Program Guide

🕒 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
📍 JW Marriott Parq (39 Smithe St, Vancouver)

Pick up badges, check in for Studio Tour

🕒 10:30 am - 4:00 pm
📍 Bus Pick up & Drop off @ JW Marriott Parq (39 Smithe St, Vancouver)

Registration required.

Exclusive guide through Vancouver's vibrant film and television industry.

EXNW is a global next-generation creative summit that highlights and empowers racialized creatives in and across film, TV, streaming, gaming and interactive content. The event is a curated platform for relationship building, international collaboration, and industry development with a focus on creating meaningful connections between Canadian and Asia Pacific stakeholders.

EXNW brings together global storytellers, producers, policymakers, and executives to foster collaboration, expand market opportunities, and drive innovation. With a focus on racialized diaspora leadership and inclusion, it centres diverse voices and supports the growth of borderless collaboration.

🕒 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
📍 Parq Stanley Room

Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned creator, the Pitch Sessions offer rare, direct access to Executive Decision makers. These curated B2B meetings connect emerging and established writers, producers, and creators with studio executives, funders, and production leaders from across North America and the Asia-Pacific. This is a one-of-a-kind chance to share your vision with decision-makers shaping the future of film, television, streaming, and digital media. Whether you're seeking feedback, financing, or the right creative partner—this is where bold ideas find their champions.

Note: ALL Pitch Participants MUST apply and submit materials to be matched to a Pitch Executive. There is no guarantee that your project will find a match with a Pitch Executive.

Note: Private Pitch Sessions; not open to general attendance.

Head of International Business, SLL Studios S.Korea

Drama Producer, SLL

Director of Content Development and Marketing, Ina Taiwan Studios

EVP & Business Head, SE Asia CreAsia Studio, a Banijay company

Chairman and CEO, Film Development Council of the Philippines

Managing Partner, Goldfinch International

Mokster Films, International Sales Development and Financing

THACCA/Thailand

Co-Founder/CEO, Third Culture Content

Representative Director, Borderless Film, Inc.

President, FUSEE

🕒 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
📍 Parq Cambie Room

Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned creator, the Pitch Sessions offer rare, direct access to Executive Decision makers. These curated B2B meetings connect emerging and established writers, producers, and creators with studio executives, funders, and production leaders from across North America and the Asia-Pacific. This is a one-of-a-kind chance to share your vision with decision-makers shaping the future of film, television, streaming, and digital media. Whether you're seeking feedback, financing, or the right creative partner—this is where bold ideas find their champions.

Note: ALL Pitch Participants MUST apply and submit materials to be matched to a Pitch Executive. There is no guarantee that your project will find a match with a Pitch Executive.

Note: Private Pitch Sessions; not open to general attendance.

Founder & CEO, Fableware

CEO, Omnifilm

VP of Strategic Partnerships & Scripted Content, Shaftesbury

Sticky Brain Studios

CEO, Tiny Ghosts

Knowledge Network

Head of Development, Bell Media

Executive Producer, National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

VP Production, Neshama Entertainment

Producer, Big Buddha Pictures

🕒 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
📍 RBC Tower, 36th Floor (1055 W. Georgia St., Vancouver)

Kick off the EXNW Summit with an evening celebrating the diversity of racialized creative excellence in the screen industry and welcoming special guests from Asia Pacific.  Set in the heart heights of downtown Vancouver, this night brings together artists, storytellers, and industry insiders for an unforgettable start to the weekend. Expect inspiring moments, live performances, and space to connect with fellow attendees as we spotlight the vibrant energy of the global majority’s impact on storytelling. Come meet and mingle with our special delegations from S. Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.

RESO Founder & Board Chair; EXNW Creator & Executive Producer

Executive Director, RESO; EXNW Asia Pacific Program Producer

Operations Lead, RESO; EXNW Summit Manager

Spend a full day with boundary-pushing creatives, producers, and industry leaders as they explore what it takes to thrive in today’s entertainment landscape. Highlights include panels like “Harnessing the Power of Racialized Creatives”, “Owning the Spotlight: Building a Canadian Star System for Racialized Talent” and “Gaming IP Across Platforms” plus many more. These speaker sessions offer insight, inspiration, and real-world strategy for anyone looking to create bold and impactful work.

