Priyanka Desai – Co-Chair, Advocacy & Governance  

Priyanka is an award-winning broadcast journalist-turned-TV Producer, who specializes in stories that impact and entertain. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Priyanka is known for her understanding of diverse cultures across two continents. Priyanka’s journey in Canada started in the spring of 2018. In Canada her credits include a variety of producing roles for the likes of (House Special) TELUS Originals, (Red Chef Revival) Storyhive, (Moosemeat & Marmalade Season 6 & 7) APTN, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (Pan Canada Tourism Video) and (Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, PostCards Docu Series) AMI. She is honored and grateful to serve as a Vice-Chair of the Documentary Organisation of Canada’s BC YT NT Chapter. Her mission is to enable immigrant women of colour to achieve professional excellence in North America.  Most recently she directed and produced a TELUS original docu-series called Not Your Butter Chicken, which premiered during Asian Heritage Month at VIFF Theatre in 2024.

   

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Kevin Eastwood – Co-Chair, Advocacy & Governance

Kevin is an award-winning writer, director and producer.  Most recently he was the showrunner, co-creator and co-director of Wildfire, an acclaimed new documentary series streaming on Knowledge.ca. This marked his third series for Knowledge, having previously directed the award-winning documentary series, British Columbia: An Untold History and Emergency Room: Life + Death At VGH. Other doc credits as director include The Society Page, for which Kevin won a Leo Award for Best Direction, as well as the CBC documentaries, Humboldt: The New Season and After The Sirens (both nominated for Best Documentary Program at the Canadian Screen Awards). His doc credits as a producer include the award-winning documentaries Part of the Pack directed by Isabelle Groc & Mike Mckinlay, Haida Modern directed by Charles Wilkinson, and Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson directed by Trish Dolman.

  Richard Raghoo – Treasurer, Sponsorship

Richard is co-founder/producer of Dada Ibis Media and has been in finance for more than 25 years of which the last 18 have been Film and TV specific in British Columbia. Working on both the corporate and production sides of film and TV has allowed him to gain valuable expertise in the workings of film finance and production. Richard has worked with some of the busiest and most notable Western producers and studios, namely Great Pacific Media, Thunderbird Entertainment Group, Reel One Entertainment and Insight Film Studios. Having worked on more than 50 MOWs and multiple TV series both scripted and factual, Richard brings a unique perspective and experience level to any entertainment organization. At Reel One Entertainment, Richard grew the accounting department from two to more than ten staff to handle the studio’s growth from 5 to 25 productions. Most recently Richard was at Great Pacific Media (whose work is seen in more than 170 countries), as VP of Finance, Production, brought in to lead the robust production accounting department, establish and implement controls and best practices for the organization.  

       

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Özgün Gündüz – Secretary, Communications & Promotions

Özgün is an emerging documentary filmmaker/producer based in unceded Coast Salish territories. She holds a BA in sociology and political science and an MBA graduate degree. Before transitioning into documentary producing in 2021, she worked at global media and research agencies for over a decade. Özgün was among the 10 emerging producers selected for CMPA’s 2021 Diverse Producers Mentorship program. Her first short documentary, Weltschmerz (2021) received support from TELUS, screened at international festivals. Özgün is currently working in the independent documentary industry as an Associate Producer and developing her second documentary, Burcu’sAngels – which is selected for DOXA’s 2023 Kris Anderson Mentorship Program. 

       

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Kinga Binkowska – Professional Development/ Community Building, Advocacy

       

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Tristin Greyeyes – Professional Development, Community Building

Tristin is a Two-Spirit Nehiyaw, Ojibway, and Anishinaabe visual storyteller from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and Long Plains First Nation. Tristin is currently working on her first feature documentary, A Cree Approach. Tristin has created a film festival in her home territory called ‘Kīyam Film Festival’, which she hopes will foster a film industry in Treaty 6 territory. Over the weekends, Tristin is working on her Creative Writing Master’s at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Tristin is determined to empower Indigenous voices across Turtle Island through the art of film. 

A proud mom, film curator and filmmaker, Tristin has produced several short films such as; I’m Not Next, Tawaw? and was the editing mentee on the successful independent feature film The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open. She was an indie film lab instructor for youth groups at Pacific Cinémathèque in Vancouver and a documentary mentor at Chokecherry Studios in Saskatoon, SK. Tristin received her Bachelor’s Degree in Motion Picture Arts, in 2021. Before she graduated, she helped create the National Indigenous Student Advisory Committee with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. 

       

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Gunjan Menon – Professional Development/ Community Building

Gunjan Menon is a Producer-Director, National Geographic Explorer, and co-founder and CEO of Beyond Premieres, a Vancouver-based creative studio focused on films at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and Indigenous stewardship. Her work examines human-wildlife relationships through a lens of ecofeminism and has been recognized with over 50 international accolades across 20 countries. She has also worked on shows that have been broadcast on National Geographic, Disney+, Hulu, ABC, PBS, BBC, Amazon Prime, Discovery, Animal Planet, and Roundglass Sustain. She received the Jackson Wild Rising Star Award in 2020, is a Re:Generation Climate Leader supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and was named to The Explorers Club EC50 in 2025 as one of the “50 People Changing the World That the World Should Know About.” Her story was also featured in Rebel Girls: Animal Allies, a global bestselling anthology for young readers. Gunjan’s documentary The Firefox Guardian, on red panda conservation in Nepal, was shortlisted for a Student BAFTA in 2018 and continues to be used in education and advocacy worldwide. She serves as an Advisor to the Red Panda Network, contributing to conservation outreach and communication strategies. Her film Wings of Hope received the UN World Wildlife Day Audience Award at Jackson Wild, playing a key role in highlighting Menar, Rajasthan, as a model for community-led ecotourism and contributing to the designation of Menar Lake as a protected wetland. Looking for Lao Mura, supported by the National Geographic Society, investigates the spiritual relevance of a critically endangered freshwater turtle in India. Her current project Dreaming in Blue—a feature documentary in development—has been selected for platforms including Hot Docs Deal Maker, DocEdge Kolkata, Green Stories, DOC NW Breakthrough Program, and the Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative. Gunjan is dedicated to making filmmaking more accessible by mentoring emerging creators and scientists and leading workshops on photography, storytelling, and science communication through organizations like NEWF in Africa, the Green Hub in India, and Girls Who Click. She holds a Master’s in Wildlife Filmmaking from UWE Bristol and BBC-NHU. Gunjan continues to push the boundaries of conservation storytelling, leveraging film to influence policy, amplify scientific impact, and foster deeper public empathy for the natural world.  

