By Zehra Nawab
I packed for Vancouver expecting networking, panels, important conversations, and plenty of coffee. Thanks to the SACFF (South Asian Canadian Film Federation) fellowship that I received, I came home with something far more valuable: a new perspective on the future of screen storytelling.
East by North West (EXNW), helmed by Barbara Lee and hosted by the Racial Equity Screen Office (RESO) in Vancouver, has quickly established itself as one of Canada’s most significant gatherings for racialized creators working across film, television, animation, and digital media. This year’s summit brought together filmmakers, executives, policymakers, and international partners to discuss not only where the industry is headed, but who gets to shape its future.
Walking into the conference, one is immediately pulled into conversations around writing, producing, international co-productions, and financing. What surprised me was how consistently every conversation returned to a central question: how can emerging technologies expand creativity without diminishing the human stories that make cinema meaningful?
As someone who has just completed her documentary “Dance of Resistance” and is developing projects that use archival footage, I found myself drawn to Sunday’s AI Forum. The panel ’AI and the Future of Documentary Filmmaking’ confronted one of the most pressing questions facing nonfiction storytellers: when audiences can no longer assume that every image is authentic, how do documentary filmmakers preserve trust? The discussion didn’t reject artificial intelligence. Instead, it explored where AI can genuinely assist filmmakers, from restoring archives and improving accessibility to lowering production barriers for emerging creators. The conversations insisted that transparency and ethics remain at the centre of documentary practice. Lalita Krishna, Chair of the Canadian Independent Screen Fund, who was awarded the Global Connector Award, shared, “AI can create an image, not context. The storytelling and storyteller should not be lost when using this tool.” This was an important takeaway – that technology can uplift the narrative, but it is only as good as the creative behind it.
Equally thought-provoking was the conversation on ’AI and Film Festival Programming’, where programmers and industry leaders debated disclosure policies, authorship and audience expectations. Ghinwa Yassine, Executive Director of MENA Film Festival, said, “[o]nly artists should be able to define what art is.” For filmmakers submitting to festivals, these are no longer theoretical conversations; they are quickly becoming practical realities that will influence funding, programming and distribution. Clement Lau, Vice President of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, spoke about how festivals are equitable spaces where communities are built and pressing conversations are had. The other panelists weighed in, agreeing that festivals will have to be in service to the filmmakers, their audiences, and, in conjunction with those two, agree on how AI-generated films or films using AI footage will be approached, categorized, and programmed.
For most audiences, the standout sessions were the two in-depth conversations.
First was a fireside chat with actor, writer and showrunner, Jasmeet Raina, in conversation with journalist, Jeevan Sangha, discussing the journey from digital creator to television show extraordinaire on ‘Late Bloomer’. His reflections on creative ownership, authenticity and building a sustainable career resonated with many filmmakers navigating multiple platforms and industries. “Don’t be afraid to speak authentically,” he said, as he spoke about how culturally specific content will always resonate with audiences.
Jasmeet Raina and Jeevan Sangha in conversation.
For the second talk, the main EXNW room filled up fast as sharp-witted comedian Julie Kim invited acclaimed actor, writer, director, and producer Randall Park on stage for an intimate conversation about his career. Ranging from his breakout role as Louis Huang on ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ and fan-favorite appearances as Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to co-writing and starring in the hit Netflix film ‘Always Be My Maybe’, Park spoke about the evolution of Asian characters through the years, and how shifting representation in Hollywood has changed the opportunities available to a new generation of performers. When speaking about how he is widely remembered as “Asian Jim” from ‘The Office’, he very earnestly shared that the longevity of a career is contingent on doing “each role with integrity,” no matter how few or many the lines, as “…that is how a role truly stays with the audiences.”
Raina and Park, who also received the Global Connector Award that evening, spoke about the importance of creating work consistently, on whatever budget is available, keeping that storytelling muscle in motion, writing daily, building teams of collaborators along the way.
Randall Park and Julie Kim in conversation.
Beyond the panels, EXNW excelled in something conferences often promise but rarely deliver: genuine community. The conversations between sessions felt as valuable as those on stage. Producers shared funding strategies, filmmakers exchanged festival experiences, and creators from different cultural backgrounds discovered surprising common ground. There was an unmistakable sense that racialized storytellers were not simply asking for seats at existing tables; we were actively building new ones. That spirit carried into the EXNW Ball, which celebrated creatives whose work has transformed the screen industries. The evening was a reminder that representation is not simply about visibility; it is about recognizing excellence, leadership and cultural impact across generations.
Among the most honest discussions at EXNW was a panel examining what it means to be the only BIPOC voice in a writers’ room. Screenwriter Tanvi Bhatia, who has written on Canadian shows ‘Allegiance’ and ‘Heartland’, spoke about balancing authenticity with advocacy and managing the invisible labour of representation. Ryan Atimoyoo, who has credits on ‘SkyMed’ and ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’, reflected on the importance of navigating when to speak up and how to build boundaries that allow creatives to thrive without carrying the weight of an entire community. A related talk that piqued interest was titled “The Attention Economy: How Vertical Worlds and Branded Content Build Global Audiences”. This conversation was a fascinating look at how storytelling is evolving in an era where attention has become one of the most valuable currencies. What stood out to me was the idea that vertical storytelling and microdramas are not simply “short-form content,” but a new language of storytelling shaped by audience behaviour. These formats are forcing creators to think differently about character, pacing, world-building, and emotional hooks. A story no longer waits for audiences to find it; creators are increasingly building communities around stories and allowing audiences to become part of the journey.
The discussion around writers’ rooms and creator-led ecosystems was compelling, particularly in a landscape where discoverability is often the biggest barrier, and understanding audiences is becoming as important as understanding the craft itself. Data and technology can provide insight, but the emotional core of a story, the characters, the cultural specificity, the human experience, is what allows stories to travel across borders. The future of storytelling may exist across many screens, but the foundation remains the same: compelling characters, authentic perspectives, and stories that make people feel seen. Filmmaker Wesley Chan said, when in conversation with Li Yeh, Director of Original Programming at Bell Media Inc., that “as you embark on being a content creator, be a content creator.”
The South Asian Canadian Film Federation delegation with Jasmeet Raina.
The EXNW pitch session transformed what can often feel like a nerve-wracking industry rite of passage into a meaningful exchange between filmmakers and decision-makers who were genuinely invested in the stories being brought forward. As a relatively new immigrant navigating my way into the Canadian film industry, seeing my pitch selected felt like one of those rare “maybe I really do belong here” moments. Presenting my work in development to an executive from one of Canada’s leading networks, surrounded by industry leaders who were genuinely curious, generous with their advice, and invested in getting to know creators, was a truly special opportunity. EXNW was a reminder that while filmmaking begins with a story, careers are built through the conversations, collaborations, and communities that grow around them.
I had flown to Vancouver just hours after wrapping up work on a feature film, and as soon as the conference ended, I was back on a plane to Toronto to step onto a short film set as an actor. But in those three days in between projects, I left with something truly valuable: a renewed sense of possibility. What stayed with me was how naturally conversations around equity, innovation, and global collaboration were woven into discussions about the future of storytelling. Canadian cinema is increasingly becoming a space where local stories can hold global resonance, and filmmakers with multicultural perspectives are uniquely positioned to build those bridges. As someone who has a career creating films between cultures, disciplines, and roles, I was reminded that our lived experiences are not limitations; they are our creative advantage. The future of storytelling belongs to those who can see beyond borders, connect communities, and tell stories that allow audiences everywhere to recognize a piece of themselves.
EXNW Lobby in between sessions.
Photo Credits: Zehra Nawab.
