Speakers

Leena Minifie (Gitxaala/British) is a film and television producer and impact strategist based in Vancouver, BC. Her recent producer roles include co-directing and co-producing THE GOOD CANADIAN (in production, CBC, APTN), BONES OF CROWS (CBC, APTN), LILY GLADSTONE: FAR OUT THERE (PBS), BRITISH COLUMBIA - AN UNTOLD HISTORY (Knowledge), THE RECKONING: SECRETS UNEARTHED BY TK’EMLÚPS TE SECWÉPEMC (CBC), and producing the interactive piece SENSE OF HOME (Best New Media ImagineNative 2012), and ?E?anx ‘THE CAVE’ (Sundance Festival 2011, TIFF Top Ten Shorts). 

Now an award-winning series producer whose projects have been nominated for over twenty Canadian Screen Awards and have won multiple Leos, she previously led the Stories First impact team through the strategic marketing and impact production of INDIAN HORSE, THE GRIZZLIES, MONKEY BEACH, THE NEW CORPORATION, NIGHT RAIDERS, and RUN WOMAN RUN. Leena is a fellow with the BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media program and the inaugural Bell Reelworld Producer’s Program for 2021-2023, as well as the Netflix Banff 2022 Diversity of Voices Initiative.

Craig Gainsborough-Waring is an award-winning international film producer and filmmaker. With a diverse portfolio of producing credits, Craig has earned critical acclaim for his work on the transgender feature film and TV series, Rūrangi, which won the 2022 International Emmy for Best Short-Form Series, as well as numerous other awards at international film festivals.

His commitment to social impact and sustainability led him to co-found Greenlit, New Zealand’s industry-led, screen sustainability organization, which supports the screen sector in implementing sustainable practices and features a bespoke carbon calculator for the sector. More recently this has included consulting with MBIE and MCH on the criteria for the rebate 5% uplift, resulting in the industry's first mandatory requirements for sustainability measures being adopted into policy. Prior to working as an independent film producer, Craig worked as Executive Producer for NZ Media & Entertainment, Senior Producer for WPP owned brand agency Designworks and producing TV commercials for 10 years. Beyond filmmaking, Craig has masters degrees in both Arts (Creative Producing) and Law (Commercial law), and is actively involved in the organisation of music and arts festivals.

Libby Hakaraia is a dynamic indigenous storyteller with over 30 years of experience in the screen industry as a director, writer, and producer. She has a deep passion for Indigenous storytelling and has worked on a wide range of projects,including current affairs, documentaries, entertainment series, and both short and long-form dramas. 

Her talent and dedication have been recognized worldwide, with her short films being screened internationally. Notably, she has produced two feature films, Cousins (2021) and Kōkā (2024, release date 2025).

In 2014, Libby took the lead in establishing the Maoriland Film Festival in her tribal home of Ōtaki. What began as a local event has now grown into the largest annual Indigenous festival in the world. Libby’s commitment to fostering Indigenous talent led her to create a centre of excellence in Māori Film and Creative Arts in 2016. This initiative has provided a platform for new Māori and Indigenous filmmakers to showcase their work, including the International NATIVE Slam, which has resulted in 21 films with 60 international filmmakers. Libby’s contribution and success have not gone unnoticed. In 2018, she was honoured with the Women in Film and Television Entrepreneur award, and her remarkable achievements were further recognized in 2023 when she received a NZ Order of Merit for her outstanding services to media and film.

Our Host & Moderator Melina Laboucan-Massimo is Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta. She has worked on social, environmental and climate justice issues for the past 20 years. Melina is the co-founder of Indigenous Climate Action, founder of Sacred Earth and the inaugural Indigenous research fellow at the David Suzuki Foundation. She is the host of a TV series called Power to the People which profiles renewable energy, food security and eco-housing in Indigenous communities across Canada. 

Melina holds a Master’s degree in governance with a focus on energy transition from the University of Victoria. Melina has written for a variety of publications and produced short documentaries on climate change, just transition, energy sovereignty, MMIWG2S and Indigenous cultural revitalization. Melina has been involved in Indigenous media making since 2004 when she started her work in this field at the Indigenous Media Arts Group and Redwire Native Media Society. Melina has studied, campaigned and worked in Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Canada and across Europe focusing on resource extraction, climate change impacts, media literacy and Indigenous rights & responsibilities. Melina has also worked on the issue of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women since 2013 after the suspicious death of her sister Bella whose case still remains unsolved.