Advisory Committee

Mandate and role of
the advisory committee

The advisory committee includes business leaders from across the country.

Context

On March 2, 2012, Telefilm Canada announced the launch of the Talent Fund; a new private donation fund with the goal of helping to foster the success of Canadian cinema. The fund draws on the financial support of companies as well as individual donors interested in supporting the production, distribution, and promotion of Canadian feature films and the next generation of Canadian filmmakers and content creators.

Mandate and role of the advisory committee

Telefilm Canada is pleased to have an Advisory Committee of distinguished Canadian philanthropists with a mandate to help assist Telefilm in maximizing exposure for the Fund. The mandate of Committee members is to champion the Fund with potential donors, encouraging them to donate to support promising, emerging, and established filmmakers achieve their full potential both in Canada and abroad.

Support from Telefilm Canada

Telefilm will provide access to the following tools: fact sheets, FAQs, pitch presentations, and regular press releases. A strong communications presence has also been developed for the Talent Fund. We look forward to the participation of Committee members in our collective goal to promote Canadian talent and to ensure Canada’s leadership in the global film industry.

Our Committee

Sandi Treliving

Chair, Advisory Committee
Philanthropist (British Columbia)

A tenured and passionate supporter of mental and physical health, Sandi sits on the CAMH Foundation Board and previously participated as a committee member of the Transforming Lives Awards and as Chair of Sales & Sponsorships for the UnMasked Campaign. Sandi’s drive and determination can be partially credited to her more than 17 years of experience in retail banking with the Bank of Montreal. Her well-rounded experience also includes acting as committee member for the David Foster Foundation Gala in 2013 and as a volunteer for the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

David Aisenstat

Chair, Keg Restaurants Ltd. (British Columbia)

Mr. Aisenstat is the President and CEO of the Keg Steakhouse & Bar, Canada’s premier casual dining brand, as well as of a variety of other well-known restaurants. He also contributes to a number of organizations, including Action Canada, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation.

John Bitove

CEO, Obelysk Inc.
(Ontario)

Mr. Bitove is the sole shareholder of Obelysk, which has major investments in the wireless, satellite radio, real estate and other businesses, and he serves as the Chairman of SiriusXM. Canada In 1993, he founded the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club. A strong believer of giving back to the community, Mr. Bitove founded S’Cool Life Fund, to support public elementary schools across Canada in the areas of DREAMS – Drama, Recreation, Extra-Curricular, Arts, Music, and Sports.

Dr. Anil Gupta

Medical Director of Clinical Cardiology, Trillium Health Centre (Ontario)

Dr. Gupta is Staff Cardiologist at the Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga and Etobicoke. He is also a lecturer at the University of Toronto and the Chair of Continuing Medical Education for the Greater Toronto Area Community Cardiologists (GTACC). Anil Gupta has been a Council member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as well as of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS).

Carol R. Hill

Director of Communications for Harvard Developments Inc., A Hill Company (Saskatchewan)

Ms. Hill has worked as a newspaper columnist and a freelance journalist. She is the founder and current Honorary Chairperson of Canadian Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, and co-founder of Mother Teresa Middle School for underprivileged, Regina inner-city children. Ms. Hill also served on numerous national and provincial boards, such as the Max Bell Foundation, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Canadian Council of Business for the Arts.

Christine Magee

Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Sleep Country (Ontario)

Ms. Magee co-founded Sleep Country in 1994 and served as its President until November 2014. Ms. Magee serves on the Board of Directors of Sleep Country Canada, SiriusXM Canada, Trillium Health Partners,Woodbine Entertainment Group. Ms. Magee is a Member of the Order of Canada, University Health Network Senate recognition program, Mentoring Council of the Province of Ontario Innovation Fund, Talent Fund Advisory Committee, the Advisory Board of the Ivey School of Business, the Women’s President Organization and Covenant House Toronto, Selection & Strategy Committee. She holds an HBA (Honours) from the University of Western Ontario.

Nathan Yeung

Chief Marketing Officer, Find Your Audience (British Columbia)

Mr. Yeung is a serial entrepreneur with over ten years of building, developing and consulting small-to-medium sized businesses in the entertainment, oil and gas, fast-moving consumer goods, and professional services sectors. Currently, his firm Find Your Audience is helping businesses operationalize their marketing functions. Mr. Yeung’s quest to learn further and appreciate the arts is coupled with his support of health-related charities such as Vancouver General Hospital and IWK in Halifax.