Telefilm Canada welcomes four new employees
December 3, 2020 – Telefilm Canada is pleased to welcome four new employees to the Project Financing, Business Affairs, and Senior Management teams.
These four positions were created as part of Telefilm Canada’s Equity and Representation Action Plan. Launched in July, the continuous goal of the Action Plan is to ensure an equitable screen-based industry.
Telefilm welcomes to the organization:
Ayesha Husain as Lead, Inclusion Initiatives and Content Analyst in the English Market, Project Financing, based in Toronto.
Ayesha has over twelve years of experience in the screen-based media sector. A graduate of the University of Toronto, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in English and Cinema Studies as well as a master’s degree in Cinema Studies. As a former employee of Telefilm, Ayesha continued her career development at Corus Entertainment, the Directors Guild of Canada and TIFF. Ayesha has been championing content and communities of underrepresented voices through volunteer work and learning through production houses and community-based initiatives, like: BIPOC TV and Film, #Startwith8HollywoodNorth, Darius Films, Regent Park Film Festival, and Toronto Outdoor Picture Show, where she recently served as a board member. In her new role, Ayesha will be reporting to the National Feature Film Executive in the English market.
Hager Namly as Inclusion Initiatives Advisor and Content Analyst in the French Market, Project Financing, based in Montreal.
Hager has close to seven years of experience as a coordinator with Item 7 and as a sales consultant for TVA Films. Her passion for cinematic arts led her to pursue her studies in Film and Media at Ahuntsic College, followed by a certificate in Film Studies at the Université de Montréal and a bachelor’s degree in Animation and Cultural Research at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Recently, she obtained a Graduate Degree in Applied Marketing at McGill University. She also volunteered at La Télé du Grand Maghreb as production coordinator. In her new role, Hager will be supporting both the Lead, Inclusion Initiatives, and the Lead, Indigenous Initiatives across both markets.
Amadou Dia as Head of Project Management, Senior Management team, based in Montreal.
Amadou brings to Telefilm over 25 years of experience as a results-oriented project manager in dynamic, multi-cultural management roles. With a software engineering degree from National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse and a Master of Business Administration from HEC Montreal, Amadou has worked for Nortel Networks, OZ Communications, Nokia and Gurus Solutions where he successfully led critical projects. In his new role as Head of Project Management, Amadou will be reporting directly to Telefilm’s Executive Leadership Team.
Fabrice Ravier Berthaud as Inclusion Initiatives Advisor and Investment Analyst, Business Affairs, based in Montreal.
Fabrice started his career at Telefilm in 2011 as a Project Coordinator. Through his work, Fabrice developed expertise in different genres of production from documentary and drama to children-animation. In the last three years, Fabrice worked at Telefilm as a Development Analyst. Fabrice studied at Carleton University in Film Studies, followed by a certificate in Film and Television Management at École du Show Business in Montreal. He recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Management from HEC Montréal. In his new role, Fabrice will be liaising with the Content Analysts from Inclusion Initiatives.
Together, Ayesha, Hager and Amadou began their roles on November 30, 2020, while Fabrice starts on January 11, 2021.
In addition to these four roles, the commitment to hire a minimum of 50 per cent representation within new hires across Telefilm and 30 per cent representation of new management hires of underrepresented identities by 2023 is also underway, and efforts to build a workforce that more accurately reflects Canadian society continues.