Spin VFX president Neishaw Ali has been appointed as chair of the board of directors of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC).

Ali succeeds outgoing chair, Shaftesbury chairman and president Christina Jennings, who has served the CFC for more than 17 years, ten of which she held the role of chair. She will remain on the board until October.

The CFC announced Ali’s appointment on Thursday (May 16), as well as the addition of Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro, who joins in October at the organization’s Annual General Meeting.

As a founding partner, president and executive producer of Toronto-based Spin VFX, Ali has been working in the film and television industry for almost 30 years. During her career she has produced more than 150 feature films and 32 television series.

Her television credits include the Emmy award-winning series Game of Thrones (HBO), Emmy-nominated show The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), and Foundation (Apple TV+). Ali’s film credits include the Academy Award-winning biopic Spotlight (First Look) and Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Marvel). She was awarded the WIFT-Toronto Crystal Award for Innovation Trailblazer in 2023.

“Many decades ago, the brilliant Norman Jewison sparked a movement in our industry by creating the CFC, and I am incredibly privileged and humbled to take on this new role as chair. I am so grateful to Christina for creating such a solid foundation for the CFC. Her passion and commitment to the institution she attended in 1990 is something to applaud, and I am honoured to take on the baton,” said Ali in a statement.

Mexican filmmaker del Toro, has referred to Toronto as “my second home,” and filmed his Best Picture Oscar-winner The Shape of Water in the city, where he is currently filming the feature Frankenstein.

“As a filmmaker, I have been deeply moved by the work of Norman Jewison, someone who I had the privilege to know. A big part of his immense legacy is the Canadian Film Centre, the manifestation of his never-ending commitment to helping new filmmakers find their voice,” said del Toro. “I am incredibly happy to be joining the Board of Directors and I look forward to working alongside the other members and the CFC staff to help support the next generation of storytellers.”

Other recently added board members are writer, producer, entrepreneur and investor Mark Sakamoto, EVP for Think Research, and financial services leader Duane Green, former president and CEO of Franklin Templeton Canada. Outgoing board members are Eric Belcher, Don Carmody, Suzette Couture, David Cronenberg, Blake Goldring, Eugene Levy, George Lewis, Bob Munroe, Gary Slaight, Ron Suter and Barbara Williams.

The current board of directors are: Ali (chair), Cheryl Hudson (co-vice chair), Steven DeNure (co-vice chair), David Middleton (treasurer), David Zitzerman (secretary), Councillor Shelley Carroll (ex officio), Kate Alexander Daniels, Paul Bronfman, Tassie Cameron, Stéphane Cardin, Shirley Cheechoo C.M., Duane Green, Harold Gronenthal, Jennings, Raja Khanna, Anne Loi, John Morayniss, Mark Sakamoto, Hilary Smith and Clement Virgo.

Photos courtesy of the Canadian Film Centre