Administration
The Bell Fund has two offices, in Toronto and Montréal, and is administered by the management of the Independent Production Fund.
| Andra Sheffer, Executive Director (Toronto Office) | |
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Andra Sheffer is the Executive Director of three private Funds supporting the Canadian new media, television and film industries: the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund which invests in Canadian television programs and their associated interactive digital projects; the Independent Production Fund which invests in drama series created for digital platforms; and, the COGECO Program Development Fund for the development and production of television drama. She was the founding Executive Director of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television producing the annual Genie and Gemini Awards. She lectures on the business of television and new media and is the editor of publications about the business of tv and digital media production: New Media, New Business: The Producer’s guide (2001), Create a Winning Proposal – the Handbook for New Media Prodders (1999) and the co-editor of MAKING IT: The business of film and Televsion Production in Canada (1986 & 1995). Previously she served as the Managing Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, and with the federal government as a Certification Officer setting up the original CAVCO office (and Canadian content “point” system), and at the Film Festivals Bureau promoting Canadian films internationally. |
| Claire Dion, Associate Director (Montréal Office) | |
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From 1980 to 1987 Claire Dion held positions at the Institut québécois du cinéma, the SGCQ and SOGIC, now SODEC, as script advisor and Director of Developement and Production. Since 1987 she has served as editor of a healthcare business periodical; she was responsible for teaching a scriptwriting course for television at the Université du Québec; she acted as associate producer for the development of director Robert Favreau's feature film L'Ange Noir and script editor of the first series Super Sans Plomb. In 1991, she set up the Quebec office for the Maclean Hunter Television Fund, now the Independent Production Fund, which administers the COGECO Program Development Fund and the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund. She acted as consultant for Shaw Cablesystems in Quebec for SCPI and the SBF from 1997 to 1999 and for the CanWest Promotion of Programming Fund in 2003. Claire Dion received her B.A. in television studies from Concordia University and a Master Degree in Cinéma from USC (University of Souther California). She was chair of CLSC Côte-des-Neiges for 10 years. She is a member of the Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television, Femmes du cinéma de la télévision et des nouveaux médias de Montréal and vice-president of the Fondation Marijo. |
| Charles Zamaria, Financial Director (Toronto Office) | |
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Charles Zamaria is Financial Director for the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Independent Production Fund, and COGECO Program Development Fund. He has assisted in developing and creating national professional standards for the emerging new media production industry.Concurrently, Professor Zamaria is a full-time tenured faculty member in the School of Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson University, where he specializes in teaching business aspects of producing in various media industry. He has worked for CTV, YTV, CBC, Telefilm Canada and Cambium Productions in various production and management capacities. He has credits on dozens of award-winning independent film and television productions. He is the author of numerous, publications, served as Director for trade missions (Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada) and conducted research analysis and studies internationally.In addition, he serves as Project Director and Principal Co-Investigator on the Canadian Internet Project – an extensive research undertaking which analyzes Internet usage and non-usage patterns in Canada in international perspective.He is a member of: AoIR (Association of Internet Researchers), NMBIA, IMAT, DGC, CFTPA, ACCT, CIPA, UFVA, BEA, BEAC and DOC He sits as a member of CFTPA’s New Media Advisory Committee, Federal/Interprovincial Tax Credit Committee. |
| Howard Rosen, Business Affairs Manager (Toronto Office) | |
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Howard Rosen is a well-established producer with feature film, television and digital-media successes. He has built a wealth of experience in the feature film, television and digital media industries. Among the many productions that he has taken from inception to completion, is the staging and world-wide live broadcast from Iqaluit of the inaugural ceremony of birth of the new Territory of Nunavut, the staging and North American wide live broadcasts of the Canadian Country Music Awards. Digital media projects included working with clients as diverse as the Toronto Stock Exchange, BBDO, University of Toronto, Universal McCann and GlaxoSmithKline and creating mobile content in the healthcare environment. As Executive Producer/VP Business Affairs at Skyvision Entertainment Howard was involved in the development, financing, production and distribution of over $100 million in programs and films. These projects included “Picture Windows”, “Robocop: The Series” (Rysher), “F/X” TV pilot (Rysher), “Secret Service” (NBC), and “Heart of Courage” (Discovery Channel). It was on the Emmy award-winning television series “Picture Windows” (Showtime) that Howard shared the Executive Producer role with Norman Jewison. Howard also worked with Peter O’Brian on a number of Genie award-winning productions including distribution of “The Grey Fox” (MGM/UA), and the development/production of “One Magic Christmas”(DISNEY), “My American Cousin”, “Discovery” and “John and the Missus”. Outside of the traditional production environment Howard developed a 12-month 48 course film & television college curriculum, more recently adding a course on digital distribution, and provides seminars on Creative Strategic Thinking for the corporate world. Howard is also the inventor of a patent pending technology called Life:WIRE which enables the management of health and lifestyle using standard off the shelf mobile phones. And sometimes he even gets a chance to sleep. |
| Danielle Blain, Consultant and Financial Analyst (Montréal Office) | |
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Danielle Blain joined the Quebec multimedia industry in 1995, following several years as a management consultant to artists and small cultural businesses. She participated in the establishment of FIM (Forum des Inforoutes et du Multimédia) where she succeeded in obtaining significant financial assistance from the Quebec government to establish a permanent office and undertake its activities. In 1998, Danielle was responsible for the certification of the multimedia tax credit program for SODEC, which was followed by a position in charge of government affairs at IC Axon (pharmaceutical interactive training programs). In 2001 she created Consultants Blain D. inc which offers services for the management of the multimedia tax credit program as well as accounting services. A trip to Cuba that year captivated her and inspired her to undertake a new professional career path. While continuing her professional activities in Montreal, she also became involved in various business projects with Cuba and obtained a diploma in international commerce. By 2006 this led to the creation of CUBLAVIDA, a business dedicated to the promotion and commercialization of Cuban culture on the website www.cubalavida.com. Still active in the field of management and multimedia in Quebec, Danielle also joined the team at the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund as Consultant and Financial Analyst in January 2009. |
| Toronto Office | |
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Marcia Douglas, Program Manager
Ella Myers, Project Coordinator Carly McGowan, Project Coordinator
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| Montréal Office | |
| Joanne Duguay, Project Coordinator Laurence Beaudoin-Masse, Executive Assistant and Community Manager |
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