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DOC Ontario Board Welcomes New Members

DOC Institute is pleased to welcome two new board members to the DOC Ontario Board. John Choi and Vicki Lean have been elected by acclamation for the 2024/2025 term. In addition, all board members up for re-election have likewise been re-elected by acclamation. We look forward to working with this team of board members. Learn more about John Choi and Vicki Lean below.

John Choi
John Seongho Choi (he/him) is Canadian belonging to the South Korean diaspora. John is a Filmmaker, Producer and Director telling stories for over 25 years and a critical thinker believing in a meaningful and authentic approach to filmmaking. He is a member of the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and participates as a mentor with the Hot Docs/Netflix Accelerator Program engaging workshopping new and emerging filmmakers. He recently contributed to the DOC Institute initiated 2022 Creative Producers Accelerator Think Tank (CPATT) as a collective of BIPOC Producers sharing experiences of systemic racism in the industry and reimagining how we can forge new pathways towards a positive future. John was selected as a Juror/ Decision Maker at both the 2022 DMZ Industry Docs Film Festival and 2022 Tokyo Docs Documentary Film Festival. John recognizes the privilege to be immersed in the global documentary film community and to be able to preview new and exciting talents and stories being told all around the world.

John’s experience includes Hot Docs -The Forum live pitch alumni for the feature documentary film “LOST & FOUND” co-produced by NHK Japan, SBS Australia, Shaw Media and CBC Gem. Other projects include YouTube Originals documentary series “K-POP EVOLUTION”, Netflix Originals true crime docudrama series “THE RAINCOAT KILLER” and VICE seasons 1, 2, docudrama series “DARK SIDE OF COMEDY”. John was the Series Producer for 2023 Hot Docs Productions “CITIZEN MINUTES”.
 
Vicki Lean

Victoria Lean is an award-winning filmmaker making innovative documentaries that explore the relationship between science and society. Working in documentary, comedy and the intersections between, her keen artistic sensibility and forward-thinking approach earned her the DOC Vanguard Award in 2017.

 

Recently, she was the Series Producer, Writer and Director of ‘We’re All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel)’ for CRAVE. The playful 6-part docuseries premiered at Hot Docs 2022 and won four CSAs. Next, she created the thought-provoking TV-hour ‘The Climate Baby Dilemma’ for CBC, earning a 2023 Golden Sheaf Award at Yorkton FF.

 

She is the Executive Producer of ‘I Like Movies’ (2022), which streams on Netflix Canada and landed on TIFF’s list of Top Ten Canadian Films of 2022 and the Globe and Mail’s list of Best Canadian Comedies of All Time. She also received a CSA nomination for Best Comedy Series as the Producer of ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show.’

 

Victoria’s company, Parrhesia, released her debut feature ‘After the Last River’ (2015), which premiered on CBC documentary channel and earned 5 festival awards. She currently participates in the Hot Docs – Netflix Incubator, where she’s shaping the future of her production company and developing her second theatrical film.

 

Since 2009, she has also served as a Senior Consultant and Senior Associate with Nordicity across dozens of film and TV production industry reports. She holds an MFA in Film Production and an MBA in Arts and Media Management from York University.

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