INDUSTRY
Returning in 2026 is a revitalized ANCHOR Industry conference, with experts and decision makers joining for three days of lively and insightful conversations across film, television, and music creative industries. All new for 2026 is a new price of $75 for access to the entire conference, making the event accessible for both established and emerging professionals in Atlantic Canada and beyond!SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15
WELCOME TO ANCHOR FEST
9:00 - 9:15AM
Jenna MacMillan - Festival Director
Meaghan Brander - PEI Creates
Sharlene Kelly - AMPA
ANCHOR SESSIONS #1 (Sign Up Required)
9:15 - 9:45AM
Small table with big access. Industry pass holders can sign up for an exclusive roundtable featuring executives, decision makers, and professionals from across Anchor’s creative industries.
Andrew McCann Smith - Head of Literary, Play Management
Tim Doiron - CEO, Wango Films
Jenna MacMillan - CEO, Club Red Productions
Meaghan Brander - Film Industry Growth Specialist, PEI Creates
ANCHOR SESSIONS #2 (Sign Up Required)
9:45 - 10:15AM
Chris Kelley - Director of Scripted Television, Counterfeit Pictures
Ira Levy - Founder, Spike & Sadie Media
Melani Wood - Producer, Small Engines
Jeremy Larter - Writer/Director
Bill Lundy - Chief Content Officer, Club Red Productions
NO DUMB QUESTIONS: HOW DO I GET INTO FILM FESTIVALS?
10:15 - 11:00AM
Festival submission fees add up fast, and half the time you're not sure anyone's watching. Programmers, distributors, and filmmakers who've been through it answer the questions you'd rather not ask out loud: what gets a film noticed, what's a waste of your money, and at the end of the day, do you need a festival at all?
Zac Thompson - Head of Programming, Anchor Fest
Chris Kelley - Shorts Programmer, KCFF
Lisa Haller- Director of Programming at AIFF
Moderator: Melani Wood, Producer, Small Engines
PEI FILM & TV: BIGGEST YEAR EVER. SO…NOW WHAT?
11:00 - 11:45AM
Major festival award wins at SXSW and Fantasia for The Snake and Unholy Night. The biggest production PEI's ever hosted, Netflix's This Summer Will Be Different, was here shooting all summer. Several exciting new Bell Fibe TV1, IPF and shortform series in the can. By any measure, this was the best year in the province's film history. We talk to the people behind this banner year and take your questions about what that means for our local crews and creatives.
Jenna MacMillan - CEO, Club Red Productions
Sharlene Kelly - Chair, Anchor Motion Picture Alliance
Luc Trottier - Producer, Human Moves Media
Moderator: Jeremy Larter
DOC FILMS @ ANCHOR: WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR STORIES?
12:00 - 12:45PM
What drives a documentary filmmaker to pick up a camera? Does the great story come first, or is it found on the way. The filmmakers from this year's Anchor documentary class discuss what makes a great story, what it takes to get it made, what makes a great story in the first place.
Jamie Miller, Mike Feehan - CAPTAIN NEWFOUNDLAND
Eliza Knockwood - RITE OF PASSAGE
Moderator: Mille Clarkes
LUNCH
1:00 - 2:00PM
FILMS @ ANCHOR: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR SHORT?
2:00 - 3:00PM
You did it. You got it funded, cast, shot, and finished. What now? Filmmakers from this year’s Anchor Shorts program discuss what happens getting your short seen from picture lock to when the festival laurels wrap and beyond. What’s working now and what we could do better.
Anna Hopkins - FULL CIRCLE
Janelle Sinclair - IT’S HARDER THAN YOU THINK
Moderator: Lisa Haller - Director of Programming, AIFF
FILMS @ ANCHOR: WORKING WITH LEGENDS
3:00 - 4:00PM
We have some iconic names cast in Anchor films this year, including Back in Black, Purgatory, The Snake, and so much more. It’s said that a famous cast makes the film easier to get made, easier to sell, maybe even easier to shoot. Is that the case? Directors discuss what really happens and the lessons learned shooting with the greats.
