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Summit Date
September 18 - 20
Introduction
Experience Northern Ontario's leading film industry conference.
Cinema Summit invites regional filmmakers to exchange ideas with national leaders on the backdrop of a week's worth of worldwide cinema, courtesy of Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival and Cultural Industries Ontario North.
Established artists, up-and-comers, recent graduates, crew members, aficianados: All accreditated guests can access expert-led panel discussions, along with exclusive networking events and select film screenings from the Cinéfest Sudbury roster.
Cinema Summit Accreditation for in-person attendance is now closed, but you can still watch the panels online (see below)!
And consider purchasing a Cinéfest passport or tickets to SEE the full show while supporting local!
Panel Blocks
CINEMA SUMMIT: OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, Sept. 18 at 10:30am
Fuel up for Cinema Summit activities at the official opening reception, where good food and great people come together. Accredited guests can enjoy light snacks and refreshments as they reunite with old friends, discover new collaborators, and map-out the must-see screenings and events from Cinéfest 2025.
Additional details about this event will be forwarded to all Accredited Guests of Cinema Summit 2025.
EMPOWERING AMBITION: FUNDING AND CAREER MODELS
Thursday, Sept. 18 at 3:30pm
You’ve got a vision, a script, an assembled crew -- so how do you get your project funded? Then, how do you grow from Grassroots to Next Level in Northern Ontario? This panel provides funding insights from top level funding insiders Melissa Amer (Telefilm Canada), Barbara Gilbert (Ontario Arts Council), and Anna Newallo (Ontario Creates), with priceless career wisdom from Edge Entertainment producer Rosalia Chilelli.
Panelists:
Rosalia Chilelli (Edge Entertainment: Producer)
Anna Newallo (Ontario Creates: Program Consultant, Film & TV, Industry Development)
Barbara Gilbert (Ontario Arts Council: Media Arts Officer)
Melissa Amer (Telefilm Canada: Regional Feature Film Executive, Ontario and Nunavut)
HIT YOUR MARK OUTTA THE PARK: AVENUES FOR NORTHERN ACTORS
Friday, Sept. 19 at 1:00pm
Whether background or principal, supporting or star, Northern actors have long been known to steal the show. This multi-perspective panel aims the spotlight on the opportunities, experiences, challenges, and triumphs of acting in the North. Featuring Kate Ziegler (ACTRA Toronto), joined by Ilona Smyth (Smyth Casting/Background Work), Jordan Gavaris (THE LAKE), and Joshua Bainbridge (NOBEL & THE KID).
Sponsored by:
Panelists:
Kate Ziegler (ACTRA Toronto: President)
Ilona Smyth (Smyth Casting / Background Work: Founder / CEO & Co-Founder)
Jordan Gavaris (Actor: THE LAKE, ORPHAN BLACK)
Joshua Bainbridge (Actor: NOBEL & THE KID, SKYMED)
HONED AT HOME: SELF-EDUCATION LEADS TO ON-SET SUCCESS
Friday, Sept. 19 at 3:30pm
The tools to sharpen your craft, widen your knowledge, or spark your career have never been more readily available thanks to online training and community support. Put your film journey into a higher gear by joining this talk between Caitlin Delaney (Up Light Academy), Jessica Jennings (Ontario Green Screen), and moderator Jack Blum (REEL CANADA) who will discuss at-home remedies for stifled progress.
Sponsored by:
Panelists:
Jack Blum (REEL CANADA: Executive Director)
Caitlin Delaney (Up Light Academy / 1D Entertainment Services: Founder / Producer)
Jessica Jennings (Ontario Creates: Production Consultant, Environmental Services)
SUDBURY SATURDAY BITE: INDUSTRY MIXER & BREAKFAST
Saturday, Sept. 20 at 10:00am
Accredited guests are invited to mix and match over catered meals at this exclusive business-to-business networking session. In attendance are filmmakers, industry representatives, vendors, and key stakeholders who are eager to connect.
Chat with peers, discuss careers, and plot the course for your next milestone in Northern Ontario’s screen industry.
Additional details about this event will be forwarded to all Accredited Guests of Cinema Summit 2025.
ONLINE IN MIND: DIGITAL CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION
Saturday, Sept. 20 at 2:00pm
Filmmaking and technology go hand-in-hand, production and distribution models are ever-changing. This digital creator-focused panel will help illuminate how modern careers have embraced the limitless internet landscape.
