Creators Share Their Hopes for 2025
To celebrate the holiday season, Now & Next recently asked creators to reveal their favourite holiday films and viewing traditions. Now, as we usher in 2025, we survey another cast of creators asking them to share with readers their hopes and wishes for the new year. From increased funding opportunities to greater accessibility for disabled creators to a simple change of mindset, our creators aspire to shake up the Canadian media landscape.
SHAZIA JAVED
(filmmaker/producer Potluck Ladies, founder LifeSketch Media)
I would love to see the big streamers support projects with Canadian IP in a meaningful way so that we can continue to tell our stories and compete globally. I would also love to see diversity and inclusion become an organic part of the hiring process at all levels in the industry rather than an afterthought!
As a producer, I am excited to champion some new voices as part of our slate. There are plans to grow our team at LifeSketch Media. As a writer and director, I hope to move towards production on a feature film that we have been developing! We are also pitching a limited series that is in the crime thriller space. There is a lot to look forward to!
JOSIANE BLANC
(writer/director/producer, Hogtown)
The past year was a very difficult one for many creatives and crew in the industry, with a slowdown in production that has also led to more demands for content that I would describe as “safe” or “traditional.” So, in 2025, I wish us all an active recovery of our beautiful industry, but also one that continues to abound with innovative and ambitious projects. Let's keep pushing the boundaries and be bold as our diverse Canadian audience craves authentic creative content that speaks to their heart and their minds.
I'm blessed, 2024 has been a busy year for me, with the post-production and back-to-back launches of two series and two feature-length documentaries. For the coming year, I'm very excited about developing new projects with different creators and exploring new formats and genres. I like to challenge myself; it keeps things fun, fresh, and exciting! My wish for 2025 is to scale in my hometown of Montreal what I’ve accomplished in Ontario.
MICHAEL MABBOTT
(director, Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story)
Optimism. I don’t want to have another conversation about how bleak the landscape is. I wish for optimism. And defiance. Defiant optimism.
WINNIE LUK
(Executive Director, Disability Screen Office)
In 2025, I envision the adoption of new inclusion models and the creation of industry-wide mandates that hold producers, studios, and broadcasters accountable for accessible practices.
We’re working toward a cultural shift in a deeply traditional industry, where truly inclusive and accessible productions are still a new concept for many. Yet, I’ve seen productions begin to embrace change—implementing shorter workdays, flexible setups, and prioritizing people over profits.
I believe that with bold action, innovative approaches, and systemic change, the Canadian screen industry can truly reflect our society and the 27% of all Canadian adults who are living with one or more disabilities. Canada has the potential to lead in this space, stepping ahead rather than lagging behind.
AMAR WALA
(writer/director, Shook)
The one thing I hope for is that CMF and Telefilm find more ways of working together to make applications and delivery of projects simpler for filmmakers. As the line between theatrical and streaming gets blurrier, it's imperative that the two organizations create cleaner pathways for feature films to be made in collaboration with both of them.
SASHA BOERSMA
(co-founder/producer Sticky Brain Studios)
That we evolve from the idea that “Gamers” are a monolith.
Just like “readers” or “film fans” have a huge range of tastes, the video game market is maturing and expanding, becoming far more diverse. Players crave new and innovative experiences that don’t just repeat the same patterns at higher resolutions. We’re working to make the game developer culture just as diverse, to meet the consumer market head-on. This means collaborating with people who might be considered “untraditional” in the existing gamer culture and creating content with a global appeal. This can be expensive for independent developers, localizing in many languages, marketing for different cultures, and working with different social media platforms and approaches.
People are being more selective with their entertainment dollars; especially as financial uncertainty continues. If the diversity of our players and their tastes are not reflected in the products we make, people will just go to other forms of entertainment to spend their time. Now is the time to invest in less conventional games, creating legendary experiences that attract the next decade's revenue in gaming.
