Venue: Online
You did it! Your short film is out there, shining bright. But what’s next? Join our panellists, filmmakers Rabiya Mansoor, Nisha Khan and Marushka Almeida, as they discuss how to leverage your short film success to dive into the world of web series. They’ll share insights from their journey creating the CBC Gem series Get Up, Aisha! and offer advice on keeping the momentum going, making the most of your success, and launching your next big project. Together, they'll explore whether a web series is the “right” or “wrong” step forward, and how to decide what’s best for your career.
ABOUT THE SERIES
After surviving a suicide attempt, Aisha, a Pakistani-Canadian student, battles her compulsive need for control. Diagnosed with depression, she adopts a checklist approach to curing the incurable. Watch it on CBC Gem.
PANELLISTS
RABIYA MANSOOR (she/they) is a Pakistani-Calgarian comedian, writer, actor, producer, and recovering lawyer. They have worked on projects for CBC Gem, Crave, WildBrain, 9 Story, Big Bad Boo, Shaftsbury Kids, and more. Her current projects include: digital dramedy series GET UP, AISHA (2023); ½ hour mockumentary LAYLA IS RELEVANT (JFL ComedyPro Stand Up & Pitch Finalist); and ½ hour comedy QUEER GUIDE TO MATCHMAKING (Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Fellow; Reelworld E20). They also produced, co-wrote, and co-starred in the critically acclaimed, multi-award winning sketch show, DON VALLEY GIRLS (Toronto Fringe Patron’s Pick; David Seguin Memorial Award; Why Not Theatre’s RISER Toronto; Buddies in Bad Times Queer Pride Festival). If you got this far, her bank password is Yugioh!.
Middle East born and raised, MARUSHKA JESSICA ALMEIDA (they/them) is a South Asian writer/producer, ex-accountant, former music business manager and many other failed careers their parents are too depressed to list. Currently, they're a story editor on SyFy’s Revival. They're also an Exec- Producer/Creator on Get Up, Aisha (CBC Gem) and POV:me (Shaftesbury). They have worked on Made For TV with Boman Martinez Reid (Crave), Saint Pierre (CBC), Austin Film Fest Select Homeschooled (CBC), Near or Far (Wattpad, CBC), Cannesseries select Streams Flow From a River (Superchannel/Apple TV, Amazon Prime) Canadian Screen Award-winning/Cannesseries select Revenge of the Black Best Friend (CBC) and other Canadian dramas and comedies that they'll probably get sued for if they talk about. Marushka is also an alumnus of CFC's 2024 Comedy Story Room Intensive with mentor Anthony Q Farrell. When Marushka isn't swimming in a whirlpool of existential dread they can be found complaining about why public nap areas don't exist.
NISHA KHAN is an award winning Canadian-Pakistani writer/producer and published author that has gone on to work in media through magazines, film and television. Her work tries to push the needle in changing South Asian and Muslim representation on screen. Her digital series she created, wrote and produced, Get Up, Aisha is now streaming on CBC Gem. She has written for CBC/Netflix Canada, Headspinner, Marble Media and more. She’s also won the WBD Access x Canadian Academy Writers Program, MPAC Hollywood’s Children’s Animation Writing Fellowship as well as the Magee TV Diversity Screenwriting Mentorship award. When she’s not building houses in the Sims, she’s usually drawing in her iPad while binging reality tv shows.