🕒 7:00 am - 8:00 am
📍 Parq Cambie Room

Start your day with a grounding and revitalizing Hatha Yoga practice that blends mindful movement, breathwork, and ancient sun salutations to awaken and stabilize both body and energy. Designed to refresh your whole system, this class helps you shake off stress and begin the day feeling strong, centered, and alive.

Join Megha, a former dentist from India who discovered yoga through her own healing journey and now weaves yogic philosophy into her teaching—inviting deeper connection to self through body, prana (life force), and breath. She teaches in partnership with Karma Teachers, Canada’s first self-sustained nonprofit yoga studio, which has made yoga accessible for over a decade through free and by-donation classes. They’ve awarded over $500K in scholarships and trained more than 800 teachers through sliding-scale programs.

🕒 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
📍 JW Marriott Parq (39 Smithe St, Vancouver)

Pick up badges

🕒 8:30 am - 9:30 am
📍 EXNW Stage

🕒 8:30 am - 9:45 am
📍 EXNW Stage

Language and Culture Consultant of the Musqueam Nation

RESO Founder & Board Chair; EXNW Creator & Executive Producer

Independent Senator for British Columbia in the Parliament of Canada

MP Vancouver Granville

President and CEO, Canada Media Fund

Senior VP, Program Strategy and Industry Development, Telefilm

VP, Creative BC

Executive Director, Black Women Film!

🕒 9:45 am - 10:30 am
📍 EXNW Stage

Grace Park is a Korean Canadian actor and producer who first gained national attention in the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, where she became a standout presence and an early example of authentic Asian Canadian representation on screen. She rose to international prominence in the critically acclaimed Battlestar Galactica, portraying the dual roles of Boomer and Athena with emotional depth and complexity, an achievement that solidified her as a sci-fi icon. She went on to star as a lead in network hits like Hawaii Five-0 and A Million Little Things, becoming one of the few Asian women to consistently headline primetime television in North America and across the globe. Throughout her career, Park has used her platform to advocate for equity and inclusion in the industry, earning her recognition as a role model for Asian diasporic actors and a global connector and a trailblazer for Asian representation in mainstream media.

Director, Writer, Composer (Moderator)

🕒 10:30 am - 11:30 am
📍 Parq Foyer

🕒 10:40 am - 11:30 am
📍 EXNW Stage

With international audiences increasingly drawn to culturally rich, globally resonant stories, Canadian racialized creatives are uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of screen innovation. This panel spotlights creators and producers of MENA, South Asian, and Asia Pacific heritage who are building bridges between Canada and some of the world’s fastest-growing media markets. From diasporic storytelling that travels across borders to international co-productions and streaming platforms hungry for fresh voices, these creatives are not just telling their own stories - they’re redefining Canadian content for a global stage.

Join us for a dynamic conversation on how to harness the cultural capital, market knowledge, and artistic brilliance of racialized creatives to drive global impact, build sustainable careers, and unlock new audiences across continents.

Executive Director, The Mosquers Film Festival

Executive Director, Black Women Film!

Director, Writer, Producer, Banger Films

Screenwriter & Founder, BIPOC TV & Film

Director of Programming, Inspirit Foundation (Moderator)

🕒 10:40 am - 11:30 am
📍 GOLD Stage

With global gaming revenues outpacing film and music combined, screen industries are increasingly looking to gaming IP as fertile ground for cinematic and episodic storytelling. But what does it take to successfully adapt a game into a compelling screen narrative—or build a game world from a TV or film universe? This panel explores the creative, technical, and business steps required to cross between these mediums, including worldbuilding, character development, licensing, fan engagement, and platform strategy. Panelists will share case studies, best practices, and potential pitfalls in adapting or originating cross-media projects.

Co-founder, SkyBox Labs

CEO / Creative Director, sunset visitor 斜陽過客

CEO, Tiny Ghosts

Founder & CEO, Fableware

Founder, Non-Euclidean (Moderator)

🕒 11:40 am - 12:35 pm
📍 EXNW Stage

As Canada deepens creative and commercial ties with partners across Asia, international co-productions are becoming more than transactional deals—they're evolving into long-term, values-driven collaborations. But what does it really take to make them work?

