Events  /  Cast, Crew & Care: Who’s Looking After the Industry?

Cast, Crew & Care: Who’s Looking After the Industry?

A national roundtable webinar on caregiver support in the screen-based industry

Location:
Making Waves Conference in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, NS

Live streamed via Zoom (Registration required)

This roundtable is a co-production by Balancing Act Canada and Women in Film & Television Toronto (WIFT+ Toronto),  in partnership with Women in Film & Television- Atlantic (WIFT-AT) as part of their upcoming 15th Annual Making Waves Conference at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia.

ASL Vlog Services provided by Alma Amorim, Deaf Interpreter (Alma’s Interpreting Services)

Join us for a powerful and thought-provoking conversation with artist parents, caregivers, and industry leaders as they tackle the urgent need for care-centered policies and practices in the Canadian screen-based industry. This dynamic discussion will confront challenges, share bold strategies, and envision pathways to transformative support. Together, we’ll explore amplifying the voices of mothers in media, and cultivating collective care across the sector.

The webinar will include a Q&A session. Don’t miss this inspiring and essential conversation about building a more inclusive, care-focused sector.

Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Time: 12:45 – 2:15 pm ET / 1:45 – 3:15 pm AT

Live-streamed via Zoom Webinar

WITH PANELISTS:

Mayko Nguyen

Shailene Garnett

Siobhan Kennedy-Cameron

ASL and French interpreters will be present for the webinar

Balancing Act panels are held in English, but are accessible in French thanks to live interpretation.

📣 Meet the panel! 📣

🟡 Although best known for her characters of ‘Goth Girl’ in RENT-A-GOALIE and ‘Mayko Tran’ in REGENESIS, for which she received Gemini and Actra Award nominations, Mayko Nguyen‘s numerous television credits include: recurring roles on ABC’s ROOKIE BLUE; NBC’s THE FIRM; and CBC’s CRACKED; as well as guest spots on shows such as CBC’s BEING ERICA; Syfy’s CONTINUUM; CTV’s MOTIVE, NBC’s WORKING THE ENGELS; SuperChannel’s SLASHER, Global’s PRIVATE EYES, and TRANSPLANT for NBC.

Nguyen currently stars in CityTV’s HUDSON & REX, which shoots in St. John’s Newfoundland, where the series is set. Nguyen plays series regular, ‘Dr. Sarah Truong’, the head of forensics, on the popular procedural.

Nguyen had the lead role of ‘Ming’ in the TMN mini-series BLOODLETTING AND MIRACULOUS CURES, co-starring Shawn Ashmore, and based on the book by writer/doctor, Vincent Lam. Additionally, she recurred in the cult-favourite, comedic webseries from CBC, BUT I’M CHRIS JERICO!; and recurred on the Syfy hit series, KILLJOYS.

On the stage, Nguyen received her first Dora Award nomination in 2016 for her emotional portrayal of ‘Mary Snow’ in Ravi-Jain’s SALT-WATER MOON. She has also been seen in Nina Lee Aquino’s CARRIED AWAY ON THE CREST OF A WAVE; Pablo Felices-Luna’s DANNY KING OF THE BASEMENT and Rochelle Douris’s TURKS AND INFIDELS, to name just a few. This past spring, Nguyen starred in Factory Theatre’s unique staging of BEAUTIFUL MAN, for director, Andrea Donaldson.

On the big screen, Nguyen was recently seen in: the highly anticipated FAHRENHEIT 451, with Michael Shannon and Michael B. Jordan; April Mullen’s festival darling BELOW HER MOUTH; RUPTURE, also starring Noomi Rapace and Kerry Bishé; the horror film BUCKOUT ROAD with Henry Czerny; and the sci-fi thriller ANON, with Clive Owen. Most recently, she was seen in THE RIGHTEOUS, from director Mark O’Brien; and in HELLO STRANGER, opposite Sam Worthington.

🟡 Shailene Garnett is a wife, and mother of her 2 year old son, and 10 year old step-daughter. She is a Canadian actress, living in Los Angeles. She’s known for playing the lead in the Psychological Thriller film, ‘Welcome’, she is a series regular on the Halifax-based legal drama, Diggstown, and is known for her role in Murdoch Mysteries.

In addition to acting, Shailene is mentor and career strategist for up-and-coming actors. She is an executive partner for the film industry training initiative, ‘Black Above the Line’, which is a program that fast-tracks emerging filmmakers towards a career in their respective fields. Shailene created and teaches the acting program.

🟡 Siobhan Kennedy-Cameron is an Associate Producer/Production Manager with This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Siobhan has been with the show since 1999 and working in the television and film industry in Halifax, Nova Scotia since 1994. She has produced the Screen Nova Scotia Awards for 10 years and is Chair of DGC Maritimes with 6 years of Board Experience. Originally from the UK Siobhan achieved a degree in Film & Media Studies at The University of Stirling in Scotland. She emigrated to Halifax in 1992 trusting someone she knew that there could be a career in Nova Scotia’s fledgling film industry. He is now her husband and co-parent of their 3 best productions aged 22, 20 and 16.

🟡 And our moderator 🟡

Amy Matysio is an award-winning actor, writer, host and creative producer who has captivated audiences for over two decades. She has earned acclaim on stage with renowned companies such as the National Arts Centre, Northern Light Theatre, and Young People’s Theatre (Dora Award), with standout performances in The Syringa Tree (Globe Theatre) and the recent world premiere of The Bidding War (Crows Theatre). Matysio’s screen credits include genre hits WolfCop and its sequel, CSA-nominated performances in Save Me and Runnng with Violet, and appearances in Sort Of, Hudson and Rex and the feature film Die Alone. Named one of Playback’s Ten to Watch and CBC’s Future 40, in 2020 she was honored with the University of Regina’s Distinguished Alumni Award (Media, Art & Performance). A passionate advocate for creative workers, Matysio serves as a Vice President of ACTRA Toronto, and is the project manager for Balancing Act’s screen-based media expansion of Level UP!. She’s also a proud mama to her son Jagger.

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