Panelists:
Scott Benzie (Buffer Festival / Digital First Canada: CEO / Executive Director)
Katie Uhlmann (WebSeries Canada / Katie Chats Inc: President / Actor, Director, Writer)
Mariah Owen (GTE Productions: CEO & Founder / Actor, Director, Writer)
Tope Babalola (Writer, Director, Content Creator: 2.6 million followers on YouTube & TikTok)
Zach Ramelan (The 4 Week Filmmaker: Director, Educator)
NICKEL MINES TO SILVER SCREENS: SUDBURY’S CINEMATIC RISE
Saturday, Sept. 20 at 3:30pm
Home to industrial might, rural bliss, bustling streets, lush wilderness – whatever the script has called for, Sudbury has dressed to impress onscreen for 25 years and counting. Its citizens have made incredible careers, won awards, and screened all over the world. Now it’s time now to bring it home and toast the history, future, and Blueberry Bulldogs, of the Greater Sudbury Area.
Panelists:
Mariah Owen (GTE Productions: CEO & Founder / Actor, Director, Writer)
Jason Jallet (Producer: BRIDE HARD, THE DOGS)
Kamilla Kowal (Actor: LETTERKENNY, UNTITLED HOME INVASION ROMANCE)
Matthew Poitras (Director: THE BRUCE PENINSULA)
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Panels Intro
Panel Discussions & Networking
All Cinema Summit panel discussions will be livestreamed for online viewing, courtesy of Points North Media.
Film Screenings Intro
Film Screenings
A Cinema Summit pass grants access to a selection of film screenings from the official Cinéfest Sudbury lineup. Consider the options below and start curating your cinema-filled Summit experience!
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited availability. Please present your Cinema Summit pass at the festival box office on the day of a given Cinema Summit screening to reserve a ticket.
*An asterisk denotes films that were shot in Northern Ontario.
Film Screening Blocks
Date
Time
1:00pm
Film
Clear Sky, directed by Michael Del Monte & Shawn Clearsky Davies (76 minutes).
Time
4:30pm
Date
Time
12:30pm
Time
2:30pm
Film
Racewalkers, directed by Kevin Claydon & Phil Moniz (80 minutes).
Time
8:00pm
Date
Time
12:45pm
Time
2:30pm
Film
Still Single, directed by Jamal Burger & Jukan Tateisi (93 minutes).
Time
4:30pm
Film
DJ Ahmet, directed by Georgi M. Unkovski (99 minutes).
Date
Time
12:30pm
Film
Hangashore, directed by Justin Oakey (87 minutes).
Time
2:00pm
Time
2:30pm
Film
Urchin, directed by Harris Dickinson (99 minutes).
Time
4:00pm
Film
*Short Circuit I: including Can You Feel It Now? directed by Isak Vaillancourt, 20 Crickets, directed by Zha Babaieva (86 minutes).
Time
8:30pm
Date
Time
10:00am
Time
2:30pm
Film
Shamed, directed by Matt Gallagher (90 minutes).
Time
4:30pm
Film
Yunan, directed by Ameer Fakher Eldin (124 minutes).
Time
6:00pm
Film
*Blood Lines, directed by Gail Maurice (89 minutes).
Time
9:00pm
Film
Mermaid, directed by Tyler Cornack (105 minutes).
Date
Time
12:00pm
Film
The Scout, directed by Paula González-Nasser (89 minutes).
Time
12:30pm
Time
6:00pm
Time
9:00pm
Date
Time
12:00pm
Film
Fanny, directed by Yan England (114 minutes).
Time
1:30pm
Film
*Short Circuit III: including A Snowman's Dream, directed by Gus & Steve Belford (88 minutes).
Time
2:45pm
Film
Best Boy, directed by Jesse Noah Klein (91 minutes).
Time
4:15pm
Film
Out Standing, directed by Mélanie Charbonneau (106 minutes).
Time
4:30pm
Film
Omaha, directed by Cole Webley (83 minutes).
Time
6:30pm
Time
9:00pm
Film
*Violence, directed by Connor Marsden (83 minutes).
Date
Time
12:00pm
Film
*CTV Best in Shorts: Finalists Screening
Time
12:15pm
Film
Horseshoe, directed by Edwin Mullane & Adam O’Keeffe (86 minutes).
Time
2:00pm
Film
Köln 75, directed by Ido Fluk (112 minutes).
Time
9:00pm
Film
*Deathstalker, directed by Steven Kostanski (102 minutes).
Date
Time
12:00pm
Time
12:30pm
Time
2:30pm
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