International co-productions can unlock bigger budgets, broader audiences, and creative partnerships that transcend borders. But navigating financing, legal frameworks, and cultural logistics is an art in itself. This panel brings together three professionals who have turned cross-border collaboration into both a creative strategy and a sustainable business model.

Whether you’re a producer, director, or industry professional looking to expand your reach, this session offers practical insights into the art and business of going global.

[PANELIST] Darren Dean is an American producer, writer and director, and a four-time Independent Spirit Award nominee (including the prestigious Independent Spirit Piaget Producer’s Award). With frequent collaborator Sean Baker, he created the award winning features PRINCE OF BROADWAY (which he co-wrote), tangerine, and 2017’s Oscar nominated THE FLORIDA PROJECT. He has also produced such award-winning fare as 2010’s KINYARWANDA (dir Alrick Brown), which won the World Cinema Audience Award at Sundance, and THE INFILTRATORS (dirs. Alex Rivera & Cristina Ibarra), which won the NEXT Audience Award and NEXT Innovator Prize at Sundance in 2019, Spirit Award nominee PREMATURE, Sabrina Carpenter's first feature leading role in THE SHORT HISTORY OF THE LONG ROAD. He has also been nominated for an NAACP Image Award (KINYARWANDA) and has won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Feature (for the groundbreaking tangerine). His 2025 releases include THE WELCOME TABLE (dir by Josh Fox) for HBO and A MOSQUITO IN THE EAR (dir Nicola Rinciari).

[PANELIST] Blair Ward is the former Managing Directer of Investment Banking at the National Bank of Canada and with over 20 years of expertise paramount to the the overall vision and strategy of Orogen. He is responsible for founding Orogen's production company and executing its first projects

[PANELIST] Neil Champagne is a film and television producer and Head of Development at Tinygiant, where he leads the company’s independent film division. He previously co-founded A Lasting Dose Pictures, which co-produced the TIFF Platform Prize–winning Riceboy Sleeps. His recent work includes Blue Heron, which won the Swatch First Feature Award at the Locarno Film Festival and the Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as She Keeps Me Young (Us in Progress selection, Tribeca Festival 2026) and Good One (Sundance Film Festival 2024; Directors' Fortnight). Additional credits include The Travel Companion (Tribeca 2025) and ASCO: Without Permission (South by Southwest 2024). Prior to this, he co-produced the CBC/Sundance Channel miniseries Unspeakable, named one of The New York Times’ Best International Shows of 2019. He is currently executive producing Situation #64, starring Hari Nef and Louisa Jacobson, as well as Serville Poblete’s Sunburn, which is set to world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

[MODERATOR} Eman Safadi is one of the Shorts Programmers at the Calgary International Film Festival. In addition to her role at CIFF, she is the co-founder of FOREIGNERZ, an art and production house. In FOREIGNERZ, Eman oversees production and operations, leading various film projects and music videos. Eman is actively involved in the arts community as the Relationship Manager at BUMP Festival. Eman has led workshops and panel discussions at several notable Calgary institutions, such as Arts Commons, The GRAND, and Sled Island Music Festival. Her commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in film, music and artmaking reflects her values and dedication to community service.