ADVISORY COUNCIL OF CANADIAN SCREEN INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND LEADERS

SUGITH VARUGHESE – SOUTH ASIAN CANADIAN SCREEN PIONEER, ACTOR, WRITER & DIRECTOR

Sugith Varughese is a pioneering South Asian Canadian writer, director, and actor with over 150 screen credits. He is widely recognized for his recurring roles in the hit series Kim’s Convenience (CBC/Netflix) and Transplant (CTV/NBC). A Writers’ Guild of Canada award-winning screenwriter and Gemini-nominated TV writer, he is renowned for his work as a writer on the original, iconic Muppet TV series Fraggle Rock. He was the first visible minority accepted into the prestigious Canadian Film Centre as a writer-director. His films and television dramas have screened internationally and received numerous awards.

On stage, his extensive body of work includes the Dora Award–nominated Little Pretty and The Exceptional. His acclaimed stage play Entitlement debuted at the SummerWorks Theatre Festival, earning strong critical response. His latest solo work, 26 Doctors, premiered at SummerWorks in

SAMI KHAN – OSCAR-NOMINATED, TWO-TIME EMMY-WINNER WRITER, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER

Sami Khan is an Oscar-nominated and two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker whose work in fiction and documentary has been supported by the Sundance and Tribeca Film Institutes, Rooftop Films, the Gotham, and the NBC/Universal Directors Fellowship. He has been nominated for four types of Emmy awards (News & Doc, Sports, Daytime, and Regional) while his films have screened at leading festivals, including Tribeca, Toronto, Hot Docs, and Mumbai. Sami is currently in production on a show for Gotham Chopra, Tom Brady, and Michael Strahan’s RELIGION OF SPORTS.

In 2025, Sami finished his second season as co-executive producer on the Netflix doc series STARTING 5, where he personally chronicled Tyrese Haliburton’s historic 2025 NBA playoff run, Jimmy Butler’s tumultuous final year with the Miami Heat, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s journeys during their championship season with the Boston Celtics and their attempt to repeat.

TARIQUE QAYUMI, MFA (UCLA), DGC – ACCLAIMED WRITER, DIRECTOR & PROFESSOR OF CINEMA

Tarique Qayumi’s journey as a storyteller began with a dramatic escape from Afghanistan, hidden in the back of a truck with his mother—an experience that shaped his distinctive cinematic voice.

A UCLA MFA graduate, Tarique Quyumi serves on the Directors Advisory Board of the DGC–BC, reflecting his leadership within the Canadian screen community. His feature film Black Kite, a historical drama blending animation, documentary, and live action, premiered at TIFF, won three Leo Awards for Best Writer, Director, and Picture, and was subsequently acquired by Amazon Studios. He was also selected for the prestigious Warner Access × Academy Directing Program, which led to his directing work on CBC’s Allegiance. Qayumi recently completed his latest feature, Conceiving Clara, produced with support from Telefilm Canada. His TV series pitch Kabul Kitchen won TIFF’s Creator of Colour Incubator and received pre-development funding from CBC.

DIVYA SHAHANI – PROMINENT ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Divya Shahani is a partner in a leading entertainment and media law group, advising across film, television, and digital media with a focus on the legal, financial, and strategic frameworks that underpin screen productions. Her practice spans entertainment, corporate, commercial, and intellectual property law, and she represents a wide spectrum of industry stakeholders, including screen producers, institutional lenders, private financiers, distributors, talent, creators, and media companies across the global content ecosystem.

A practicing entertainment lawyer since 2014, Divya brings a rare dual perspective to her work as both legal advisor and creative collaborator. She has executive produced several high-profile international productions, including Locked (Bill Skarsgård, Anthony Hopkins), Oh Canada (Richard Gere, Uma Thurman), Dead Man’s Wire (Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino), and & Sons (Bill Nighy;

AVI GREWAL – INFLUENTIAL MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT EXECUTIVE & SCREEN CATALYST

Avi Grewal is an accomplished leader at the intersection of business, arts, and screen storytelling, shaping the media and entertainment landscape at the Royal Bank of Canada. As an executive with Canada’s largest bank, she navigates the intricate world of film and television production financing, collaborating with studios, production companies, and animation houses. She is particularly committed to championing emerging producers through RBC’s Emerging Producer Program, facilitating access to essential funding and industry opportunities. Her passion for cinema is also evident in her role as Director of Programming at IFFSA Toronto, North America’s largest South Asian Film Festival. Avi’s influence extends to the broader screen and cultural sector through her board memberships at Sheridan College, a leading Canadian institution renowned for screen industries research & innovation, and the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, supporting arts and cultural initiatives across the province. Holding an MBA from Ivey Business School and a BSc from