EditCon 2021 in Review
Missed Attending Live?
Subscribe to our podcasts to be notified about future episodes featuring our EditCon 2021 talks.
Presented in English
Presented in French
DAY 1: Panels & Talks
WELCOME ADDRESS
Working from home: has Covid-19 changed the collaboration dynamic forever, or are we just waiting to head back into the office? Stephen Philipson, CCE, and D. Gillian Truster, CCE, kick things off by sharing stories of rolling with the punches this past year, and reflecting on how the job of editing may or may not change when the pandemic finally ends.
Stephen is an award-winning editor of TV series such as ALTERED CARBON (Netflix), AMERICAN GODS (Starz), ANNE WITH AN E (CBC/ Netflix), and HANNIBAL (NBC), and films such as THE WILD HUNT (by Alexandre Franchi), GROWN UP MOVIE STAR (by Adriana Maggs) and documentary PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI (starring Morgan Freeman), which premiered at Sundance, broadcast on HBO, and screened at The White House. Stephen is honoured to serve as CCE President and help the CCE advocate for editors across Canada.
Hailing from Toronto, Gillian began her career as an assistant editor. She has since had a diverse career editing drama series, feature films, and MOWs in a variety of genres, and the good fortune to work with many prominent and celebrated producers, directors, and screenwriters. Gillian is best known for her work on ORPHAN BLACK, ANNE WITH AN E, and THE EXPANSE. She has won two CSA awards, a DGC award, and has earned eleven award Nominations.
KEYNOTE: In Conversation with Michelle Tesoro, ACE
Michelle Tesoro, ACE, is a master of drama, intrigue and suspense. From FRINGE to THE NEWSROOM, Michelle’s work shows a range of storytelling techniques. Join Paul Day, CCE, and Michelle Tesoro, ACE, as they discuss Michelle’s work, including her most recent feat of editing an entire mini-series, THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT.
Paul has been a picture editor for 25 years and has worked with such companies as Netflix, MGM, AMC, Showtime and many more. Some of his recent editing credits include ANOTHER LIFE, RANSOM, INTO THE BADLANDS, DARK MATTER and LOST GIRL. He is one of the Canadian Cinema Editors’ co-founders and currently sits on the National Board for the Directors Guild of Canada.
Cutting-edge picture editor Michelle Tesoro, ACE, is an industry rising star. Tesoro cut Netflix’s top-rated series THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, Emmy-nominated series WHEN THEY SEE US, GODLESS, HOUSE OF CARDS, and HBO’s series THE NEWSROOM. She also cut features like Focus Features’ Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg biography ON THE BASIS OF SEX, Participant Media’s SHOT CALLER, and SXSW’s Grand Jury Prize-winning film NATURAL SELECTION, which earned Tesoro the 2011 SXSW Award for Best Editing.
PANEL: When TV Saved Us - The Shift to Home Viewing
As the world settled into lockdown, TV entertainment went from distraction to lifeline. With audiences trying to make sense of world events, stories and characters matter more than ever. As the entertainment landscape shifts to meet an unprecedented need for engaging content delivered on-demand to an audience stuck at home, how will this change the stories we tell, and the way we tell them? The editors of some of the most binge-worthy shows reflect on how their work landed in this time and place, what the stories meant to audiences, and how that affected their process during a pandemic.
Christopher Donaldson’s work as an editor spans an extensive variety of dramatic and documentary features and television. His credits include THE HANDMAID’S TALE for Hulu, AMERICAN GODS for Starz, PENNY DREADFUL for Showtime/SkyAtlantic, Atom Egoyan’s REMEMBER, Sarah Polley’s TAKE THIS WALTZ, THE KIDS IN THE HALL: DEATH COMES TO TOWN for CBC, and SLINGS & ARROWS for TMN/Showcase/Sundance Channel.
Amy started as an Assistant Editor on films like MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, CORRINA, CORRINA, and TO DIE FOR. She edited 20 features, including HIGH ART, LAUREL CANYON, ELEGY and Gus Van Sant’s remake of PSYCHO, and TV series such as DEXTER, THE KILLING, VIDA and most recently, HUNTERS. She is currently editing the limited series MARE OF EASTTOWN, starring Kate Winslet, for HBO. Amy graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Fine Arts Studies.