Ron Murphy - BACK IN BLACK
Jenna MacMillan - THE SNAKE
Moderator - Chris Kelley - Director of Scripted Television Counterfeit Pictures
HOW DO YOU MAKE MONEY IN FILM?
4:00 - 4:30PM
Everyone talks about the challenges and struggle just to get a film not only made, but seen to audiences. We don’t really talk about who gets paid once it is. Professionals from across the industry walk through where the money really goes in their pocket of the business and how they broke through to make a living in film.
Richelle Charkot - Distribution Manager, Game Theory Films
Andrew McCann Smith - Head of Literary, Play Management
Tim Doiron - CEO, Wango Films
Moderator - Ira Levy - Founder, Spike & Sadie
NO DUMB QUESTIONS: MAKING MOVIES FOR NO MONEY
4:30 - 5:00PM
This is your chance to talk to a panel of filmmakers who have pulled off the miracle of financing a Canadian film outside of the traditional systems. But just because the money is low, that doesn’t mean the costs are not high. Calling in favours, wearing all the hats, and racking up credit cards; find out if this path is right for your next project.
Sasha Leigh Henry & Tania Thompson - DINNER WITH FRIENDS
Gloria Mercer & Aidan West - A SAFE DISTANCE
Moderator: Bill Lundy - TRACY & MARTINA: GOIN OUT WEST
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
WELCOME FROM ANCHOR MOTION PICTURE ALLIANCE
9:00 - 9:15AM
Sharlene Kelly - Chair, Anchor Motion Picture Alliance
ANCHOR SESSIONS #3 (Sign Up Required)
9:15 - 9:45AM
Small table with big access. Industry pass holders can sign up for an exclusive roundtable featuring executives, decision makers, and professionals from across Anchor’s creative industries.
Richelle Charkot - Distribution Manager, Game Theory Films
Sharlene Kelly - Chair, AMPA
Brian Mason - Producer, Mason Films
Mitch Geddes - VP Development, Neshama Entertainment
Lisa Haller - Director of Film Programming, Atlantic International Film Festival
Adam Feigen - Development Executive, Scripted - Bell Media
ANCHOR SESSIONS #4 (Sign Up Required)
9:45 - 10:15AM
Zac Thompson - Director of Film Programming, Anchor Fest
Luc Trottier - Human Moves Media
Sasha Leigh Henry & Tania Thompson - Everyday People Productions
Catherine Moreau - Deputy Director, IPF
Adam Feigen - Development Executive, Scripted - Bell Media
NO DUMB QUESTIONS: CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN CAVCO?
10:15 - 11:00AM
Just because Canada has some of the best soft money incentives in the world does not mean it isn’t sometimes hard to access. CAVCO certification is the backbone of the CDN film/tv universe and yet it’s a topic that you don’t learn in school. This is a unique opportunity to demystify the process and goals with representatives from CAVCO here to take questions for all experience levels.
Tracey Doyle - CAVCO
Clare Hodge - CAVCO
Moderator: Brian Mason, Mason Films
INDIE FOREVER PODCAST: LIVE
11:00 - 11:45AM
The hit podcast makes its live show debut right here in PEI. Indie Forever runs on one belief: indie artists can do a lot more than they’ve been told they can. Hosted by filmmakers Sasha Leigh Henry and Tania Thompson, they talk all things film, music, design, creative careers, and how they’re fumbling forward one project at time.
Sasha Leigh Henry - Director/Writer
Tania Thompson - Writer/Producer
DISASTERCLASS: WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG?
12:00 - 12:45PM
Everyone in their film/tv career has a project that started with the best of intentions and just went sideways. This is for the real ones: the shoot that fell apart, the development deal that collapsed, the decision everyone said was fine when it wasn’t. A lively and humorous panel with leading professionals about lessons learned.
