Telefilm Canada Gets New Business Development Director

MONTREAL: Effective April 20, Sheila de la Varende will take up the post of director of national and international business development for Telefilm Canada.

De la Varende has held roles such as manager of cultural industries at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, director of Telefilm’s European office as well as director of the company’s international promotion and development division, executive director of the Festival du nouveau cinéma de Montréal and executive director of Digimart. More recently, she was project manager for digital strategy and deployment at the National Film Board of Canada.

“Sheila de la Varende will be a valuable asset, for the Telefilm Canada team as well as for Canada’s audiovisual industry,” said Wayne Clarkson, Telefilm’s executive director. “She has a sterling reputation, both here and abroad, and we know how much of a professional she is, given that she has already held key management positions at Telefilm. Over the last few years, furthermore, she has acquired sound knowledge and understanding of the digital media sector and the challenges of a multiplatform environment. She will help Telefilm develop and implement national and international strategic plans to improve the Canadian industry’s capacity and build audiences for Canadian products.”

“I look forward to joining Telefilm Canada and to leading the National and International Business Development team,” added de la Varende. “I am very excited about contributing to the organization’s strategic goals and to helping shape the future of the Canadian audiovisual sector.”

Danny Chalifour served as director of national and international business development on an interim basis, following the implementation of Telefilm’s new pperations structure in October 2008. Chalifour will be retiring from Telefilm in June.