We have access to this incredible unfolding story and the cast of characters that include four generations of the Al Jasem family and hundreds of volunteers. Over the next 9 months we will document the resettlement efforts, struggles and triumphs and release the project in the fall of 2017 as part of TVOntario’s special 150 presentations.
The Filmmakers
MICHÈLE HOZER
Director, Editor, Producer
With two films on the Oscar shortlist, Emmy- nominated and Gemini-winning Michèle Hozer has been working as a filmmaker and editor in Canada since 1987. To date, she has worked on more than 50 documentaries.
Her work has received accolades from the most prestigious lm festivals in the world, including the Sundance Film Festival and the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. Shake Hands with The Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire won both the 2007 Emmy for Best Documentary and the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Promise to the Dead picked up her rst International Emmy nomination as an editor. But her directorial debut with Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould won the coveted spot on the Academy Award short list as well as a Gemini for Best Biography. Since its premiere at TIFF in 2009, the feature length documentary has been seen by audiences in Britain, Australia, Japan, and across North America.
In 2012, The Director’s Guild of Canada (DGC) awarded The Allan King Award for Excellence in Documentary to Michèle and team for West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson. At the same time, she picked up both the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival Editing Award and top honours from her peers at Canadian Cinema Editors.
Michèle just completed her rst solo feature length documentary in the combined roles of director, editor, and producer for Sugar Coated probing the role of sugar in a global healthcare epidemic. The lm, in association with TVO and ZDF/ARTE, had its world premiere at Hot Docs International Film Festival and has since toured internationally at lm festivals and TV broadcasts. With the support of the Telus Fund, the lm was accompanied by the very successful sugar tracker app titled One Sweet App. Sugar Coated was honoured with the Donald Briain Award for Best Social and Political Documentary at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards.
JANICE DAWE
Executive Producer
Janice brings to 150 Doc Project years of expertise in producing and nancing award-winning documentaries for Canadian and international buyers. Most recently she executive produced Michèle Hozer’s feature documentary Sugar Coated which won the 2016 Donald Bri ain Award and was pre-sold to TVOntario, Canal D and ZDF. From 2005 – 2013 Janice held the senior role of Vice-President Production at White Pine Pictures, one of Canada’s most respected documentary production companies where as head of production she oversaw such Oscar shortlisted documentaries as Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould and A Promise to the Dead.
Her credits as EP include, The Experimental Eskimos (Allan King Award for Excellence in Documentary), Fight Like Soldiers Die Like Children, and the Gemini- nominated mobile app released documentary series City Sonic. Over her career, Janice has formed strong relationships with the creative community, broadcasters, buyers, nanciers and lenders. Janice currently serves on the OMDC Screen-based Industry Advisory Committee and the CMPA’s documentary working group.
NOAH BINGHAM
Supervising Producer
Noah will be the liaison between web development, creative, promotion and social. Noah Bingham is a Toronto-based lmmaker with a passion for cinema that humanizes complex social issues.
Noah brings proven results building audiences for multi-platform documentary content. He produced the documentary The Secret Trial 5 (Hot Docs Top Ten Audience Favourite Award 2014, Magnus Issacson Award 2014) which employed an innovative outreach campaign and hybrid-distribution strategy. Noah’s credits also include Production Manager and Outreach Coordinator for the feature documentary and interactive story The Ghosts In Our Machine (Bell Fund Recipient, Donald Bri ain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary, O cial Honoree at the 18th Annual Webby Award and Bertha BRITDOC Connect Fund Recipient).
ALANNA SMITH
Assistant Editor
A recent graduate of York University’s Film Production program, Alanna’s short lms have been recognized by Cinesiege (Outstanding First-Year Production 2013), the Best Shorts Competition (Award of Merit 2015 – Film Short, African American Filmmakers, Women Filmmakers), and screened at the Toronto Independent Film Festival. In 2015 she worked as an intern on the Canadian feature Below Her Mouth, which premiered at TIFF in 2016 and boasted an all female crew. Alanna is passionate about storytelling and takes pride in finding creative, compelling and entertaining ways to bring stories to life.
NAVA RASTEGAR
Associate Producer
Nava began her career in media production through CMPA’s Screen Based Media Production Program. She has managed successful funding applications for lm, television, and transmedia projects, as well as providing front line production management and rights clearances for documentary productions. Prior to her career in media production, Nava held positions at TIFF and HotDocs. She earned a B.A. in History and Art as well an M.A. in German History at the University of Toronto. Nava regularly undertakes new challenges, supporting independent producers on their projects to achieve creative and commercial success.
NICK SEWELL
Developer & Branding
Nick Sewell is a Toronto-based designer and creative director. Working in broadcast design since 1999, Nick has created work for clients including MTV, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Sports Center, PBS, and CTV. His film work includes title design for David Cronenberg’s Spider, Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy, William Shatner’s The Captains, Sugar Coated and Guantanamo’s Child.
His work has appeared in numerous graphics and post-production publications such as Stash, Design In Motion, Applied Arts Annual, M21 and Boards magazine. His work has also earned acclaim internationally, including over 16 Broadcast Design Awards.
HECTOR HERRERA
UX Designer & Graphic Designer
Hector Herrera is a creative director and animator living and working in Toronto. Having headed the design teams of several award-winning studios (Cuppa Co ee Animation, The Studio Upstairs and Trace Pictures) he now freelances as a creative director designer and animator.
With over 15 years experience in broadcast design, Hector has created work for a diverse range of clients that include Cartoon Network, SpikeTV, BBC, CTV as well as advertising agencies such as JWT, Ogilvy and FCB among others.
His lm and documentary work ranges from David Cronenberg’s Spider, Empire Of The Word, The Antarctica Challenge, The Nature Of Things and Fight Like Soldiers, Die Like Children based on Ret. Gen. Romeo Dallaire’s book of the same name.