Sandrine Pechels DE saint sardos
Ottawa Film Commissioner

As Ottawa Film Commissioner, I work to position Canada’s capital as an affordable, boutique destination for filmmakers. With over 20 years in the global entertainment industry, I bring extensive experience in film, television, production, co-production, and content distribution across North America and Europe.

Before joining the Ottawa Film Office, I held leadership roles at CBC/Radio-Canada, TFO, and Bejuba! Entertainment, and co-founded Rocket Launch Media and Sanden Media. My career has focused on building partnerships, developing content, and championing diverse storytelling. I remain an active contributor to the international screen community as a juror, mentor, and panelist, dedicated to fostering a vibrant and sustainable film industry in Ottawa.

keren jackman
HEAD OF PRODUCTION, GUSTO

For more than two decades, Keren has worked globally as a producer and director on a wide range of content, including lifestyle, factual and documentary series. Keren's focus, since 2020, has been as Head of Production for Gusto Worldwide Media. In her role she creates and delivers exciting new content for Gusto’s multiple international channels. The team at Gusto has delivered over 200 hours of programming, more than 30 shows and close to 400 episodes during her tenure.

Christopher Giroux
FILM PRODUCER

Christopher Giroux is a Canadian film producer with credits on more than 50 feature films across multiple genres. A graduate of Sheridan College’s Advanced Television and Film program, he began his career producing ten back-to-back genre features with Black Fawn Films and Breakthrough Entertainment.

His recent projects include The Christmas Charade, Christmas Island, Learning to Love Again, Anything for Jackson, and the TIFF-selected The End of Sex (2022). Giroux has also directed Uphill for Christmas, slated for a 2026 release. His work has appeared on Netflix, Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, Prime Video, Crave, and Showtime, among others.

From 2023 to 2025, he served as Senior Vice President of Production at Vortex Media, overseeing 37 films before returning to independent producing. He is President of the Hamilton Film Board, a member of the Producers Roundtable of Ontario, and co-creator of the comic Doctor Awesome Woman. His work has earned multiple accolades, including a Certified Fresh trophy from Rotten Tomatoes and two 2023 Canadian Screen Award nominations.

JASON BRENNAN
PRESIDENT, NISH MEDIA

Jason Brennan is a member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinaabeg. As the head of Nish Media, he has managed the production and direction of more than one hundred hours of television programming and several feature films that have achieved recognition both domestically and internationally. In 2022, Mr. Brennan produced "Dear Flora," the first fully Indigenous drama series created in Canada. The series received significant critical acclaim, earning a Prix Gémeaux, the top award at the 2022 MIPCOM Diversify TV Awards, and Best Mini Series at the C21 Content London Drama Awards in 2022.