Multiple award-winning editor Wendy Hallam Martin is best known for her work on the Emmy and Golden Globe winning series, THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Wendy has received two Emmy nominations and won her first Emmy for the second season premier entitled “June”. She also won an ACE/Eddie award for the pilot, “Offred”. Her other work includes the critically acclaimed cable series AMERICAN GODS, MGM’s spy thriller CONDOR which she edited and co-produced, Showtime’s THE TUDORS, THE BORGIAS and QUEER AS FOLK, to name a few.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Stephen has been editing drama & documentary across Europe for 25 years. His work spans time with U2 on music promos and documentaries in the 1990’s to television dramas for BBC, RAI, Amazon, Netflix, Starz, CBC, HULU, SKY amongst others. Projects include THE NAME OF THE ROSE, HOWARD’S END and NORMAL PEOPLE, to feature films VIVA, THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS, and MAUDIE for which he won the CSA award for best editing in 2018.
Laura Zempel grew up in Sacramento, CA and received a BFA in Film Production from Chapman University. She began her career in Film and TV as an assistant editor on DEXTER, and has gone on to edit HBO’s ROOM 104, EUPHORIA, and most recently AMC’s DISPATCHES FROM ELSEWHERE.
BREAKOUT ROOMS
Adobe presents an interactive demo of Premiere Pro Productions for editors working independently, collaborating with a team, or needing remote editing workflows. Designed from the ground up with input from top filmmakers and Hollywood editorial teams, this suite provides new tools for managing projects, sharing assets between them, and keeping everything organized. Early versions of the underlying technology were battle-tested on recent films such as MANK, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, and DOLEMITE IS MY NAME.
Tucked away in a cabin in the woods, Geoffrey Boulangé and Sophie Deraspe set about editing the award winning film, ANTIGONE. In this session Geoffrey Boulangé discusses the processes that went into editing the film; including cutting while shooting; working in FCPX, and co-editing with director Sophie Deraspe.
The new workflows are already a challenge, but how do we deal with the mental and physical difficulties of working from home during a pandemic? Join a panel of IATSE 891 members to discuss keeping yourself motivated; mental & physical health (e.g. feeling low and what to do about it); communicating with your team, how to keep the lines open; changes to the editor / assistant relationship; scheduling challenges and managing your hours. Over the 2 days we will have various IATSE 891 editors and assistant editors joining the discussion: Daria Ellerman, CCE, Gordon Rempel, CCE, Rehan Khokar and Lianne Oelke.
The skills required of an assistant editor in animation are quite different from those working in live-action. There are no takes to log, nor dailies to process and sync. Instead you are building shows, updating episodes and providing necessary materials and inspiration to artists. Animation editor Merissa Tse shares her wisdom and experience of what makes a good assistant editor in the field of animation.
The post production supervisor is often a mystery to many. What do they do, who are they and does every show need one? Join Nahid Islam for an intimate Q&A on the ins and outs of post production fundamentals and answering your questions about the process behind the scenes.
This panel, hosted by picture editor and sound editor Roderick Deogrades, will focus on the importance of mentorship and the editor/assistant relationship. This interactive discussion will cover topics like the importance of training, benefits of mentorship for both the assistant and the editor, paying it forward and building a network.
DAY 2: Panels & Talks
KEYNOTE: In Conversation with Jinmo Yang, ACE
Action, comedy, drama, romance, horror and thriller – Jinmo Yang, ACE’s outstanding body of work covers almost every genre in filmmaking. His mastery of pacing and tone is often on display as he rides the line between genres, from the action/comedy of LUCK-KEY, to the thriller/comedy PARASITE. Whether working on or off set Mr. Yang is truly a master of his artform. Multitalented moderator Sook-Yin Lee sits with Oscar-nominated editor Jinmo Yang, ACE for an in-depth conversation about the craft of Picture Editing.
Sook-Yin Lee is a Canadian filmmaker, musician, actor, and multimedia artist. The award-winning radio and TV broadcaster starred in John Cameron Mitchell’s ground- breaking LGBTQ movie, SHORTBUS, which premiered at Cannes. YEAR OF THE CARNIVORE, Leeʼs feature film debut as writer-director, premiered at TIFF. Sook-Yin won the 2014 Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by a Lead Dramatic Actress for her role as “Olivia Chow” in JACK. Her movie, OCTAVIO IS DEAD! won Best Director and Best Picture awards at the Downtown LA Film Festival 2018. Her feature movie DEATH AND SICKNESS streams on CBC Gem in Canada.
Jinmo Yang is an award-winning South Korean film editor who has edited over a dozen feature films, including the international hits PARASITE, OKJA, and TRAIN TO BUSAN. With PARASITE, directed by Bong Joon-ho, Mr. Yang gained international acclaim and recognition including an Academy Award nomination for Best Editing, and an American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic), the first non-English-language film to win this top prize.
