Canada Media Fund appoints new VP of Growth & Inclusion and Director of Interactive Digital Media

Toronto, March 06, 2023 -The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is thrilled to announce the appointments of Marcia Douglas as Vice President, Growth & Inclusion and Janine Steele as Director, Interactive Digital Media.

Most recently the CMF’s Director of English Content, International and Export, Marcia will take on the role of VP, Growth & Inclusion as of April 3, 2023. Reporting to Mathieu Chantelois, EVP of Marketing & Public Affairs, Marcia will lead the organization’s growth and inclusion strategy, building on Tamara Dawit’s invaluable work. Tamara has completed her agreed to contract and workplan with the CMF and will return to her award-winning filmmaking projects.

Throughout her career, Marcia has led files related to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the industry, including at the CMPA as VP, Industry & Business Affairs, on boards and committees, with public and private institutions, and with different levels of government. She was the founding co-chair of Ontario Green Screen, an initiative aimed at empowering the province’s motion picture industry to incorporate sustainable best practices into all aspects of film production.

A proud biracial Pilipina Canadian, Marcia has more than 20 years of experience in the development and production of Canadian screen-based content for traditional and digital platforms and audiences.

Marcia Janine

Janine Steele will join the Canada Media Fund on March 6, 2023 as our first Director of Interactive Digital Media (IDM).

Based in Vancouver, BC, Janine is an experienced media producer and arts administrator with a focus on digital strategy and immersive technologies. Over the past 20 years, she has held senior roles provincially with Creative BC and federally with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). 

While at the NFB, she was responsible for all their digital products and platforms, and managed award-winning collaborations with key partners, such as Google, the Guardian, imagineNATIVE, and VICE Media. Most recently Janine was a programs manager at Creative BC, responsible for the Domestic Motion Picture Fund and the Interactive Fund. In that role, she designed several industry-leading funding programs, including the first digital media funding available in BC, and the first targeted funding for equity seeking motion picture creators in BC.

Reporting to Rod Butler, VP of Content & Regulatory, Janine will help develop CMF policy and programs to ensure the CMF’s mandate is fulfilled in consistency with the distinctiveness of Canada’s IDM market.

“These two roles are critical for the Canada Media Fund’s continued support of the industry we serve, and our ability to reach more communities and creators,” says Valerie Creighton, President & CEO, CMF. “Marcia has played a key role in our organization since joining last year, and I know she will have a long-lasting impact as she leverages her expertise to realize our growth and inclusion strategy. Janine’s experience will be essential in shaping our increasingly larger role with interactive digital media communities while ensuring we have a strong presence on the west coast, and with her help we’ll continue to find unique and exciting opportunities to serve the IDM industry. I’m excited to welcome them both on board.”

About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances, and promotes the production of Canadian content for all audiovisual platforms. In addition, it guides Canadian content towards a competitive global digital environment by supporting industry innovation, rewarding success, promoting diversity of voices, and encouraging access to content through public- and private-sector partnerships. The CMF receives funding from the Government of Canada and from cable, satellite, and IP service distributors across the country. Visit the CMF's website for more information.

Media contact:

Maxime Ruel
Senior Manager, Communications, Canada Media Fund
[email protected]