Mongrel Media topper Hussain Amarshi is to deliver a keynote address at the upcoming Whistler Film Festival.

As a Canadian film distribution in flux takes centre stage at the west coast festival, Amarshi will talk about his career in an address entitled The Best of Times, The Worst of Times – Reflections on 20 Years of Film Distribution.

The Dec. 5 to 7 summit will also feature a new distribution panel led by Emily Alden, VP of production and development at Pacific Northwest Pictures and Robin Smith, founder and president of Kinosmith.

And the alternative distribution panel will feature CineCoup CEO J. Joly, Bill Bromiley, chief acquisitions officer at Image, RLJ Entertainment, and Avi Federgreen, CEO of IndieCan Entertainment.

And consolidation in Canadian media will be top of mind when Patrice Theroux, executive director of Entertainment One, Michael Kennedy, VP of filmed entertainment at Cineplex and Kevin Goldstein, VP of regulatory affairs at Bell Media appear as part of a summit panel.

The Whistler Film Festival is set to run from Dec. 4 to 8.