PANEL: Thrills & Chills - Editing Dark Genre in Feature Film
The past year has brought our lives no shortage of fear-inducing moments, and yet films that offer us frights continue to be one of our greatest escapes. Join editors Michele Conroy (IN THE TALL GRASS, THE SILENCE, MAMA), Jeff Barnaby (BLOOD QUANTUM, RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS), Dev Singh (INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND, BACKCOUNTRY) and moderator Erin Deck (RABID) as they share their insights into crafting successful films that both entertain us and play upon our fears and anxieties.
Erin Deck is an editor in both film and television. Her work has earned her multiple nominations and awards through the DGC, CSA and CCE. Some of her TV credits include ALTERED CARBON, INTO THE BADLANDS, GINNY & GEORGIA, and KILLJOYS. Her film credits include RABID, OUR HOUSE, BIG SKY, AFTER THE BALL, and THE BARRENS
Jeff Barnaby was born and raised on the rural Mi’gMaq reserve of Listuguj, Quebec. A multi-disciplined artist, he has won several awards for his artwork, pœtry, short stories, music and films. His work provides a bare-knuckled view of post-colonial Mi’gMaq life, defying stereotypical treatments of First Nations’ narratives by using horror/sci-fi tropes to explore themes of violence, gender, race and Indigenous futurism.
Michele Conroy is a veteran film and television editor. Her work has earned multiple DGC awards including: MAMA, POMPEII and SPLICE, which was produced by Guillermo del Toro and directed by long- time collaborator Vincenzo Natali. Other collaborations with Natali include the ensemble romance PARIS, JE T’AIME, NOTHING, GETTING GILLIAM, and most recently IN THE TALL GRASS. Other theatrical releases include LITTLE ITALY, THE GRIZZLIES, and GINGER SNAPS: UNLEASHED. Her TV credits include VIKINGS, PENNY DREADFUL, FLASHPOINT, and THIS IS WONDERLAND
I edit movies and television. I hold a BSc in Biochemistry from Queen’s, attended Ryerson’s Film Studies program, and was a resident at the Canadian Film Centre. I’ve been fortunate to work with many wonderful artists and it is a joy to count them amongst my friends and collaborators. My credits include the acclaimed Backcountry, PEOPLE OF EARTH, and PICTURE DAY. In theatres and festivals soon: CINEMA OF SLEEP and SPIRAL. I’m currently working on the RESIDENT EVIL reboot.
PANEL: Breaking the Mold in Series TV
We’re currently experiencing a watershed moment for increased representation in storytelling. This year we’ve seen a wealth of stories originating from the BIPOC, LGBTQ2S and female perspectives that not only tackle tough topics surrounding mental health, addiction, sexual assault and racial prejudice, but also present powerful aesthetic and editorial triumphs. The editors behind I MAY DESTROY YOU, EUPHORIA, and #BLACKAF join us to discuss their groundbreaking work.
Shonna Foster is an award-winning director, storyteller, and producer. She received her BFA honors degree in Theatre from York University, where she studied in the Creative Ensemble Conservatory. She currently works as a freelance director, producer, and story consultant in film, television, and branded content, and is a longstanding board member of BIPOC TV and Film.
Christine Armstrong is a picture editor splitting her time between Los Angeles and Toronto. She has edited a variety of feature films, television series, short films, web series and commercials. Armstrong’s recent work includes editing the series #BLACKAF (Netflix), BARBELLE (Amazon) and feature films SUGAR DADDY, MARY GOES ROUND and THE NEW ROMANTIC which premiered at SXSW and won the Special Jury Recognition for Best First Feature. She is currently editing the series RUTHERFORD FALLS (NBCUniversal/Peacock) starring Ed Helms.
Shannon Baker Davis is an award-winning television and film editor. She began her career in unscripted television on iconic and Emmy-winning shows such as TOP CHEF and PROJECT RUNWAY. Her feature film credits include collaborations with directors Stella Meghie (THE WEEKEND, THE PHOTOGRAPH), and Ali LeRoi (THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON). She has worked with creators Issa Rae (INSECURE), Ava DuVernay (QUEEN SUGAR), and Kenya Barris (GROWN-ISH, #BLACKAF).
Julio C. Perez, IV lives and works in Los Angeles, editing in both narrative and documentary. His feature film work includes Chad Hartigan’s award-winning THIS IS MARTIN BONNER, which screened at Sundance, and an ongoing collaboration with director David Robert Mitchell, editing THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN SLEEPOVER, IT FOLLOWS, and UNDER THE SILVER LAKE which have all screened at Cannes. He has recently worked with director Sam Levinson on the series EUPHORIA, as well as the upcoming feature MALCOLM AND MARIE.
