BIO

Dylan Reibling is an award-winning Canadian documentary director who works at the intersection of science, technology, and politics. His work has screened at over 50 international festivals including TIFF, Tribeca, CPH:Dox, BAFICI, and DokFest Munich. His television work includes investigative journalism and science and technology documentaries for CBC, VICE, National Geographic, History, Arte, and Netflix.

His debut feature documentary, The End of the Internet (2025), explores the global decentralization movement through immersive, character-driven storytelling, and is currently touring internationally through a mix of festival, theatrical, and experimental exhibition formats. This independent film was supported by Canadian public funders and has found distribution in Canada and with international partners.

His broader interests include digital infrastructure, platform power, and radical subcultures.

He is based in Toronto and is committed to contributing to a strong, engaged, and forward looking documentary ecosystem in Ontario and across Canada.

ELECTION STATEMENT

I am interested in serving on the DOC Ontario Board because I want to help shape a more engaged, future-facing documentary community.

I believe the documentary sector is at an important moment of transition. While public institutions and long-standing organizations remain essential, many creators — particularly emerging and mid-career filmmakers — are increasingly building community, visibility, and momentum through informal, digital, and peer-driven networks. I am interested in helping DOC strengthen its role as a bridge between these worlds.

In practical terms, I am excited by initiatives that foster participation and connection beyond traditional panels and industry events: online screenings, hybrid gatherings, Discord-based communities, experimental exhibition formats, and collaborative spaces where filmmakers can share work, ideas, and resources in more open and sustained ways.

I would aim to contribute particularly to community engagement strategies, digital programming, and thinking around how DOC can remain culturally relevant to newer generations of documentary makers without losing its institutional strength. My goal is not to replace existing structures, but to help them evolve.

I see the Board as an opportunity to support DOC Ontario in cultivating a more dynamic, inclusive, and genuinely connected documentary ecosystem — one that feels alive, responsive, and worth belonging to.

BIO

Ian Daffern is a filmmaker whose stories explore the intersection of artists with social justice. His 2023 feature A Bullet Pulling Thread was acquired by TVOntario and called “a remarkably affecting story of art and loss that will leave you equal parts furious and inspired” by the Globe and Mail. This film also won Best Documentary Feature at the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival, was screened across Canada, including a presentation by the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.

Ian was a founding producer at Bell Media’s local community channel Fibe TV1, shaping it into a grassroots platform for emerging filmmakers from the GTA. His projects there includes Bomb Girls:

The Documentary which aired at the Imperial War Museum Festival in London, and Music Lessons, which was a special presentation at Hot Docs in 2015 He also wrote and directed a five-part half-hour series called 50 Objects that Define Toronto, which won Heritage Toronto’s Public History prize.

As a research and story editor, Ian has made various unscripted series for History, Oxygen, Discovery, Hulu, Smithsonian Channel, and more. He also remembers making online videos in the days before YouTube, as a contributor to CBC’s Zed. Like Mick and Keef, Ian was born in Dartford, England, a place he has only returned to once by accident. He now lives in East York.

ELECTION STATEMENT

Dear Board Members,

I’ve attended events run by DOC Ontario for over a decade. I started going to Hot Docs as commissioning producer for Bell Local / Fibe TV1, through which I helped documentary makers find homes for their films.

When I left Fibe in 2017, the DOC Institute gave me the foundation needed to create first my own short and then a full feature. Seeing my film play at the Bloor and broadcast on TVO are moments I treasure.

But, it was meeting our community of peers that helped me make the connections that brought my film to market. Now I want to give back. I haven’t always been a “filmmaker”; I’ve stitched together a career as a storyteller in nonfiction of all kinds for twenty-five years. Making a film for theatrical releases is significant, but these days it’s also not where all of our filmmakers will get their start. I’d love DOC to explore how we can support members making nonfiction podcasts, interactive exhibits for museums, installations and room scale VR (like Dark Slope). I believe the diversity of my experiences could help guide this exploration.

I’d also love to explore out-of-the-box ways members can access funding: success stories and tips on appealing to non-profits, foundations or businesses; deep dives on lessons learned from crowdfunding.

Finally, in the age of AI, I believe what we offer – authentic, human storytelling, will become more valuable. Let’s help Canada’s next generation of storytelling talent address AI in a thoughtful way, so we do not diminish our commitment to truth and artistry. Finally, I love the camaraderie of DOC! Filmmaking is a solitary pursuit – I would love to help grow the events where we can share our experiences in person.

Sincerely,

Ian Daffern

BIO

Linda V. Carter is a multifaceted storyteller whose career spans the global stage of film, television, and high fashion. As a filmmaker, she wrote, directed, and narrated the acclaimed documentary “The Making of a Judge, “ a poignant tribute to her father, Judge George E. Carter. The film premiered on Rogers OMNI TV and gained international recognition, screening at festivals and special events hosted by the Canadian Embassy in Panama and the Black Ethnicity Foundation.

Linda’s artistic journey began on the runways of Paris, Rome, and London. Her acting credits include collaborations with legendary directors such as Federico Fellini, Jean-Pierre Melville, and Clement Virgo. A staple in the Canadian media landscape, she hosted the talk show Black World for five years and has spent over 20 years as a Red Carpet reporter for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), interviewing icons like Tyler Perry, Kerry Washington, Hans Zimmer, Dwayne the Rock Johnson and Keanu Reeves.

Her latest project, “The Fashion Griot, “ is a three-part film series and touring exhibition that bridges her passion for style and history. It weaves together a 100-year family clothing collection with Toronto’s Black history, featuring encounters with figures like James Baldwin and Vivienne Westwood. An avid traveler and connoisseur of global markets—from Marrakech to Paris—Linda also serves her community as a board member for the Ontario Black History Society and the Black History Museum project. Recognized as one of the “100 Black Women of Accomplishment, ” she continues to shape the industry as a judge for the BIPOC International Film Festival.

ELECTION STATEMENT

I am pleased to submit my nomination for the Board of the DOC Institute. With over 50 years of experience in the film and fashion industries, I bring a global perspective and a lifelong commitment to storytelling.

My career began in Toronto as one of the city’s first Black runway models, a path that led me to commercials, acting, and international work in Europe and the Caribbean. I had the distinct honour of working with legendary directors Federico Fellini in Rome and Jean-Pierre Melville in Paris. My journey also took me to Jamaica, where I worked alongside Bob Marley and contributed to the Reggae Sunsplash concerts. Locally, I am proud to have assisted in the launch of the Festival of Festivals, the precursor to TIFF.

Beyond production, I am an experienced leader in the non-profit sector. I currently serve on the board of the Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) and am a founding board member of the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment. These roles have honed my skills in community building, strategic problem-solving, and relationship management.

My passion for documentary filmmaking is rooted in the necessity of preservation. I produced The Making of a Judge, a documentary about my father, to ensure the stories of Black Canadians—who have been part of Toronto’s fabric since my grandfather arrived in the early 1900s—are told. I am a creative thinker who thrives on connecting people, and I look forward to bringing my historical perspective and industry expertise to the DOC Institute.