#FIRSTLOOK: CANADIAN FILM CENTRE ANNOUNCES THREE NEW MEMBERS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS (FEBRUARY 2025)

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) announced the appointment of three distinguished new members to its Board of Directors: Councilor Rachel Chernos Lin, who serves as the city councillor for Don Valley West, Magali Simard, Cinespace Studios’ Director of Industry & Community Relations, and Owen McCorquodale, Head of Communications for Prime Video in Canada. These esteemed individuals bring a wealth of experience to the Board to further drive the CFC’s mission and to enhance the cultural landscape of the Canadian film and media industries.

“We are pleased to welcome Magali, Owen, and Councillor Chernos Lin to the CFC Board,” said maxine bailey, Executive Director, Canadian Film Centre. “Their deep expertise, leadership and passion for fostering creativity and innovation will be instrumental as we continue to champion the next generation of Canadian storytellers.”

“Each board member plays a vital role in advancing the CFC’s vision and I’m thrilled to be collaborating with these remarkable leaders as we work together to evolve the future of global storytelling,” said Neishaw Ali, President of SPIN VFX and CFC Board Chair.

They will join recently appointed board member Academy Award®-winning director Guillermo del Toro.

Current Board of Directors are:
Neishaw Ali (Chair), Cheryl Hudson (Vice Chair), Harold Gronenthal (Treasurer), Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin (Ex Officio), Kate Alexander Daniels, Paul Bronfman, Tassie Cameron, Stéphane Cardin, Guillermo del Toro, Duane Green, Raja Khanna, Anne Loi, Owen McCorquodale, John Morayniss, Mark Sakamoto, Magali Simard, Hilary Smith, Clement Virgo, and David Zitzerman.

Councilor Rachel Chernos Lin Bio (right in photo above)

Rachel Chernos Lin (she/her) is the City Councillor for Ward 15 – Don Valley West. At City Hall, she is Chair of the City-School Boards Advisory Committee and sits on the Infrastructure and Environment Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), Toronto Hydro, and the Canadian Film Centre. Prior to her election as City Councillor, Rachel served as an elected Trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for six years, including two years as Chair. At the TDSB, she led the charge to restrict cell phone usage in classrooms, introduced the 2024-2028 Multi-Year Strategic Plan, and secured over $1.8 million of multi-level government funding for youth violence prevention initiatives. Rachel holds an Honours BA from the University of Toronto and a Master’s degree in History from Brown University. She is a published historian and active speaker on education and governance.

Magali Simard Bio (center in photo above)

Magali Simard (she/her) is the Director of Industry and Community Relations at Cinespace Studios Toronto, Ontario’s largest film and television production hub. She oversees industry relations, government affairs, brand deployment and has launched CineCares, Cinespace’s workforce training program. She is a Board Member of FilmOntario, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the City of Toronto’s Film Advisory Board.

She is the former Film Sector Development Officer for the City of Toronto and was a lead curator at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for eleven years. She is a recurrent guest speaker and columnist in Canadian media and at industry events.

Owen McCorquodale Bio (left in photo above)

Owen McCorquodale (he/him) is the Head of Communications for Prime Video in Canada. In his role, he oversees the development and implementation of PR strategies and publicity campaigns for locally produced Amazon Originals, Global Original and Exclusive content, Live Sports, and Prime Video’s extensive film and TV portfolio in the Canadian market.

Prior to joining Amazon, Owen served as the Vice President of Television Publicity for Entertainment One. There, he managed studio communications and publicity for the television business, working on numerous series including ABC’s “The Rookie,” Netflix’s “Designated Survivor,” Fox’s “Deputy,” CTV’s “Cardinal,” and Global’s “Private Eyes.” He previously served as Communications Manager for PayTV and Women’s brands at Corus, leading public relations and publicity for such brands as HBO Canada, Movie Central, W Network, OWN: Canada, CosmoTV, and Sundance Channel. Additionally, Owen has served as an Instructor at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, teaching in the Strategic Public Relations Certificate Program.

For more information, visit cfccreates.com.