AI & Film Forum - Presented by Film Festival Connect & Startup Fuel
Space is limited, and attendance is confirmed only after you receive an individual event-registration confirmation.
Performance, identity, creativity and ownership—an honest industry conversation about what filmmakers should embrace, question and protect.
Film Festival Connect and Startup Fuel Present A focused Toronto forum for filmmakers, performers, producers and creative technologists. We will examine the human questions behind synthetic performance and identity, then move into practical ways AI is reshaping story development, production planning and the path to the screen.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2026
11:30 AM–2:30 PM
Toronto — Venue revealed upon registration (downtown)
FORUM AGENDA
11:30 AM–12:00 PM — OPENING NETWORKING
Meet fellow filmmakers, performers, producers and creative-technology professionals before the forum begins.
12:00–12:15 PM — OPENING REMARKS AND FORUM FRAMING
A concise welcome connecting human authorship, synthetic media and responsible production.
12:15–12:45 PM — PANEL ONE: AI AND THE HUMAN FUTURE OF FILM
Performance, identity and trust in the age of synthetic media.
Moderator:
Rupinder Assi
Speakers:
Dr. Galit Ariel — Award-winning technofuturist, author and creative exploring emerging technology, embodied identity, agency, culture and behaviour
Eric Johnson — Actor with more than 100 screen credits across film, television, major franchises and interactive entertainment
Sameen Ashraf — AI ethics, public-safety and global-policy strategist working at the intersection of technology, risk and human resilience
12:50–1:20 PM — PANEL TWO: FUTURE FILM—FROM PROMPT TO PRODUCTION
How AI tools are changing the way stories are developed, made and brought to the screen.
Moderator:
Katisha Shaw
Speakers:
Gordon Weiske — AI Script Doctor and story-development perspective
Sisi Tesser — Chinese-Canadian novelist, producer and creator of The Lavender Girl, a ten-episode AI-animated fantasy series adapted from her bilingual novels
Jay Gogna - Blawk.ai brings a music-rights and creative-IP perspective, exploring ownership, metadata, catalogue valuation and monetization in an age of AI-accelerated media creation.
1:25–2:00 PM — PANEL THREE: AI ON SET—SMARTER FOOD CHOICES, HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY
Allergens, craft services and the limits of automation.
Moderator:
Farah Majzoub
Speakers:
Amir Soleimanian — Co-Founder, Pearchy
Gary Wildman — Foodservice operations and real-world feasibility
Sergio Navarretta — Hollywood Director and Filmmaker
2:00–2:30 PM — RECEPTION
Continue the conversation, meet fellow attendees and explore the Pearchy activation.
REGISTRATION
This complimentary forum is part of Film Festival Connect – Toronto 2026. MAKE MORE OF YOUR FESTIVAL WEEK
Registration for this event is now open. Before registering, you can explore two optional Festival Connect passes:
The Intro Pass helps you create a film-industry connection profile and includes one reviewed mutual introduction when a suitable match is available.
The Concierge Pass provides coordinated registration support for eligible Festival Connect events, along with centralized confirmations, reminders and arrival guidance.
GET THE INTRO OR CONCIERGE PASS
Neither pass guarantees admission. The Intro Pass does not include event registration or tickets, while the Concierge Pass provides registration coordination subject to confirmation, capacity, deadlines and event rules. Every attendee must receive an official registration confirmation before attending.
Film Festival Connect is an independently produced programme. It is not official film-festival accreditation and is not affiliated with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).