 

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Justin Sealy – Professional Development, Community Building, Communications & Promotions for Vancouver Island

With over 16 years in Telecom, Justin brings a wealth of experience, his technical contributions have been instrumental in significant projects, including implementing wireless solutions for large installations like the Victoria International Airport and various sites across Vancouver Island.   Beyond his technical skill, Justin harbours a deep-seated passion for film. His “eye” for capturing interesting content adds a unique dimension to his profile. Recently, Justin has delved into various aspects of film production.  

 His endeavors range from capturing scenes as a licensed drone operator and performing stunts on camera to serving as a 1st AD on an upcoming CBC documentary and being a 2nd AD on films. This breadth of experience in film showcases his versatile skill set and deep understanding of the medium.   At the heart of Justin’s interests lies a desire to blend his technical skills with cinematography. His goal is to use this synergy to craft and elevate compelling stories, bringing them to life in a manner that resonates with audiences. Justin’s transition from a tech professional to film professional represents his pursuit to intertwine technology with the art of storytelling.   

   

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Wendy Wan – Communications & Promotions, Sponsorship

  Wendy is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer living in Vancouver, British Columbia. They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Drawing from The Alberta University of the Arts and an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Vancouver. Wan is best known for their visual research experience in the stock photography world (in which they spent nearly a decade) and their practice with alternative photography methods that depict human encounters or a slice of life. They approach their work with the hope that it speaks to the odd, humorous, and documentation of the passage of time. In response to the ubiquity of digital imagery, tactility is very important to their practice. Images are incorporated with flaws and shot on film while maintaining the intimacy of the ‘fingerprint’ in the exploration of photography. Wan entered into the world of Film and Television in 2020. From there, they skyrocketed up to the production level, gaining useful experience in visual research for a popular medical drama.   

   

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Ben Cox – Professional Development, Community Building, Communications & Promotions

  Working across commercial and broadcast projects as a director, producer and cinematographer Ben has built a diverse body of documentary and commercial work. Ben has created films for organizations including the CBC, National Geographic, The Earthshot Prize, The Kyoto Prize, and Canadian broadcaster Telus Originals. As an emerging documentary director, in 2024 Ben was selected to participate in both the DOC Northwest Breakthrough, and Whistler Film Festival Doc Lab programs. With a focus on films that create impact, Ben’s most recent directing work The Interceptors premiered at North West Fest and was selected as part of the Story Money Impact (SMI) Story to Action program. As a producer and cinematographer Ben’s most recent feature documentary work Tea Creek,  directed by Dene director Ryan Dickie, premiered at DOXA film festival in Vancouver and had its broadcast premiere on CBC.   

   

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Rosie Johnnie-Mills – Professional Development, Community Building, Sponsorships

  Rosie Johnnie-Mills co-owns her film production company, Likinskw Productions Inc., with her Nisga’a husband, Dustin McGladrey. She is a cisgender IndigiQueer lover of story, belonging to the Skidegate Eagle Clan from Haida Gwaii and Xinipsen of the Cowichan Tribes. Rosie may seem far away from where she grew up on the reservation in the Cowichan Valley; however, at heart, she’s dedicated her life to serving Indigenous innovation within the Indigenous community in Canada. She is an emerging producer within Canada’s burgeoning film industry and is excited to continue honouring Indigenous voices. The National Screen Institute Indigidocs greenlighted her first production in 2022, which was broadcast on APTN and is now streaming within Canada on APTN and CBC Gem. It’s called Living Weaving, a story about Debra Sparrow and her journey of knowledge-sharing Musqueam Weaving. She was an executive producer for ‘The Cowichan Sweater; Our Knitted Legacy’ directed by Mary Galloway, previously broadcasted on CBC and now streaming on CBC Gem. Wrapping up her second year as a film producer, she is currently optioning a narrative TV show with MMIW themes, an Indigiqueer romantic comedy and producing a short docu-series celebrating four Indigenous Nations within BC to be broadcast and streamed by Knowledge Network in 2025.   

   

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Sookie Jespersen 

  Sookie Jespersen has always loved the variety that working in TV brings. In the last decade she’s worked as a Writer, Producer, Director, Archive Producer and more. As first boots on the ground for Season 1 of Highway Thru Hell she was instrumental in its success. Remaining with the show for 10 seasons, she worked as Producer and Director in the mountains over the winter and managed the story room and publicity deliverables in the off-season. Later, her work in Development led to a green-light, within days, when Discovery commissioned After the Storm, based on the B.C. floods of 2021. Sookie took the helm as Showrunner while also Writing and Directing for the limited-series. These days Sookie is involved in a number of projects, from true-crime to winter sports, and when she’s not working she’s usually out enjoying the mountains, forest or ocean near her home in Vancouver.