13th Annual Oakville Film Festival
June 17–27, 2026

Sharon Stevens is a senior executive at Hollywood Suite, a Canadian specialty broadcaster focused on curated film programming. She brings insight into programming strategy, acquisition decisions, and how independent producers can align projects with broadcaster mandates.

Jonas Chernick is a Canadian writer, actor, and producer known for his work in independent film and television. With experience developing and starring in market-facing projects, he brings a practical perspective on aligning creative development with production and acquisition realities.

Matt Orenstein is a distribution executive with Vortex Media, one of Canada’s leading independent film distributors. He works directly with producers on acquisition strategy,release planning, and sales positioning. His experience provides practical insight into how films move from production to market and what distributors require before committing to a project.

Sean Buckley is an experienced Canadian producer with a track record of developing and producing commercially viable projects. His work spans independent production and collaboration with distributors and broadcasters, offering practical insight into what makes a project executable.

Hilary Hart is an Executive Producer at Game Theory Films; a Canadian production and distribution company focused on commercially viable independent films. She works across development, financing, and distribution, supporting projects from concept through to market. Her experience provides practical insight into how projects are evaluated, structured, and positioned to meet current industry and market expectations.

Jacob Phair is a Canadian filmmaker from Uxbridge, Ontario, known for his passion for character-driven genre storytelling. A graduate of the University of Guelph-Humber’s Film & Media Production program and a member of the Directors Guild of Canada, he has worked across film and television as an assistant director.
Jacob has written and directed several independent projects, including the award-winning short film Lure, and recently completed his debut feature Chimera, which he co-wrote, directed, and co-produced.

Marina Cordoni is a communications strategist and pitch consultant specializing in high-stakes presentation environments. She works with media professionals to refine clarity, persuasion, and presence in buyer-facing situations. award-winning shorts such as Lure. He recently edited his first feature film, Chimera, which he also co-wrote.

Vrishub Merai is a filmmaker and editor with a passion for horror and thriller storytelling. After discovering his love for editing in film school, he went on to work as an assistant editor on feature films including You Gotta Believe starring Owen Wilson, as well as numerous commercials and

Michael Paszt leads Strategic Acquisitions and Global Rights Management at Raven Banner. Michael has Executive Produced over 30 feature films including the Sundance hit, Turbo Kid and SXSW hit, PG: Psycho Goreman. Michael originally began his career as a director on music videos. His films include Nail in the Coffin: The Fall and Rise of Vampiro, Deathstalker (2025), and his upcoming documentary, Owen.

Nathan Fleet is a Canadian producer, director and composer working in film and television since the late 90s, and has a passion for story telling, educating, and producing. Since 2004, he has been running the Hamilton Film Festival, an annual event that puts a spotlight on undiscovered independent films. His current project — Phone: The Musical – an innovative pop-rock web series shot entirely on iPhone.

Kate Green is an award-winning producer/director who recently directed two episodes of the upcoming comedy series One Baby Please (Out TV) produced by her company Kate Green Productions. Kate is thrilled to be screening her first feature documentary, Menopause: Coming in Hot here at the Oakville Film Festival. Kate has extensive experience in lifestyle and factual television production, having served as a producer, story editor, and director on programming broadcast across major networks including Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), HGTV, W Network, CBC, History, Discovery, Fuel TV, National Geographic, and Slice. Her debut documentary, Not a Stranger , received the Audience Choice Award at the Vancouver Short Film Festival and was nominated for “Best Made in Canada” at NorthwestFest. Her second documentary, Melting Stars , earned the award for “Best Short” at the International Wildlife Film Festival.

Greg Jeffs is an NSI Alumni (Features First), has participated in the Telefilm PITCH THIS! Program at TIFF, the 2020 Frontieres program and he won the 2021 Telefilm JETS program. Greg’s work with Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV combines his knowledge of independent filmmaking with the world of professional filmmaking equipment and support. He actively develops long-lasting relationships with emerging and established content creators at all stages of their production to guarantee they obtain maximum value by providing mentorship and advisement on all possible funding opportunities. In working closely with filmmakers, Greg ensures their finished product is the best as it can be.

Garrett Rodman is a passionate advocate for Ontario’s creative industries, currently serving as the Film Liaison for the Town of Oakville. Since fall 2024, he has been focused on driving economic growth by attracting productions and helping filmmakers navigate the town’s stunning locations. Garrett acts as the ultimate one-stop-shop for on-location support, assisting film crews with everything in the municipal permitting world such as parking permits to special effects approvals to road closures and parks bookings. At the same
time working with the community to progress Oakville as a film-friendly location. Before making the move to Oakville, Garrett spent four years at the City of Toronto’s Film
Office and held management positions at the Toronto International Film Festival and The Second City.

Kelly Payne is the founder of No Payne Consulting , a Toronto-based consultancy specializing in business affairs, content strategy, project financing, policy and government
relations. Her twenty-year career spans senior roles at Blue Ant Media, Ontario Creates, Bell Media, and Rogers Broadcasting, with experience across Canadian and international
co-productions, complex financing structures, and the regulatory frameworks that shape how content gets made and distributed. Kelly is a respected figure in the Canadian screen
industry, known for her depth of knowledge, pragmatic approach, and longstanding relationships across the production, broadcast, and policy communities.

What an incredible experience. Wendy and the entire team at OFFA were so kind and helpful. They created a vibrant, inspiring, and creative environment. We felt connected, celebrated and supported throughout the entire festival. The panels were super informative, the events and afterparties — super fun. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and we were thrilled to be a part of it. Thank you Wendy and OFFA.

– Megan Follows

Proud and grateful to have been part of the festival as a filmmaker. The programming team was incredibly helpful and communicative throughout, and the panels offered genuinely valuable insights. Looking forward to coming back!

– Heavens Apart

I am very happy that my film “Lost Youth” was selected. This is a very prestigious film festival, and I will come to participate in this festival again with my future works. The staff is very responsible and the overall feeling is very good.

– Jian Cao

Very supportive and passionate festival that truly loves cinema and its filmmakers

– Avi Federgreen

What an incredible festival. I was honoured to have my film BABY in this year’s lineup. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to return.

– Andrea Louise

The Oakville Film Festival was an incredible experience for both myself and my team. As a filmmaker, having our film screen at such a well-curated event was truly special. The festival’s organization was seamless, and the team behind it made sure every filmmaker felt valued and supported. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted warmly, and the screening was packed with an attentive, engaged audience—exactly what every filmmaker hopes for.

– Add the Dog – Vanessa Esteves