This dynamic panel brings together creative leaders and policy architects to explore the real-world mechanics of cross-continental co-production—from treaty frameworks and financing models to storytelling cultures, platform strategies, and audience trends. What are the risks and rewards? Where is the momentum strongest? And how can producers and institutions build lasting, equitable partnerships that resonate across borders?

Featuring insights from SLL Drama Studio (Korea), Ina Taiwan, Fusee (Philippines/US), and Telefilm Canada, this session offers both strategic and on-the-ground perspectives for anyone looking to collaborate across the Pacific.

Head of International Business, SLL Studios S.Korea

President, FUSEE

Director of Content Development and Marketing, Ina Taiwan Studios

Advisor, Partnerships and Business Development, Telefilm

Executive Director, Bell Fund (Moderator)

EXNW is supported, in part, by a contribution from Global Affairs Canada’s CanExport Associations program.

🕒 11:40 am - 12:35 pm
📍 GOLD Stage

With Canadian audiences increasingly global and Canadian content under pressure to compete, the absence of a strong and diverse star system is not only an equity issue - it’s a strategic industry gap. Films and series are often funded by the talent attached to a project. Elevating racialized actors into true star status is key to building a future-facing, export-ready, and representative Canadian industry.

This panel proposes a focused conversation on how to build a Canadian star system and what we can learn from other star systems like in S. Korea and the US and that what is created will not only recognize but champions racialized talent, ensuring they are positioned for success both domestically and globally.

Founder & Executive Director, Reelworld Screen Institute

Director, KandyMac Productions

Casting Director, Falcon/Narine Casting

Co-Founder/CEO, Third Culture Content

Festival Director Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) (Moderator)

🕒 12:40 pm - 1:35 pm
📍 EXNW Stage

Congratulations to Reelworld and Eagle Vision on 25 years of groundbreaking storytelling and championing underrepresented voices. Your unwavering commitment has reshaped Canada’s screen industry and inspired a new generation of creators to lead with purpose, power, and pride.

Join us for Lightning Lunch Hour Talks - a rapid-fire series of bold, 10-15 minute talks that spark ideas, provoke thought, and spotlight and announce Industry programs and opportunities for racialized creatives. Perfectly timed for your lunch break, these bite-sized sessions deliver timely information, big inspiration and commitment to ongoing support in a short format. 

1. Presenting Highlights from RESO’s Global Co-Production Research Report 2013-2024 

2. Presentation of CISF’s Audience Development and Marketing Program and Business Development Program and Business Clinics including for Business Internships

3. Update on Telefilm's Second EDI Action Plan

RESO Founder & Board Chair; EXNW Creator & Executive Producer

Board Chair, Canadian Independent Screen Fund (CISF)

Senior VP, Program Strategy and Industry Development, Telefilm

🕒 12:40 pm - 1:35 pm
📍 GOLD Stage

This space will be available for Lunch meetings or quiet space to have important networking conversations over lunch.

🕒 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
📍 EXNW Stage

As global content markets evolve, so too do the creative and commercial models behind them. This panel explores how producers, distributors, legal experts, and platforms across the Asia-Pacific are charting new territory—not only in how deals are made, but in what kinds of stories are being told, how they are owned, and how they move across markets.

We’ll look at how producers and creators from Asia are teaming up to craft stories that resonate worldwide, and dive into how rights and ownership are adapting across international markets, consider the rise of new creative models by streaming platforms and the innovative formats gaining traction today from full length series to short form content.   

This panel will explore how regional policies and capital flows are shaping the future of content and driving investment in IP, infrastructure, and cross-border collaboration, and what these changes mean for creators eager to connect with a global audience.

Featuring Joonsuh Park, CEO of Korea’s SLL Studios (Good Boy, Sky Castle), Sophia Yen, Partner at Manatt Phelps and a leading voice on U.S.–Asia entertainment law, and Justin Deimen, Managing Partner GoldFinch International), this panel examines the conditions under which new types of creative products are being imagined and delivered. Moderated by Sarah Yim Haasz, founder of Pillango Productions and creator of Gangnam Project.

