead, anticipating where we’re headed as an industry and trying to figure out what that means for our increasingly diverse membership. I also had the chance to be co-rep to DOC’s national board where we went through a critical strategic planning process last winter – culminating in a re-visioning of the organization’s work through an equity lens, as well as the implementation of important structural changes to how we operate.
The documentary eco-system is changing to reflect changing times, and DOC Ontario is helping lead the way with a wide range of training and programming geared to raising up the next generation of documentary filmmakers. As members of the broader national organization, we’re also engaged in advocacy and together we’re helping to recalibrate the discourse for documentarians across the country. I look forward to continuing as a member of a great group of filmmakers here at DOC Ontario, moving our community forward in strength and helping to expand the documentary footprint on the Canadian media landscape. And like all the other board members, I’m thrilled to get beyond the dim flicker of Zoom, starting with this year’s in-person DOC Honours Awards!
BIO
Aeyliya Husain is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on issues of representation, women, and photography. She has exhibited at festivals both nationally and internationally including, Tribeca Film Festival, where her film ‘Shooting War’ was nominated for best short documentary. This film examined the Iraq War through the lens of a photojournalist, revealing the stories behind the images and the story of the war itself. ‘The World at Ten’, follows the story of two ten-year-old inner-city children as they navigate the world around them. Her film ‘Daughters of the Revolution’, tells the story of Iranian activist lawyer and her fight for women’s rights in Iran. These films have also screened at San Francisco Docfest; Glasgow Short Film Festival
and São Paulo Film Festival and have been broadcast on CBC, BBC, RSI (Swiss Public TV) and France 4. Her most recent film ‘The Fifth Region’ had its’ premiere at the ImagineNATIVE Film Festival (October 2018) and aired on The Documentary Channel, SBS Australia, amongst others.
Her work has been supported by production grants from the National Film Board of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council and VICE media. Husain holds an MFA in Film Production from York University (Toronto, Canada) and a BA from the University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Canada).
BOARD STATEMENT
It has been a privilege to sit on the of the Ontario Chapter of DOC, representing and working for our members these past two years. During my time, I ran the Breakthrough Lab, and moderated a Meet the Funders event. If elected to the board of the Documentary Organization of Canada, I would be invested in continuing to support and promote the DOC board and its programming. As an independent filmmaker who has been working in the industry for over 15 years, I have seen many trends in the industry and many cuts. I have found DOC to be a consistent and important advocate for independent filmmakers in our community.
I believe now more than ever organizations such as DOC, are vital in advocating for our members. If re-elected I would continue to support the Ontario Chapter and help realize their goals and further their growth.
BIO
Colette Vosberg is a TV and Digital Producer with expertise in the business side of production. Having worked the gamut of broadcasting, distribution, Independent production and funding organizations, Colette has a unique perspective of the industry that lends to strong strategy building.
PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE
- “@Home” – Producer – 13×30 min TV Series for APTN
- “Magic Shadows with Elwy Yost” – Executive Producer – One-hour documentary for TVO broadcast
- “Bug Hunter!” – Producer & Director – Co-Production with Firestarter Productions and The Gibson Group – Digital AR app, HMTL5 Game and webisodes (2020)
- “Shelter From the Storm” – Producer/Business Affairs (SFTS Productions Inc.) – Feature docudrama (2018)
- “Mangoes: Slice of Life” – Assoc. Producer/Business Affairs (Mangoes TV Production Inc.) – TV series (2018)
- “This is Not A Movie” –Business Affairs (CoPro TINAM Inc. & Germany) – Feature Doc (2018)
- “Where He Lies: The Search for Lt. George Stratford” – Producer (Antica Productions) Broadcast on CBC News Network (2017)
- “Spurred On” – Producer – Digital CMF Co-pro with New Zealand (Antica Productions and Gibson Group) (www.spurredon.ca) (2017)
- “Brain Body” – Line Producer – (Chalkboard Media) – TV one-off documentary (2017)
- “Future Legends” – Producer and business affairs – (RVK Productions) TV series, App and VR (www.futurelegends.ca) (2016)
- “My Job Rocks” – Producer and business affairs – (RVK Productions) – tv series and website (www.myjobrocks.ca) (2015)
BOARD STATEMENT