Evan Dubinsky - Producer
Andrew McCann Smith - Head of Literary, Play Management
Jenna MacMillan - CEO, Club Red Productions
Melani Wood - Producer, Small Engines
Brian Mason - Producer, Mason Films
Moderator - Chris Kelley, Director of Scripted Television. Counterfeit Productions
LUNCH WITH IPF - HOW DO I GET TO GREENLIGHT?
1:00 - 2:00PM
An informative lunchtime hang with the highly influential Independent Production Fund and those who have broken through the competitive selection process. What makes a great application at every step and most importantly, what makes a great web series?
Catherine Moreau - IPF
Luc Trottier - Producer, Writer - THE THIRD PARTY, SEA SALT, COMPEL
ANCHOR SITS DOWN: THE UNGOVERNABLE WOMEN OF THE SNAKE
2:00 - 2:45PM
Can you name an iconic Canadian comedy that does not feature at least one appearance by Robin Duke, Susan Kent, or Emma Hunter? These three icons discuss their wide ranging careers, a rapidly changing comedy landscape and advice for those starting out or looking to break through.
Susan Kent - THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES, HATCHING, MATCHING AND DISPATCHING, TRAILER PARK BOYS, THE TRADES
Robin Duke - SCTV, SNL, SCHITT’S CREEK, GROUNDHOG DAY
Emma Hunter - SLO PITCH, MR D, THE BEAVERTON, MOONSHINE
Moderator: Jenna MacMillan, THE SNAKE
NO DUMB QUESTIONS: HOW DO YOU PITCH A TV SERIES?
3:00 - 3:45PM
Executives, producers and writers answer the questions you'd rather not ask in a room full of people about how to get your show into development and production. Does your script actually get read? What kills a pitch in the first two minutes? What do you need to have before anyone will take the meeting with you?
Chris Kelley - Director of Scripted Television, Counterfeit Pictures
Mitch Geddes - VP Development, Neshama Entertainment
Adam Feigen - Development Executive, Scripted - Bell Media
Moderator: Bill Lundy - Chief Content Officer, Club Red Productions
TELEFILM SPOTLIGHT
4:00 - 4:15PM
FILMS @ ANCHOR: WORKING WITH TELEFILM
4:15 - 5:00PM
Every Telefilm supported film has its own path from initial application to opening night. Anchor filmmakers who've lived it are here to tell you what that looks like. Telefilm moderates a unique conversation with filmmakers about the process from development through production and distribution and how Telefilm is involved in each step.
Jenna MacMillan - Director, THE SNAKE and Producer, UNHOLY NIGHT
Nancy Urich - Producer, PERMANENT DAMAGE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17
WELCOME
9:00 - 9:15AM
ANCHOR SESSIONS #5 (Sign Up Required)
9:15 - 9:45AM
Small table with big access. Industry pass holders can sign up for an exclusive roundtable featuring executives, decision makers, and professionals from across Anchor’s creative industries.
Lucie Marion - National Bank
Evan Dubinsky - Producer, Music Supervisor
Catherine Moreau - Deputy Director, IPF
ANCHOR SESSIONS #6 (Sign Up Required)
9:45 - 10:15AM
Aaron Comeau - Music Supervisor, THE SNAKE
Tracey Doyle - Manager, Policy CAVCO
Andrew Neville - Artistic Director, NOWADAYS
Sam Langille - Music Programming, ANCHOR FEST
Kinley - Artist
NO DUMB QUESTIONS: HOW DO I GET INTO MUSIC FESTIVALS?
10:15 - 11:00AM
As we look ahead to the 2027 festival season we talk with both bookers and artists on the best things to do to get in the door and get on the lineup poster. What matters? What Doesn’t. Ask the questions you'd only ask a friend.
Andrew Neville - NOWADAYS
Sam Langille - ANCHOR FEST
MUSIC @ ANCHOR: HOW DO I GET MY SONG IN A FILM/SERIES?
