Board Of Directors
To reach board members of the Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission please contact our office:
Phone: (250) 386.3976
Toll-Free: 1-844-816-3456
Email: admin@filmvictoria.com
Annie Wong-Harrison, President NATIONAL CAR & TRUCK RENTAL & ARBUTUS INN OWNER & MANAGING DIRECTOR National Car and Truck Rental and the Arbutus Inn have been major supporters and sponsors of the Commission and many other community organizations for many years. Annie has been on the Board of the Film Commission for over 15 years and has worked with numerous producers, production and location managers. Annie has served as a member at large, secretary and is currently the President of the Board. Annie has also served as a Board member for The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (where she served on the finance and audit committee) and she is currently on the Board of Golf Vancouver Island. Annie’s skills are in sales, marketing, operations and HR. In her time on the Board, the Film Commission landed the Disney movie The Descendants, Netflix series Maid, Netflix series Reginald the Vampire and the series GracePoint . In her term as President, the Film Commission hired a new Film Commissione Kathleen GIlbert. With renewed energy on the Board, the Commission took great leaps forward by securing the Distant Tax Credit for the CRD and generating upwards of $50 Million in direct spending annually around the region. Building on the successes, Annie is committed to providing a desirable place to film in the CRD, as well as maintaining stable funding for the Film Commission. |
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Paul Rayman, Vice President THE PEDALER PRODUCER & OWNER
Paul Rayman has worked in the Film and Television Industry for 20 years, including a stint from 2001-2003 when he served as the Alberta Film Commissioner.
After moving to Victoria, he has worked for the past ten years as a producer and production manager. During the past five years, he has served on the Board of the Film Commission, first as a director and currently as the Vice President. He has made himself available to the Film Commissioner as a resource, being both a producer and former Film Commissioner. He has attended almost every regularly scheduled board meeting over the last five years and has served on several committees.
He hopes to continue to offer his time and expertise to the Board as the Film Commission moves forward. |
Hazel Braithwaite, Secretary MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR, DISTRICT OF OAK BAY
Hazel Braithwaite is currently serving her fourth term as a Municipal Councillor in Oak Bay. Some of her many roles on Council include the Public Arts Advisory Committee, Royal and McPherson Theatres Society, Canadian College of Performing Arts, Oak Bay Tourism, the Oak Bay Business Improvement Association and she was the council liaison to the Parks, Recreation & Culture Commission. She is also the 2ndVice-President for the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC).
Hazel loves giving back to the community through her involvement with organizations like United Way, Kiwanis Pavilion, Sovereign Order of St. John and the Oak Bay Tea Party. She was named the Oak Bay News, Women in Business, Community Leader of the Year in 2018 and was awarded the Black Press Community Initiative Award in 2019.
She worked as a geophysicist in the oil and gas industry in Calgary, taught Mathematics at the University of Lae in Papua New Guinea, facilitated Adult Learning at Coast Capital Savings for 20 years and until recently was the Director, Donor and Partner Relations at United Way Greater Victoria.
Hazel is an avid long-distance backpacker and has tackled trails all over the world along with her |
Todd Webber, CPA, CA, Treasurer CONTROLLER Experienced accounting professional and auditor with a demonstrated history of providing exceptional client service, project management and financial services. Skilled in Budgeting, Tax Preparation, External Audit, and Accounting. Strong professional graduated from Camosun College. |
Directors At Large
Barbara Coultish Owner & Talent Division Management
Owner of Barbara Coultish Talent and Model Management, a 40-year-old company which manages a large group of actors and models from Vancouver Island. Currently Manages the Talent Division of Coultish Talent and Model Management.
