May 8, 2007

The Annual General Meeting of Women in Film and Television-Toronto (WIFT-T) took place on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 at 6:30pm at the National Film Board, 150 John Street (at Richmond Street West).

All WIFT-T members were invited to attend the AGM. All Full members of WIFT-T are entitled and encouraged to vote for the Board of Directors. There were 10 positions to fill and 12 nominees.

The keynote speaker for the event was Lucie Lalumiere, Vice President and General Manager Interactive, Corus Television, who spoke to WIFT-T members about multiplatform television and the repackaging of programs for mobile and online distribution.

Bio for Lucie Lalumiere:
Lucie Lalumière joined Corus Entertainment Inc. in 2005 as Vice President and General Manager Interactive, Television to lead Corus Television’s interactive properties and initiatives as well as develop new business opportunities. Since her arrival, Lalumiere has spearheaded a number of new initiatives that reinforced YTV.com’s position as a leader in youth content, including the creation of an international online game network, TheBigRip.com.

Previously, Lalumière was Executive Director of New Media at Radio-Canada, responsible for new media ventures, including the award-winning Radio-Canada.ca website. She also oversaw Internet and wireless partnership development for CBC and Radio-Canada, and was chair of the international multimedia committee of the Communauté des télévisions francophones.

With more than a decade of experience in the online industry, Lalumière has held a number of strategic positions, heading up the development of multimedia applications at Bell and online content at Sympatico, where she also served as General Manager of online French services. Lalumiere sits on the Board of Interactive Ontario and was a Board member for the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund from 2002 to 2005.

Lalumière holds an undergraduate degree in Management of Information Systems from Université de Sherbrooke and an MBA from McGill University, completed at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.

The following board members will continue for the 2007 term:

Karen King - Production Executive, Original Programming, Drama, CanWest MediaWorks
Kirstine Layfield – Executive Director, Network Programming, CBC Television
Leesa Levinson - Actress and Disabilities Advocate
Wendy MacKeigan – Executive Producer, SK Films Inc., a Shaftesbury Company
Marcia Martin – Vice President Production, CHUM Television
Gabriella Martinelli - President and CEO, Capri Films
Sara Moore - Senior Vice President, Marketing and Publicity, Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting
Margaret O’Brien – Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Barna-Alper Productions Inc.
Cynthia Reyes – Managing Partner, DiversiPro Inc.
Susan Ross - Executive Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Television, Corus Entertainment
Dianne Schwalm – Senior Vice President, Theatrical Advertising & Publicity, Warner Bros. Canada Inc.
Jane Tattersall – President, Tattersall Sound and Picture
Sadia Zaman – Director, In-House Production, VisionTV

WIFT-T is pleased to support the following new members elected to the Board of Directors on Tuesday, May 8, 2007:

Wanda Bradley – Manager, Sales Operation, NBC/Universal
Michelle Marion – Director, Canadian Independent Production, Astral Television Networks


Successful candidates for the 2007 WIFT-T Board of Directors:

Wanda Bradley
Manager, Sales Operation, NBC Universal
Wanda Bradley is Manager, Sales Operations for NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information. In this role, Wanda serves as a key contact for NBC Universal Television Canada Distribution regarding sales objectives, oversees publicity and marketing support for all series airing in Canada, and manages product availability and distribution rights. Wanda is also responsible for the annual cultural spending budget as part of the company’s five-year commitment to Heritage Canada. Additionally, she negotiates sponsorship packages to include advertising and branding opportunities in the cultural industry including film festivals, education institutions and film associations. Prior to joining NBC Universal in 1998, Wanda held a variety of positions at Enbridge, a leader in energy transportation and distribution in North America and internationally.

Michelle Marion
Director, Canadian Independent Production, Astral Television Networks
Michelle Marion is the Director, Canadian Independent Production for the pay-TV networks The Movie Network and Mpix. She manages the networks’ Canadian Content budgets and oversees all Canadian Content expenditures including pre-buying and making equity investments in Canadian feature films and the commissioning of original drama series and documentaries. Michelle created the Original Programming Strategy for The Movie Network and commissioned series including Slings & Arrows, ReGenesis, and Terminal City. Upcoming series include Durham County, ZOS, ReGenesis III and a series based on the Giller Prize-winning book Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures. Previously, Michelle was in Astral’s Strategic Planning Department where she was Strategist – Network Licences and was responsible for business strategy and regulatory portfolios including the licence renewals for the pay networks and Astral’s bid for the network Cinefest. Prior to this, she held several positions in Astral’s Communications Department: Writer/Editor, Publicist and Manager of Communications. Concurrently, she pursued a “freelance” career of script analysis and story editing for various Canadian production companies. She sits on the selection committee for the Canadian Film Centre’s Feature Film Project, is a member of ACCT, CWC, and WIFT-T, and has sat on the jury for Canada’s Top Ten.