11:00 - 11:45AM
A great song and the right supervisor rarely find each other by accident. Experienced music supervisors talk through how a track actually gets chosen for a scene from start to finish. What makes something stand out in an inbox full of submissions and what does a deal look like when productions are on a low and high budget.
Aaron Comeau - THE SNAKE, WHO’S YER FATHER?
Evan Dubinsky - CRASH LAND, MILE END KICKS
Seth A Smith & Nancy Urich - PERMANENT DAMAGE
Moderator: Sam Langille - Music Programming, ANCHOR FEST
HOW DO YOU MAKE MONEY IN MUSIC
12:00 - 12:30PM
Working musicians and their industry partners around them get honest about what actually brings in money: and what you actually need to do to start, maintain and grow a successful career in music.
Lunch With CBC East Coast Music Hour
12:30 - 1:30PM
Grab a plate and get to know the people behind one of the most important platforms for Canadian musicians across the country.
ANCHOR SITS DOWN: SLASH NEED, PENNY & THE PITS
1:30 - 2:15PM
We deep dive with a unique chance to hear two of the breakout acts from this year's Anchor Music lineup talk about starting out from zero and the challenges and lessons they faced to get here on our headline stage.
Dusty Lee - SLASH NEED
Penelope Stevens - PENNY & THE PITS
MUSIC @ ANCHOR: MUSIC VIDEOS ON A BUDGET 2026
2:15 - 3:00PM
Back by popular demand. A great music video doesn't need a great budget, but it takes hard work, creativity and maybe even luck to really pull it off. Once again we’re featuring four of Anchor’s favourite music video creators and some of their work from the past year.
Malcolm MacMaster
Justin Rix
FILMS @ ANCHOR: WHERE DID IT GO RIGHT?
3:00 - 3:45PM
Yesterday’s session covered what went wrong. This is for things that went the other way. Each film that succeeds survived a decision that could have sunk it. A panel of Anchor filmmakers with breakout 2026 hits talks about the key decisions and risks that paid off.
Gloria Mercer & Aidan West - A SAFE DISTANCE
Jenna MacMillan - THE SNAKE
Jamie Miller & Mike Feehan - CAPTAIN NEWFOUNDLAND
Tim Doiron - LITTLE LORRAINE
Moderator: Jeremy Larter - WHO’S YER FATHER?
TV @ ANCHOR: HOT DOG DYNASTY SNEAK PEEK
4:00 - 5:00PM
Jimmy Crandall is the greatest competitive eater alive, and it won’t be enough until he beats the record his legendary father set before him. A first look at Bell Fibe’s new comedy, with the creator, cast and crew. Hear what it’s like to be part of one of the most talked about Hot Dog shows in years. Come hungry.
Matt Wright - Creator, ‘Jimmy’
Susan Kent - Cast, ‘Tiffany’
Moderator - Jamie Miller
DAILY MIXERS
Networking receptions take place from 5:00 - 7:00 PM DAILY
Wednesday, Oct 14
5:00 - 7:00 PM
FESTIVAL KICK OFF
Presented by PEI FilmSocial
Dali Cafe - 155 Kent Street
Thursday, Oct 15
5:00 - 7:00 PM
HAPPY HOUR - SALUTE TO SHORTS
Presented by PEI Creates
Mavor’s - 145 Richmond Street
10:00PM
KARAOKE @ THE TRAILSIDE
Presented by IPF
155 Kent Street
Friday, Oct 16
5:00 - 7:00 PM
HAPPY HOUR - SPOTLIGHT ON AMPA
Presented by the CMPA
Dali Cafe - 155 Kent Street
Saturday, Oct 17
5:00 - 7:00 PM
HOLIDAY HAPPY HOUR - CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER
Spotlight on Unholy Night
Presented by The Dairy Farmers & The Scarecrow Festival
Dali Cafe - 155 Kent Street
