#FIRSTLOOK: CANADIAN FILM FEST ANNOUNCE 2026 MASTERCLASS AND INDUSTRY SERIES

Canadian Film Fest (CFF), the indie-spirited festival dedicated to celebrating Canadian filmmakers, today announced the 2026 Masterclass and Industry Series. These industry events are an essential part of the festival experience, uniting cinematic storytellers from industry veterans to eager new filmmakers, sharing knowledge, sparking important conversations, and expanding professional networks. All CFF screenings and industry sessions will take place at Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto from March 24 – 29, 2026. Tickets are available at canfilmfest.ca.

Highlights include a spotlight on Crave’s highly anticipated series Slo Pitch with creators Karen Knox and Gwendolyn Cumyn; the newly launched CFF Roundtable Indie Access Session featuring top industry experts; a dynamic panel of comedy legends including Robin Duke and Linda Kash for the Comedy Igniter Showcase in partnership with Firecracker Department; a comprehensive masterclass led by CSA-nominated filmmaker Sam Coyle focused on helping directors hone and elevate their unique visual approach; and numerous other sessions, roundtables and mixers for industry professionals.

“For 20 years, Canadian Film Fest has been about more than screening films, it’s about building a community where creators can learn from one another,” said Jen Pogue, Director of Industry, Canadian Film Fest. “This year’s masterclass and industry series brings together an incredible mix of talent to share real-world insights about the craft, the business, and the evolving landscape of Canadian film and television. We hope these sessions spark conversation, collaboration, and inspire the future of cinema.”

See below for the complete Masterclass and Industry Series or visit canfilmfest.ca. Participants must register in advance.

MASTERCLASS

Voice & Vision: A Director’s Masterclass in Craft
Date: Tuesday, March 24
Time: 12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Instructor: Sam Coyle

Sam Coyle’s intensive half-day masterclass is designed to help directors define and elevate their unique visual approach. Blending targeted discussion, curated film analysis, and practical demonstrations, the session dives into the core elements of cinematic storytelling – including tone, style, leadership, symbolism, visual language, camera movement, and on-set leadership.

Participants will examine how intentional creative choices shape a film’s emotional impact, while developing the tools to clearly communicate their vision to cast and crew. With equal emphasis on artistry and technical execution, this workshop bridges inspiration and implementation – equipping directors to move confidently into pre-production with a cohesive, compelling creative blueprint.

This intensive is about sharpening your creative voice, strengthening your perspective, and leading with clarity and purpose.

Key learnings from the Masterclass:

Define and articulate your signature tone, theme, and stylistic touchstones.

Use symbolism and visual motifs with intention and integrate them into a cohesive lookbook.

Develop purposeful blocking strategies, composition choices, shot lists, and a simple floor plan.

Practice clear, confident director-to-cast/crew communication and leadership techniques.

Leave with a focused action plan to carry your vision in pre-production.

Masterclass registration includes a CFF Festival Pass.

CHEERS & CHATS

Cheers & Chats #1 – Producers Therapy: 20 years of Holding it All Together
Date: Wednesday, March 25
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Bringing together leading producers from across CFF’s 20-year history, this candid conversation explores what it really takes to build films – and careers – year after year.

From scrappy early financing and grassroots distribution to today’s complex landscape of international co-productions, streamers, shifting tax credits, distribution models, and constant disruption – how has the producer’s role changed? What hasn’t?

Beyond budgets and deal structures, this group of seasoned producers will speak honestly about resilience, reinvention, burnout, risk, and the invisible labour of keeping projects – and teams – moving forward. As CFF marks two decades of Canadian filmmaking, this panel asks: what does sustainable producing look like now – and what will it take to shape the next 20 years?

Consider this a group session for anyone who’s carried a project – and wants to keep building.

Moderator:
Lauren Grant, Clique Pictures

Featuring:
Coral Aiken, Aiken Heart Films
Karen Harnisch, Film Forge
Stephanie Sonny Hooker, Hometeam Films
Sonya Di Rienzo, Hawkeye Pictures
Paul Devonshire, Devonshire Productions

Cheers & Chats #2 – Indie Pathways: From (Slo) Pitch to Series
Date: Wednesday, March 25
Time: 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

One of the most anticipated Canadian comedy television premieres of 2026, the Crave Original Series Slo Pitch (produced by Shaftesbury in association with Boss & Co and PAGEBOY Productions) is already generating buzz.

Featuring CFF alumni and Slo Pitch creators Karen Knox and Gwendolyn Cumyn, alongside Bell Media Executives and prod co Shaftesbury, this conversation explores how an indie comedy idea evolves into a television series.

Using Slo Pitch as a real-world case study, the panel traces the leap from concept to series – developing the idea, building relationships with broadcasters, navigating financing, and stepping into the responsibilities of showrunning. Through both creator and broadcaster perspectives, this conversation offers a candid, insider look on how projects move through development, what networks are looking for, and how filmmakers can position their work for long-form television.

A conversation about playing the long game – and what it really takes to go from (Slo) Pitch to series.

Moderated by:
Aisha Evelyna, Actor/Filmmaker

Featuring:
Karen Knox, Actor/Writer/Director/ Slo Pitch Co-Creator
Gwendolyn Cumyn, Actor/Writer/Producer/ Slo Pitch Co-Creator
Paige Haight, Director of Television, Shaftesbury
Lauren MacKinlay, Development Executive, Scripted, Original Programming, Bell Media

Cheers & Chats #3 – CFF Legacy Spotlight: 20 Years in Motion
Date: Wednesday, March 25
Time: 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

A special anniversary conversation with celebrated CFF alumni whose careers have grown from early festival screenings into influential roles across film and television.

What did they wish they knew 20 years ago? What has the journey actually taught them?