DOC Ontario/DOC Institute is a vital force for the Ontario documentary community in a time of rapid change. As filmmakers we need a collective voice more than ever to address the key issues of the day, and we need to create opportunities to grow a diverse, equitable and sustainable documentary filmmaking community and industry. Having been elected to the DOC Ontario Board in 2017 I’m now nominating myself for a third term on the Board. I’m currently filling the position of Co-Chair and along with other members of the Board Executive have had to pitch in over the last several years with additional strategic leadership and management contributions to support staff and the organization through the ups and downs of staffing departures and hires as well as the impact of the COVID pandemic. Areas of focus have included programming and events, budget, fundraising, HR, governance and sponsor relations. It’s given me a deeper insight into the operations and also the challenges of the organization. With the shifting landscape of the industry amplified by COVID 19, DOC Ontario and the DOC Institute need to remain nimble and look for new ways of supporting a growing membership of diverse filmmakers. At the same time, we’re also faced with fiscal pressures and uncertainties going into 2022 that will need to be addressed. We’ll continue to need strong leadership and the full participation of the Board to weather the challenges that will allow us to deliver the services and professional development opportunities that DOC Ontario members want to see to in the coming years. I would be pleased to continue to bring a career’s worth of executive knowledge and experience to the Board position for another term.
BIO
Alexandrine Torres de Figueiredo has been working for over twenty years in French and Canadian cultural circles. Her career began in the museum world in 2000, taking the lead of Coulommiers’ museum, in France.
In 2006, she decided to move to Canada. She turns to documentary production by joining the National Film Board of Canada and more specifically the studio de la francophonie canadienne de Toronto.
Over the 15 years of her career at the NFB, she has participated in the production of almost a hundred documentary works and interactive projects, such as the film Sans maman/Unmothered, recipient of the award prix de la vague, Best Documentary, FICFA 2018, the interactive project Merci de jouer/ Thank you for playing, nominated at the Numix and Prix Gemeaux in 2018 or, the latest studio production, Sur la corde raide/High wire, nominated for a Prix Gémeaux award in 2020.
Alexandrine works now as a Business Affair associate and Senior Project Manager in the private sector.
BOARD STATEMENT
I am writing to express my interest in becoming a board member for the Ontario Chapter.
I have been working in the documentary industry for the last 16 years. Through a variety of roles at the National Film Board of Canada, I participated in the creation, production, and promotion of diverse and distinctive documentaries and interactive projects.
Through the years, I developed a strong relationship with Canadian filmmakers, and more specifically the francophone community. I’ve also been a strong advocate for more diversity and equity in the industry and was part of different working groups at the NFB on this matter.
I have been a Board member for Le labo, a francophone visual art centre, since 2017, especially as vice-president during my first mandate.
Today, I am eager to continue my work with the documentary community by joining Doc Ontario Board. I can bring my francophone point of view but also my experience as Line Producer and in Business Affairs. I am convinced I can bring new ideas while continuing to apply Doc Canada values of Integrity, Credibility, and passion for Documentaries.
Thank you for your time and consideration and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
BIO
Samara has created content for domestic and international broadcasters, including the CBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery, History, and Smithsonian. She has produced, directed, written and story edited for a diverse range of projects, including acclaimed series The Dark Side of Comedy (as writer), Intervention Canada (as director), and audience hits like Ice Road Truckers (story editor), and MasterChef Canada (story producer). Samara was Creative Producer on the acclaimed feature-length film, Fear of Dancing, for the CBC’s documentary Channel, which has also aired on the CBC main channel and Gem.
BOARD STATEMENT
As a producer and non-fiction content creator, I’ve always taken pride in my ability to uncover the unexpected, by asking the deeper questions, listening well and fostering trust. This applies as much to my relationships with film crews as it does with my documentary subjects. I’m eager to bring these skills to the DOC board, with the goal of identifying the pressing issues facing a broad range of content creators, while identifying any gaps in accessibility to professional development and resources. I’m excited to hear and learn from fellow community members, exchange ideas and implement them.