Christian is a film editor, and occasional screenwriter. His career started in the writers room and as editor on the surreal comedy series CAMPUS. Recent work includes I MAY DESTROY YOU, SALLY4EVER, LOVE WEDDING REPEAT, and the upcoming FROM DEVIL’S BREATH, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (VIRUNGA/THE WHITE HELMETS). In 2018 he wrote and edited TO WENDY WHO KICKED ME WHEN I SAID I LOVE YOU, an off- beat, romantic short film which premiered at the London Film Festival.
BREAKOUT ROOMS
Join editor Ryan Morrison (STOWAWAY, ARCTIC) and assistant editor Russell Anderson (MANK) as they explore the challenges with remote editing work- flows and how they have solved them in their recent projects.
As editors our jobs are constantly expanding, with more and more tools at our fingertips it’s important to keep our technical skills as sharp as can be. Editing and co-ordinating with VFX can be daunting at times, but it’s always important to get it right. Editor Christopher Malanchen shares some tips, tricks and best practices that he learned from editing on Vice’s THE DEVIL YOU KNOW (Season 2) and Cooking Channel’s BITCHIN’ KITCHEN and from his tenure as the VFX Editor for BIG LITTLE LIES (Season 2).
The new workflows are already a challenge, but how do we deal with the mental and physical difficulties of working from home during a pandemic? Join a panel of IATSE 891 members to discuss keeping yourself motivated; mental & physical health (e.g. feeling low and what to do about it); communicating with your team, how to keep the lines open; changes to the editor / assistant relationship; scheduling challenges and managing your hours. Over the 2 days we will have various IATSE 891 editors and assistant editors joining the discussion: Mauri Bernstein, Sabrina Pitre, Gloria Mercer and Kelvin Tseng.
Every production starts with a solid plan but step by step as each phase inches closer and closer to being received by an editor’s invisible hand, that plan will unravel. Even if it is due to a global pandemic, it is on the editor to shift gears, to persevere for the story and aim to produce beyond what was undone. Let us discuss how we do this. Join the editor behind THE NATURE OF THINGS episode “The Covid Cruise” for a conversation about filmmaking in the Covid era.
Join editors Adam Phipps and Francis Laliberte, as they discuss the post-process for AMPLIFY, a 13-part documentary series about Indigenous musicians creating new works. Each episode features a different songwriter working through the creative process in-studio, while revealing how they personally relate to their new song. Further insight is brought to bear as Indigenous experts weigh-in on the deeper meaning of the song’s inspiration. All of this … on FCPx … seriously!
Cool heads, quick wits and sharp technical knowledge are just some of what is needed to be a great Assistant Editor. They are the lifeblood of post-production and our guests are at the top of their game. Join the Assistant Editors behind some of Canada’s most anticipated films from 2020: POSSESSOR, PERCY, and FUNNY BOY, as they discuss their approaches, challenges and answer your questions.
EditCon 2021 Sponsors
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RAFFLE WINNERS
2 x 1 YEAR ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD SUBSCRIPTION
1 BLACKMAGIC DESIGN EDITOR KEYBOARD
Varunraj Gandhi
1 COPY OF DAVINCI RESOLVE STUDIO
Shelley MacLean
3 x 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO BORIS FX SUITE
Joel Varickanickal | Rob Chandler | Jim Page
2 x 1 YEAR CCE MEMBERSHIP
Majda Drinnan | Nupur Desai
Thank you to our board & volunteers:
EditCon Programming Committee:
Maureen Grant
Rick Bartram
Stephen Philipson, CCE
EditCon Committee:
Rick Bartram
Maureen Grant
Jennifer Kidson
Jane MacRae
Isabelle Malenfant, CCE
Stephen Philipson, CCE
Sarah Taylor
CCE Communications Committee:
Pauline Decroix
Jennifer Kidson
Jane MacRae
Stephen Philipson, CCE
Simone Smith
Sarah Taylor
Breakout Room Volunteers:
Rick Bartram
Chris Coulter
Lesley Mackay Hunter
Isabelle Malenfant
Trevor Mirosh
Amanda Mitro
Chris Mutton
Thank you to our CCE staff:
CCE Operations Manager:
Alison Dowler
CCE Communications Specialist:
Nancy Kenny
Thank you to our event team:
EditCon Event Coordinator:
JoAnn Alafriz
EditCon Graphic Design & Branding:
Frances Limfat
Website:
CCE Website Design and Implementation:
EN 
FR