In this candid and forward-looking discussion, our alumni reflect on the realities behind the milestones – the regrets, the reinventions, the pivots, and the breakthroughs. As CFF marks two decades of following Canadian careers in film, this conversation honours the craft, momentum, and community that carry careers forward – and looks ahead to the next 20 with clarity, resilience, and eyes up.

Moderator:
Warren P. Sonoda, Director, The Trades, Resident Alien, Odd Squad, Things I Do For Money

Panelists:
Gloria Ui Young Kim, Writer/Director, Queen of the Morning Calm, Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland
Jeremy Lalonde, Writer/Director/Editor, James vs His Future Self, Ashgrove, Daniel’s Gotta Die, How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town

More to be announced.

WORKSHOP

Look Up & Laugh: Writing Bold Comedy that Demands Attention
Sponsored by Toronto Film School
Date: Thursday, March 26
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Michelle Daly

Jump into our comedy writing workshop – a creative playground where we’ll crack the code on what truly makes modern audiences tick. Through discussion, exercises (not the sweaty kind!) and ending in a Q&A, we’ll dive into the mechanics of humor and reveal the secrets to writing standout comedy.

This session is open exclusively to 2026 Comedy Igniters and Festival Passholders on a first-come-first-served sign-up basis.

SHOWCASES

CFF & Firecracker Department Present: The 2026 Comedy Igniter Showcase
Sponsored by Toronto Film School
Date: Thursday, March 26
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

A special presentation featuring the top-selected comedic shorts from The Comedy Igniter – a four-week film challenge created by Canadian Film Fest and Firecracker Department.

Female and gender-divers filmmakers sign up, receive a creative prompt, and have just four weeks to write, shoot, and deliver an original short comedy. Each selected Igniter will screen their film live, followed by feedback and insight from a panel of comedy and filmmaking professionals. It’s bold, fast, funny – and a celebration of what can happen when creators bet on themselves.

Host:
Naomi Snieckus, Firecracker Department

Showcase Judges:
Robin Duke, Actress/Comedian, Saturday Night Live, SCTV
Linda Kash, Actor/Writer/Director, Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman
Nelu Handa, Writer/Actor/Producer, Baroness Von Sketch, Run the Burbs
Michelle Daly, TFS Screenwriting Program Director, Former CBC Senior Director of Comedy
Jessica Liadsky, Development Manager, Scripted Development, Lionsgate Canada
Susan Alexander, Senior Director, Creative, Shaftesbury

You-CAN-Pitch Competition
Sponsored by OYA Black Arts Coalition and SESLER
Date: Friday, March 27
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Step inside the excitement as Canada’s rising Black filmmakers take the stage to pitch their feature projects to a panel of top industry experts. With a $50,000+ in-kind prize package on the line, each team delivers their pitch live, getting candid, real-time feedback from the decision-makers shaping the future of film and TV.

Part masterclass, part talent showcase, You-CAN-Pitch offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the pitching process while spotlighting the next wave of Canadian cinema.

Showcase Judges:
R.T. Thorne, Filmmaker, 40 Acres, The Porter
Floyd Kane, Producer, Village Keeper, Across the Line, Diggstown, Freddie Films Inc.
Carolyn Mauricette, Section Director, Fantasia International Film Festival & Co-Founder of Access Threshold
Vanessa Magic, Filmmaker, Near or Far, I Am Pleased, 2025 You-CAN-Pitch Winner

Selected Pitchers:
Adrian Bobb, The Sublime
Christine Rodriguez, Fuego
Romaine Waite, Redeemer
Fitch Jean, Crescendo
Sossina Shenkute & Ambika Vas, Past Curfew
Jessyca Reeves, The Fraying
Will Niava, Gold Dust.

ROUNDTABLES

CFF Roundtables: Indie Access Sessions
Date: Friday, March 27
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

A curated series of 20-minute small-group conversations designed to move projects forward. These intimate sessions offer direct access to leading industry professionals – creating space for strategic questions, meaningful dialogue, and high-level insight – all in a focused, conversational setting.

*Open exclusively to CFF Festival Pass holders by application only. Space is limited

Industry Participants:
Avi Federgreen, Filmmaker/Producer/Distributor, Federgreen Entertainment/IndieCan Entertainment
Sohrab Merchant, Literary & Production Agent | Manager, The Characters Talent Agency
Ryan Goldhar, Vice-President Agent | Manger, The Characters Talent Agency
Kim Ball, Executive Vice President Content & Communications, Super Channel
Suzanne Marshall, Senior Manager Programming, Hollywood Suite
Colleen Rush, Casting Director, Larissa Mair Casting
Melissa Amer, Regional Feature Film Executive, Ontario, Telefilm
Peter Kingstone, Program Manager, Visual & Media Arts, Toronto Arts Council
Paul Gratton, Film Consultant & Former Director of Programming, Whistler Film Festival
Jessica Jennings, Media Producer & Production Consultant, Environmental Services, Ontario Film Commission / Ontario Creates

More to be announced.

MIXER EVENT

DGC-Ontario Filmmakers Lounge
WGC Ingenuity Fair: Creative insights from the front lines of Film & TV
Date: Friday, March 27
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

In classic science fair set-up, Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) members will be stationed at displays to present case studies of problems they’ve encountered and solutions they’ve employed in development, prep, production, and post on feature film and television projects. Attendees will be able to visit and interact with the presenter at each display to gain a creative craftsperson’s view of what can go right when you’re in the trenches.

About the Canadian Film Fest:
The Canadian Film Fest is a non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate the art of cinematic storytelling by exclusively showcasing Canadian films. The festival unites film-loving audiences with diverse selections of features and shorts from across the country. The CFF provides Canadian filmmakers with essential professional development and networking opportunities through its Industry Series and awards.