#DIGI60 Virtual Speaker Series

Episode 6 Muslim Creatives in Ottawa

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PANELISTS

GJ Jafri is a fiction writer, and her short story “Family Parade” was published in an anthology series by Diaspora Dialogues: Writing in the New City. She is currently working on a screenplay.

GJ Jafri is a fiction writer, and her short story “Family Parade” was published in an anthology series by Diaspora Dialogues: Writing in the New City. She is currently working on a screenplay.

Sanita Fejzić (fey-zich) is an award-winning Bosnian-Canadian writer, poet, novelist, and playwright. At the age of seven, after experiencing the Siege of Sarajevo, she fled the Balkan War and genocide of her Muslim Bosnian people. 

Sanita Fejzić (fey-zich) is an award-winning Bosnian-Canadian writer, poet, novelist, and playwright. At the age of seven, after experiencing the Siege of Sarajevo, she fled the Balkan War and genocide of her Muslim Bosnian people. 

Seema Haider is a contemporary digital artist and writer based in Ottawa. As a first generation Canadian, a wife and a mother to four, her art pays homage to her South Asian heritage.

Seema Haider is a contemporary digital artist and writer based in Ottawa. As a first generation Canadian, a wife and a mother to four, her art pays homage to her South Asian heritage.

Maissa Houri is Digi60’s Director of Womxn’s Industry. She is an Arab-Canadian award-winning independent filmmaker and due to the misrepresentation of Arabs and Muslims on TV and in film, Maissa started creating her own work in order to properly represent her culture. Currently, Maissa is working on the development of a new series based on Arab-Canadians and producing short films for emerging BIPOC directors.

Maissa Houri is Digi60’s Director of Womxn’s Industry. She is an Arab-Canadian award-winning independent filmmaker and due to the misrepresentation of Arabs and Muslims on TV and in film, Maissa started creating her own work in order to properly represent her culture. Currently, Maissa is working on the development of a new series based on Arab-Canadians and producing short films for emerging BIPOC directors.

ABOUT

Join Digi60 in 2021 for a new virtual speaker series bringing together and highlighting underrepresented professionals in the Ottawa film, TV, content creation industry, as they share their stories, struggles, and triumphs. This series aims to normalize talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Ottawa media industry, in a way that’s engaging, fun, yet does not shy away from speaking truth to power. Viewers will come away from these chats having a better understanding of the reality of being underrepresented in the industry and introduce a diverse roster of creatives to potentially work with in the future. By using an identity-based approach to set the theme of each discussion, we hope to also create a space for community-building and solidarity.

This series is being coordinated and produced by Filmmaker Hingman Leung and Digi60’s Director of Womxn’s Industry, Maissa Houri with support of the Digi60 Filmmakers’ Festival and the Digital Arts Resource Centre.

Digi60 is a volunteer and artist run festival! Donations are welcome and can be made at http://paypal.me/Digi60.