CEO / President of Production SLL Studios, S.Korea

Managing Partner, Goldfinch International

Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Founder and Executive Producer, Pillango Productions (Moderator)

🕒 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
📍 GOLD Stage

Welcome to the next evolution in storytelling - where narratives are built for the swipe, the scroll, and the split-second attention span. As audiences move from cinemas and big screens to vertical smartphones and short-form content, a new kind of storytelling is taking shape: bite-sized, binge-worthy, and tailor-made for mobile. This panel dives into the creative and business revolution happening at the intersection of short-form and vertical video.

From TikTok and Instagram to YouTube Shorts and emerging platforms, storytellers are redefining pacing, genre, and engagement for a generation raised on quick hits and interactive content. We’ll hear from creators, storytellers and platform leaders shaping the future of episodic content that lives in your pocket - where the next big series might be just 60 seconds long.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, digital creator, or producer navigating the space between traditional media and algorithm-fueled discovery, this is your essential guide to the new storytelling economy - fast, intimate, and endlessly creative.

Writer/Director

Co-Founder/Director, Octagon Metatainment

Associate Director, Creative Strategy and Growth, RHEI

CEO/Lead Designer, Yumebau Inc.

President & Vice-Chancellor, OCAD University (Moderator)

🕒 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
📍 EXNW Stage

Southeast Asia is rapidly gaining global recognition for its bold storytelling, cross-border collaborations, and new-generation policy leadership. This dynamic panel brings together trailblazers shaping the region’s ascent—from national content agencies and regional studios to producers with global hits.

At the forefront are Chairperson Joey Reyes of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Pantham Thongsang of Thailand Creative Content Agency (THACCA)—two influential figures championing policy reform, international outreach, and industry capacity building across Southeast Asia. Joining them is Jessica Kam Engle, CEO of CreAsia Studios (Banijay Asia-Pacific), a veteran executive known for scaling high-impact IP across Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Southeast Asia. Her strategic insight into production financing and regional audience growth has made her a leader in elevating Asian content to global platforms.
The panel also features Nelson Mok of Mokster Films, the sales agent for the worldwide box office and critical sensation, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.

In the context of current challenges in the global marketplace, this session explores the past, present and future for Southeast Asia, exploring financing and IP ownership to policy and soft power as a cultural export strategy. Attendees will gain insight into how to meaningfully collaborate with the region—and how Southeast Asia’s creative and institutional ecosystem is finding opportunities for growth and collaboration in the global screen landscape.

EVP & Business Head, SE Asia CreAsia Studio, a Banijay company

Chairman and CEO, Film Development Council of the Philippines

Mokster Films, International Sales Development and Financing

THACCA/Thailand

VP, Analytics & Strategic Insights, Canada Media Fund (Moderator)

🕒 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
📍 GOLD Stage

In a world flooded with content, archival footage remains one of the most powerful tools for storytelling - if you know how to find it and use it right. This panel offers a practical roadmap for creators working with personal, institutional, or international archives. Learn how to assess the research and narrative value of archival materials, compare Canada’s Fair Dealing framework with U.S. Fair Use, and navigate rights clearance to protect your own IP. We’ll dive into strategies for managing costs, accessing low-fee or public domain materials, and building relationships with private collectors, community archives, and large institutions - from Library and Archives Canada to INA in France and NHK in Japan. Whether you’re working on a doc, hybrid series, or digital project, this session demystifies the process of archival storytelling - ethically, creatively, and affordably.

Archival Producer, Van Research Services

CEO & Founder, Creatorland Inc.

Lawyer, Ovation Law Corporation

President / Producer / Director, Viva Mantra Films

Director, Black Rhino Creative (Moderator)

🕒 4:00 pm - 4:35 pm
📍 EXNW Stage

This July, Ins Choi brings his insight, humor, and heart to EXNW with a special presentation.

A “Can’t Miss” Special event to wrap up the All Day Panels and to warm up attendees for the a magical evening at the EXNW Ball.

Playwright, Actor, Writer and Creator of Kim’s Convenience

@choiinsurp

INS CHOI was born in Korea but grew up and currently lives in Toronto with his wife and two kids. He recently played the part of Appa in the stage production of his play, Kim’s Convenience, in the UK and at soulpepper in Toronto. It’ll tour this fall to various U.S. theatres including A.C.T in San Francisco. He’s also written the plays, Son of a Preacherman, Bad Parent and has taught writing through various organizations.

