Get closer to how screen stories get made.
From filmmaking across South Asia and North Africa to working with editors and broadcasters, the MISAFF 2026 Industry Symposium brings the conversations behind the screen into the room.
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3x Canadian Screen Award Winner for Best Lead Actor, Hamza Haq is best known for his work as Bashir Hamed on NBC’s Transplant. The series won Best Drama series at the 2021 Canadian Screen Award winner.
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Toronto-based Indian-Canadian filmmaker. Nisha directed To Kill a Tiger, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Her work has also won at Tribeca and Hot Docs, among other honours.
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Mo is an Emmy-winning Pakistani filmmaker whose documentary Among the Believers received a News & Documentary Emmy nomination, and his work has received human-rights and documentary awards.
2026 Industry Symposium Schedule
Thursday, October 1, 2026
MISAFF Symposium · Living Arts Centre Mississauga
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| Time | Session | Participants |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30 AM – 10:00 AM | Opening Remarks | Canadian Media Fund Opening remarks |
| 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Courageous Cinema: Documentary Directors A global exploration of production challenges, inspirations, and opportunities in South Asia and North Africa. | Nisha Pahuja, Director (To Kill a Tiger) Mo Naqvi, Oscar-nominated filmmakers (Hanging By A Wire) Habiba Nosheen, Director and Investigative Journalist |
| 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Working with Editors | — |
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch Participants are encouraged to grab lunch and prepare for the roundtable session starting at 1:00 PM. | — |
| 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Working with Broadcasters: CBC | — |
| 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | MISAFF Chat with Actor Hamza Haq | Hamza Haq, Actor (Transplant) and Canadian Screen Awards Recipient |
| 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM | Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony | Film team Q&A participants |