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Bob Anderson With an MBA from Royal Roads University and over thirty years of leadership experience, Bob’s professional experience includes Sales, Marketing, Business Development and Strategic Planning. Bob is also an accomplished filmmaker and documentarian with such titles as “Max Contraction Training”, “Leonard Peikoff in His Own Words”, “Ayn Rand in Her Own Words” and “Intangible Heritage: The Arthur Vickers Story”. Bob and his wife Denise live in Victoria BC and have served in the past on the Greater Victoria Film Commission board of Directors between 2004 and 2011. |
Brenda MacFarlane, MBA, CFP®, CIM®, FCSI, EPC Brenda MacFarlane has been working in the Financial Services industry since 1990. Prior to joining IG Wealth Management, she worked for 4 major Canadian financial institutions. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree in 2002. She earned her Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation in 2007. In 2011 she became a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute. Brenda is an Elder Planning Counselor (EPC), with special insights into the financial needs of the aging population. Brenda was the Treasurer for Volunteer Victoria from 2018 until 2024. Brenda has been the organizer of a business networking group in Brentwood Bay since 2018. She is currently the Co-Chair and Treasurer for Victoria Hockey Legacy Society, the local organizing committee that brought Hockey Day in Canada to Victoria in January 2024. Brenda enjoys attending networking events, especially through the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. Brenda and her husband, Alan, have two young adult children. |
Ed Kahakauwila PRESIDENT & FOUNDER
Edison has enjoyed his four-year tenure with the Commission and is excited that the board has been able to achieve many of its objectives, the most recent being the film tax credit. Edison, along with his fellow Commission members, has identified the next objective to be to acquire more studio space here in Victoria. Edison is greatly looking forward to seeing this opportunity become a reality. Edison also sits on the Board of Directors for the Metchosin Community Association (since 1999) and has been the Chair of the Cruise ship Ground Transportation Operators Association. He was a founding member for the B.C. Livery Association and Vancouver Island Livery Association, where he served as President from 2001 to 2004. During this time, Edison met with the Minister of Transportation and assisted Ministry staff in the creation of the Passenger Transportation Board to govern licensing in B.C. Edison has working relationships and affiliations with Tourism Victoria, Victoria Conference Centre, Shop Local Victoria, Victoria Harbor Authority, BBB of Vancouver Island, MPI BC Chapter, regional Chambers of Commerce and the National Limousine Association. As an entrepreneur and founder, Edison has been the creative mind behind his company L.A. Limousines and Transportation Services – a fun experience-driven business that he started in 1989 and is now in its 27th year in Victoria. He has been involved with numerous films, concerts and media events; providing ground transportation, vehicle props and participating in action shots. In 2012, L.A Limousines became the first and only Canadian limousine operator to win the LCT Global Operator of the Year Award. Along with awards from the BBB of Vancouver Island and the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, L.A. Limousines has been recognized for supporting valuable community events, charities and providing exceptional customer service. We’re very grateful to have Edison and his limousines on board with us! |
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Franco Silletta PARTNER, JONES EMERY LLP Franco is a partner and trademark agent at Jones Emery LLP, advising individuals and organizations in the areas of commercial, corporate, real estate, and intellectual property law. Franco is a native Victorian and attended the University of Victoria for both his engineering and law degrees, where he received the Law Society Gold Medal for finishing first in his law school class. After graduation, Franco clerked at the British Columbia Court of Appeal before moving to New York City to litigate complex intellectual property disputes for some of the world’s largest companies. |
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Lindsay Ashby ASSISTANT LOCATION MANAGER With nearly a decade in the film industry, I have worked across multiple departments, gaining hands-on experience as a background performer, Production Assistant, props person, and 3rd Assistant Director. Currently, I serve as an Assistant Location Manager, where I play a key role in facilitating productions by managing logistics, scouting locations, and ensuring smooth operations on set. Beyond my work in production, I am passionate about mentoring the next generation of film professionals. I have the privilege of teaching students at Kathleen Gilbert’s Locations Course at Camosun College, where I help prepare aspiring crew members for the industry. It’s incredibly rewarding to guide students and provide them with their first opportunities on set. I also co-founded a production company named Rebel Heart Media, with writer and director Jackie Taylor, and together we successfully produced a pitch deck for a series, hosting a screening that attracted over 200 attendees. My dedication extends beyond individual projects—I am deeply committed to bringing quality productions to the island and ensuring our talented local crew has access to meaningful work. |
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Michael D. Reid WRITER / LOCATIONS SCOUT
After covering Victoria’s film and television production industry for the Times Colonist for 36 years, Michael drew upon that skill set, long-established connections with readers and industry stakeholders, and his familiarity with the region to begin his new film industry career three years ago.
Michael has since actively worked as a location scout on films and television series shot in and around Greater Victoria, with credits including Hallmark’s Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries series, Lifetime’s Landry Saga series of films based on V.C. Andrews novels, Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone and American Dreamer. He has also drawn upon his media experience as host and collaborator on EPK (electronic press kit) projects.
He feels honored having been able to serve on the commission’s board of directors over the past year, a challenge he looks forward to continuing as part of his ongoing involvement with the capital region’s film community. When he isn’t promoting the local industry, Michael occasionally appears on camera, writes about show business for various publications and is public relations liaison for the Canadian College of Performing Arts, capitalizing on his passion for musical theatre and the performing arts.
Born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, Michael moved to Victoria in 1980 from Montreal, where he began his newspaper career writing TV listings at The Montreal Star before going on to cover film, theatre and television, mentored in part by the late Doris Giller. He also wrote for Montreal’s Sunday Express and was active on Montreal’s theatre scene, founding his own theatre company, Theatrix.
During his media career, Michael has interviewed a who’s who of show business luminaries, including George Clooney, Bob Hope, Sir Ian McKellen, Ricky Gervais, Oscar Peterson, Billy Connolly, Kim Cattrall, Robin Williams and Sean Connery.
In 2019, he received the Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission’s annual Victoria Film Award in recognition of his contributions to the regional film industry. |
Sally Chan Director of Sales – Tour & Travel and Film/Entertainment Industry Accent Inns, Hotel Zed, Roar – Britsh Columbia
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