🕒 7:00 pm - 12:00 am
📍 Parq Grand Ballroom

Preceded by 

PURPLE CARPET RECEPTION 

🕒 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm 
📍 Parq Grand Ballroom Foyer (Access only for EXNW Ball Ticket holders)

The EXNW Ball is our crowning jewel, a dazzling celebration of global creativity, cultural influence, and visionary impact. From the flash of the signature purple carpet to the sparkling wine and the pulse of a live DJ set, this electrifying evening gathers trailblazing artists, industry powerhouses, and international tastemakers for an unforgettable night. At its heart is the presentation of the Global Connector Award, a prestigious honour recognizing those who are boldly reimagining equity and shaping the future of entertainment. With immersive experiences, powerful tributes, and an atmosphere charged with inspiration and joy, this is the night everyone talks about, and no one wants to miss.

Actress, Director, Writer, Teacher

EXNW BALL CO-CHAIR
RESO Founder & Board Chair; EXNW Creator & Executive Producer

EXNW BALL CO-CHAIR
Director, KandyMac Productions

PAST EXNW BALL CO-CHAIR
President, Pooni Group

Canadian Screen Award and Canadian Comedy Award-winner, Second City Toronto alumni, Workin’ Moms, Sunnyside, Kim’s Convenience

Actor and writer on hit Hulu/CBC comedy, Run the Burbs

Two-time Juno nominee, Eight Gospel Music Awards and a Leo Award

Wrap up the EXNW Summit with a thought-provoking closing plenary focused on the future of AI and its impact on the creative industries while enjoying dim sum in Vancouver's historical Chinatown. Then, back by popular demand, dive into an epic afternoon with House of Rice and their dazzling Drag N’ Dim Sum.  Expect bold performances, vibrant energy, and a celebration bursting with flair, the perfect way to finish another unforgettable EXNW. 

Co-presented with the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF)

🕒 9:00 am - 10:00 am
📍 Concord Community Park (8-min walk to Floata)

Restore harmony in body, mind, and emotions through gentle movement, breath awareness, and energy-based practices. This session invites you to ground deeply while expanding into presence, using mindful movement, cathartic sound, and integrative breathwork. Guided by Yogacharini Maitreyi – founder of the Arkaya Foundation and a wisdom keeper from the Sidha lineages of South India – this offering weaves ancient insight with accessible practice.

Maitreyi is an international keynote speaker and teacher trainer, devoted to helping others blossom into conscious, embodied living. She joins EXNW in collaboration with Healing for the People, a community-driven initiative dedicated to diversifying access to holistic wellness and healing modalities - including fostering community. 

Meet us at Concord Community Park, in the grass-area. It will be an 8-minute walk to the next panel at Floata Seafood Restaurant.

🕒 10:30 am - 2:00 pm
📍 Floata Seafood Restaurant (180 Keefer St, Vancouver)

🕒 11:00 am - 11:15 am

Actress, Director, Writer, Teacher

MP Vancouver Granville

🕒 11:15 am - 12:00 pm

As generative AI reshapes creative production across borders, who owns a story crafted by a machine and who gets to tell it? Join Daryl Lim, H. Laddie Montague Jr. Chair in Law at Penn State Dickinson Law and a leading voice on innovation policy, for a timely and provocative exploration of how artificial intelligence is redrawing the boundaries of authorship, ownership, and cultural sovereignty in global cinema and content. From copyright challenges and deepfakes to the geopolitical stakes of AI-generated content, this conversation will unpack the legal, ethical, and economic implications of machine-made media. Whether you're a filmmaker, policymaker, or investor, this session offers critical insights into the rules being rewritten behind the screen.

Author and Professor, Penn State Dickinson Law

🕒 11:30 am

🕒 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm

🕒 1:45 pm - 2:00 pm

RESO Founder & Board Chair; EXNW Creator & Executive Producer

Executive Director, RESO; EXNW Asia Pacific Program Producer

Operations Lead, RESO; EXNW Summit Manager