04.22.2021 - By Empire Club of Canada
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan is an icon of the Canadian film industry and has seen a lot of changes in the past 35 years. When he began making movies in the mid 80s, his early features were perceived as examples of a country coming to terms with the complex reality of diversity and multiculturalism. Many awards and two Oscar nominations later, Egoyan comes to the podium of the Empire Club to take a closer look at how the discourse around diversity has shifted.
Highlighting the importance of authentic representation and inclusivity vis a vis people with disabilities in media and the arts, Egoyan sits with co panelists Christine Hill, Stakeholder Engagement, Office of the CEO, at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, and George Alevizos, an ACTRA Equity Professional Actor. Also joining this panel will be Atom’s son Arshile, whose recently completed first film, Absence, is centred around a character who is differently abled.
This event will be moderated by Tenny Nigoghossian and is a not to be missed event for anyone following how the arts are dealing with diversity with a special focus on how people with disabilities should be portrayed in cinema.
Sylvia Sweeney, Associate Dean of Film, Acting and Media Productions, Humber College
Atom Egoyan, Canadian Filmmaker
Christine Hill, Stakeholder Engagement, Office of the CEO, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation
George Alevizos, ACTRA Equity Professional Actor
Arshile Egoyan, Canadian Filmmaker
Tenny Nigoghossian, Board Director, Empire Club of Canada