Telefilm Canada’s Program Strategy and Industry Development department’s project financing team is welcoming two new members while saying goodbye to a third.

Telefilm has hired Myriam Rafla (pictured left) as the regional feature film executive, English market – Quebec region.

Rafla has 25 years of experience in key positions throughout the industry, notably in the development and funding of Canadian films. She previously worked as a feature film content analyst for La Société de développement des entreprises culturelles and was the director of development, film & television for Les Films Séville.

The other addition to the team is Natasha Howes (pictured centre), who joins as regional feature film executive, English market – Western region.

Howes founded the California and Vancouver-based Matriarch Entertainment in 2021 and previously held producing positions at prodcos such as California-based Origin Entertainment, U.K.-based 13th Day Films and Kelowna, B.C.-based Grave Pictures.

Rafla and Howes will render financing decisions for features that represent their respective regions. They will both report to Toronto-based Mehernaz Lentin, national director, feature film, English market. Lentin reports to Francesca Accinelli, SVP, program strategy and industry development.

Marie-France Godbout (pictured right), national director, feature film – French market, will be retiring at the end of July. In her role, Godbout leads the team responsible for French-language films at national and regional levels and overseeing business relations with the industry and her English-language market peers.

Godbout began at Telefilm in 2002 as a feature-film distribution specialist, responsible for managing support requests in marketing, versioning, alternative distribution and international marketing. Prior to joining Telefilm, Godbout held management positions at companies such as Motion International and Ciné-Entreprises.

Her position will be posted in the coming weeks.

Image courtesy of Telefilm