Toronto (Tkaronto) – The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is proud to announce the selection of four Indigenous producers to attend Prime Time 2026. Prime Time, organized by the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), is an annual conference where global leaders and Canadian decision-makers in the audiovisual sector and media policy gather in Ottawa for three days of workshops, networking opportunities, and one-on-one meetings.
ISO is partnering with the CMPA to support this delegation at the 31st edition of Prime Time.
“The ISO is pleased to be bringing a delegation of Indigenous producers to Prime Time once again this year,” says Melanie Hadley, Vice-President of Industry, Partnerships and Growth at ISO. “This partnership with the CMPA contributes to our goal of expanding the impact of Indigenous stories and talent to the broader industry, initiating important business relationships and developing potential collaborations.”
The delegates attending Prime Time will be Shantae Gibson (Rezolution Pictures Inc.), Vanessa Loewen (Highway 6 Pictures Inc.), Denis Paquette (RealWorld Media Inc.), and Simon Villeneuve (Andicha Média Inc.).
“We’re thrilled to welcome an official delegation from the Indigenous Screen Office to Prime Time for the fourth consecutive year. As a new generation of Indigenous creators makes waves across the industry, we’re excited to have another talented cohort of Indigenous producers bringing authentic voices, creativity, and fresh perspectives to the conference.” says Andrew Addison, Senior Vice-President, Communications & Member Services at CMPA.
Kerry Swanson, Chief Executive Officer at ISO, will participate in the panel “Canada’s future: Building a creative nation.” During this session, the leaders of the country’s national audiovisual organizations come together for a candid conversation about cultural sovereignty, the strength of Canadian and Indigenous stories, reaching audiences where they are, and the future of Canada’s domestic production ecosystem. This session will explore how public investment bolsters creative ambition, economic and cultural growth, and global competitiveness, and how funding strategies are putting the industry first and evolving to meet the realities of a changing marketplace. ISO will also be hosting an Idea Blast. See Prime Time Schedule for more details.
Delegate Bios:
Shantae Gibson – Rezolution Pictures Inc.
Shantae Gibson is an emerging producer and media strategist from the Kainai Nation, dedicated to amplifying Indigenous voices through film and storytelling. At Rezolution Pictures, she has worked across development, production, post-production, grant writing, marketing, and distribution, overseeing educational and theatrical campaigns while fostering grassroots community engagement.
Her credits include APTN series Gespe’gewa’gi: The Last Land II and III (2023) and Spirit of Birth (2025), CBC Documentary Channel features Red Fever (2024), So Surreal: Behind the Masks (2024), and Born to Be Wild: The Story of Steppenwolf (2024), as well as short films and web series including Stringbean (2025) and Goalcast (2023). In December 2025, she became Development Producer on CBC’s Power of Style and Producer on AAYAANISCHAA: Generation to Generation, a Cree lifestyle docuseries hosted by Ernest Webb.
An adoptee passionate about cultural traditions, she envisions making Indigenous storytelling accessible nationally and internationally using media as a tool for authentic representation, advocacy, and cultural resurgence.
Vanessa Loewen – Highway 6 Pictures Inc.
A proud Manitoba Metis with matrilineal roots in the Hallett and Pruden families of the Red River settlements, Vanessa Loewen has produced and directed over 100 hours of original and captivating programming that reflects Indigenous Peoples.
Production highlights include Indigenous Day Live (2009-2023), a national concert event featuring stages across the country, and Remembering The Children: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a live broadcast from Parliament Hill for multiple Canadian broadcasters including the CBC, CTV and APTN. Other programs of note are the Canadian Screen Award-nominated series First Contact (Seasons 1 & 2) and 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas based on the New York Times bestselling book by Charles Mann, as well as four seasons of the highly successful paranormal series Ghost Hunters of the Grand River.
Recently Vanessa was thrilled to have been welcomed on as a producer for the Crave/CTV Comedy hit Acting Good, as well as writing and directing Rezervations for Two, a highly anticipated new dating series for APTN, hosted by the incomparable Kairyn Potts and Scott Wabano.
Denis Paquette – RealWorld Media Inc.
Born and raised in Manitoba, Denis left to pursue his passion, graduating from the Vancouver Film School and co-founding Vancouver based RealWorld Media Inc./RealWorld Films Inc (realworldmedia.tv). Over the last 25 years, he has produced, written, directed, and shot numerous docuseries, features and one-offs. From RealWorld’s award winning feature documentary Cry of the Andes to their critically acclaimed international TV series Native Planet, Denis creates and produces character driven stories. In addition to his key creative roles, Denis focuses on growing RealWorld’s international slate of documentary IP. Recent RealWorld credits include the adventure docuseries Northern Air Rescue, season 2 (13 x 30:00, APTN) premiering Spring 2026, the limited doc series THE CONVERSATION (4 x 60:00, TELUS originals) released May 2025, and the branded web series The New Energy (7 x 15:00) released September 2025. As a Red River Métis filmmaker, many of RealWorld’s credits feature Indigenous inspired stories.
Simon Villeneuve – Andicha Média Inc.
Simon Villeneuve is a Wendat filmmaker and producer who amplifies Indigenous voices through bold and compelling visual storytelling. Born and raised in Wendake, Quebec, he began his career as a director of photography, working on music videos, commercials, documentaries, fiction films, and both TV and web series fiction. He has also directed a wide range of short and long-form projects,—among them four seasons of Sur le pouce and Bouffe en cavale for Évasion, and La brigade des nations for APTN.
In 2017, he co-founded Andicha Média, a production company dedicated to high-quality, culturally driven content rooted in First Nations perspectives. As a hands-on producer, he’s involved in every stage of production —from development to delivery—with a focus on reaching both national and international audiences.
His recent credits include Savoirs légendaires (Legends Keepers), a youth series blending live-action and animation to explore traditional legends, and six seasons of Chuck and the First Peoples’ Kitchen, which earned a nomination for Best Lifestyle Program or Series at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards.
-30-
For more information:
Jean-François D. O’Bomsawin
Director of Communications and Francophone Initiatives, ISO
[email protected]
About the Indigenous Screen Office
The Indigenous Screen Office is an independent national advocacy and funding organization supporting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis creators of screen-based content in Canada. The ISO’s mandate is to foster narrative sovereignty, cultural revitalization, and increased Indigenous control and participation in the screen sector. Its work aligns with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and contributes to the advancement of Indigenous languages, storytelling, and creative expression on all platforms.
About the CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production, and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema, and digital media channels. For more than 75 years, the CMPA has worked to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences.
About Prime Time
For 31 years, the CMPA’s Prime Time conference has been the pre-eminent meeting place for leaders in media production, broadcasting, television, and feature film in Canada.