Event | Hollywood, eh?
Lights! Camera! Action!
Hollywood, eh? is your backstage pass for an exclusive look at Hollywood North. Join UBC alumni working in the industry share their experiences and give you the inside scoop on Vancouver’s bustling industry.
Grab your popcorn for this Pecha Kucha-style event presented by the UBC Sauder School of Business, the Peter A. Allard School of Law, and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. In this style, presenters use exactly 20 slides timed for 20 seconds per slide.
We look forward to seeing you at our fifth-annual Pecha Kucha-style event!
WHEN
Thursday, November 22, 2018
6:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.- Doors open
7:00 p.m.- Program begins
8:30 p.m.- Reception begins
WHERE
VanCity Theatre
1181 Seymour St.
Vancouver, BC - map
RSVP
$15 ticket includes two drinks & canapes.
This event is open to UBC Sauder and Allard alumni and their guests.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Josh Epstein (BCom ‘01)
Vancouver-born actor, writer, and producer, recognized for his work with numerous awards.
Josh Epstein’s latest film, Adventures in Public School, starring Judy Greer, premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It was the opening film of TIFF TOP TEN, with theatricals in Canada, US, UK, and Japan before finally landing on Netflix, TMN, and HBO Eastern Europe. His first film Eadweard won five international film festival awards and was distributed around the world.
This year, Josh was nominated for 10 Leo Awards and a 'Best Original Screenplay’ Canadian Screen Award for his work as a writer and producer. As an actor, he has starred in shows across the country and this year he was nominated for a Jessie and a Dora. Currently, he’s re-writing scripts for EOne, Mark Gordon, and a Canadian/Berlin co-production.
Joel Guralnick (LLB ’95)
Chief Legal Officer at BRON Studios
Joel Guralnick joined BRON in 2016 and currently serves as Chief Legal Officer of the BRON group of companies, overseeing all legal matters including film and television development and production as well as corporate development matters. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer for BRON. Prior to joining BRON, Joel led the Entertainment practice in the Vancouver office of Goodmans LLP where worked on numerous film and television projects, and also served as General Counsel of Vision Critical Communications. Joel has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University, a law degree from the University of British Columbia and a Masters in Law degree (in Internet law) from Osgoode Hall and is a member of the bar in British Columbia.
Sarah Kalil (JD ’10)
Corporate Lawyer and President of Women in Film and Television
Sarah Kalil is a corporate lawyer, certified professional coach, and the President of Women in Film and Television (currently serving her fourth term). She is also the creator of The Trailblazer’s Guide to the Stars - a guide for the path less travelled - which makes sense given various the twists and turns of her own journey.
Peter Leitch (BCom ’79)
Accomplished studio executive and strong supporter of local productions.
Peter Leitch is the President of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios and Chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia. He is also a director of BlueShore Financial.
Peter is a member of the Board of Governors of the BC Business Council, a Past Chair of the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and former director of the BC Chamber of Commerce. He has also served on Canada Revenue Agency’s Small Business Advisory Committee and Film Advisory Committee.
Peter was honoured with a fellowship by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC, a Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal and an honorary doctorate degree from Capilano University.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. He successfully completed his ICD.D course from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Diane Nhan (JD ’11)
Commercial Talent Agent with Lucas Talent
Originally from Alberta, Diane studied Psychology at the U of A before obtaining her JD from UBC in 2011. However, after interning in the criminal courts and articling with a divorce litigation firm, she realized that her true passions lay in the arts rather than the justice system.
From there, a well-timed Groupon offer led to Diane taking weekly evening acting classes, before diving into a 6-month intensive acting program. Meanwhile, she held a day job specializing in headhunting IT and corporate professionals.
After several years of halfheartedly being both an “actor” and a “recruiter”, Diane made the decision to merge her legal and business experience with a continuing excitement for the entertainment industry, and transitioned into a position as a film, television, and commercial Talent Agent. She is now happy to work with Lucas Talent, one of the largest and most established agencies in the country.
Kim Roberts (LLB ‘77)
Film Producer and Entertainment Lawyer at Sepia Films
Kim C. Roberts has produced films and television for more than a decade with partner Tina Pehme, following 25 years as an entertainment lawyer at the boutique law firm Roberts & Stahl.
Together with Pehme, Roberts has produced Sepia’s feature films including most recently Anthem of a Teenage Prophet (2018) starring Juliette Lewis, Cameron Monaghan and Peyton List, The Games Maker (2014), an Argentina/Canada/Italy co-production for Disney starring Joseph Fiennes, Ed Asner and David Mazouz, and In Their Skin (2012), a suspense thriller starring Selma Blair, James D'Arcy, Josh Close and Rachel Miner. Roberts also executive produced the Canada/UK cult classic It’s All Gone Pete Tong (2004) along with more than a dozen TV movies and 4 documentaries.
Apart from his creative role at Sepia, Roberts also oversees production financing and contract negotiations for all of Sepia’s productions and is the resident mixologist.
Rob Simmons (MBA ‘92)
Finance and operations professional bringing his expertise to the animation industry for 20 years.
Rob Simmons has worked in the animation industry for almost 20 years as a finance and operations executive, most recently as Vice President at Atomic Cartoons, where he was responsible for the strategic direction of the company. He also stewarded the company’s financial health during a time of dynamic growth, from six to 500 employees over five years. Rob is an active participant in industry associations and initiatives with a focus on creating an environment for long-term stability in the sector.
David Strasser (LLB ‘04)
Director, screenwriter, and member of the Directors Guild of Canada
David is a Vancouver-based film director, screenwriter, and a member of the Directors Guild of Canada.
His recent projects include the award-winning feature Delinquent (18), the docu-series Against the Grain: A Guide to Nonconformity (18), and the television movie The Wrong Patient (18).
In 2018, Strasser was selected for the prestigious TIFF Filmmaker Lab, was a JETS participant at the 68th Berlinale, and was awarded the Telus STORYHIVE Banff Fellowship. His forthcoming project Small Voices is currently filming for British Columbia’s Knowledge Network. In addition, David is developing his sophomore feature Jackrabbit and the feature-length documentary The Man from Teepee Town.
Bolivian born, David was raised in Calgary before relocating to Vancouver. In addition to studying Film Production at Vancouver Film School, David has two degrees from the University of British Columbia, where he studied Psychology, Philosophy, and Law...
For questions about this event, please contact Julia Escano, Events & Project Specialist at UBC Sauder, at julia.escano@sauder.ubc.ca.