Careers After Cinema Studies 2026

The annual Cinema Studies Institute panel where panelists reveal how their undergraduate degrees got them to their current careers. 

The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A with the audience and a chance to socialize over refreshments. Please register for catering numbers. 

Barry Avrich is the founder of Melbar Entertainment Group, one of the largest producers of non-scripted content in North America. Avrich has produced and directed over 70 documentaries and filmed productions including the internationally acclaimed The Road Between Us, Made You Look, Born Hungry, The Last Mogul, Prosecuting Evil, David Foster: Off The Record, Oscar Peterson: Black + White, 22 award-winning stage-to-screen adaptations of Broadway and Shakespeare productions including The Tempest with Christopher Plummer In 2017, Barry's best selling memoir, Moguls, Monsters and Madmen, was released and in 2025, Barry published The Devil Wears Rothko.

Tecca Crosby has championed Canadian storytelling in multiple media including long-form journalism, film and television over a career that has spanned four decades. She has worked as a magazine editor (Saturday Night), public financier (Ontario Film Development Corporation), independent producer, story consultant, broadcast executive (CTV) and most recently as a studio creative head at Entertainment One where she served as Executive Vice-President, Scripted Television for more than a decade. During this time she has identified top Canadian talent—writers, directors, and performers—developing and showcasing their work in hundreds of hours of programming to large audiences and international acclaim. Titles include Due South, Highway 61, Exotica, Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Eleventh Hour, Power Play, Flashpoint, Milgaard, Mayerthorpe, Slings and Arrows, Being Erica, Private Eyes, Caught, Bitten, Moonshine and Mary Kills People to name a few. She is now working as an independent producer and consultant under her company banner Tell Co., marshalling her extensive experience in creative development, project management and production expertise along with leveraging her strong network of trusted relationships with creatives, financiers and broadcasters.

With a focus on open-source intelligence, Sam Haggart has extensive experience leading investigations in the entertainment, healthcare, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries. Sam has participated in the education and training of law enforcement internationally as a subject matter expert on counterfeit goods, and has been involved in precedent-setting federal case work in the intellectual property field. Sam’s experience combines technical expertise with a deep interest in following the latest developments in social media and Internet regulations. Sam completed a Cinema Studies Major in 2016. 

Anne Maggisano is Vice President at Burgundy Asset Management, where she counsels private clients on their investment strategies and helps them become more knowledgeable and deliberate about how they manage their wealth. She is Founder and Co-Head of Women of Burgundy, an initiative to build a community to inspire women to make investing a priority and take a leadership role over their wealth. In eleven years, Women of Burgundy has engaged over 1300 members through educational events. The flagship publication, Minerva, extends Women of Burgundy's reach nationwide. Anne is Chair of the Toronto Public Library Foundation, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Opera Company and Crow’s Theatre. Anne completed a Cinema Studies Major in 2005.