Not every film is suited for international co-production, so what makes the ideal candidate? This panel brings together experienced producers to explore the creative, financial, and market considerations that determine whether a project is a strong fit for collaboration, using horror, action, and comedy as case studies and spotlighting the growing partnership between Canada and the Asia Pacific region. Panelists will discuss why genre films are particularly well suited to this pairing: producers can localize and produce at lower cost across Asia Pacific markets, testing a project's reception before committing to a full English-language adaptation once results prove strong, allowing genre stories to transcend cultural and language barriers while giving each partner meaningful creative and production value. Through real-world examples, the discussion examines how successful genre projects are developed, financed, packaged, and positioned for both local audiences and international distribution.
Owner / Managing Director, Wave Films
Jerry Koedding is a Germany-born, Singapore-based producer and founder of Wave Films, a cross-border production company operating across Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, the UK, and Canada. Since 2012, he has produced 400+ hours of content for international broadcasters and streamers, with his Malay-language feature debut among Suria's highest-rated broadcasts. He is now developing a trans-Pacific genre film slate with active Canadian productions.
CEO, Mokster Films
With over 27 years of experience, Nelson Mok is an accomplished leader in the Asian film industry. Formerly with Golden Harvest, Warner Bros, and WME Independent, he has held pivotal roles in distribution, acquisition, international sales and now producing. As co-founder of Mokster Films, Nelson focuses on developing, financing, and selling high-profile content. His track record includes global hits like "More Than Blue" and the record-breaking "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies."
Executive Producer & Head of Development, Inferno Pictures
Sami is committed to championing bold, genre-forward storytelling and underrepresented voices across both Canadian and international markets.
Sami Tesfazghi is a film and television producer and Head of Development at Inferno Pictures, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His feature film credits include the Netflix thriller How It Ends and The Parts You Lose, co-produced with Gran Via and producer Mark Johnson. His television credits include the critically acclaimed CBC/BET+ period drama The Porter, and Inferno Pictures recently wrapped production on a new limited series for CBC.
Currently in active development, Sami is producing the television adaptation of the critically acclaimed graphic novel CHEW, in partnership with Atomic Monster and Blumhouse, with Randall Park attached to star and produce. He is also developing a female-led dark comedy procedural set up at MGM and Amazon Studios, which takes audiences into the criminal underbelly of wine country.
Moderated by:
President, Black Opiate Entertainment
Karen has worked full-time in the film and television industry since 1996. Starting as a producer and lawyer, Karen has written and directed ten short films, three music videos, directed a true-crime documentary series for Investigation Discovery (US), a TELUS web series, and five feature films. The most recent two films: “Armageddon Road” is a darkly comedic feature film set in 1970s Las Vegas (2026) and “Mrs. Chang’s Perfect Teeth,” a short horror film that played at VAFF (2025).
EXNW is supported, in part, by a contribution from Global Affairs Canada’s CanExport Associations program.
EXNW is supported, in part, by a contribution from Global Affairs Canada’s CanExport Associations program.
Founded in 1967, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation that invests in the development, production, promotion and distribution of the Canadian and Indigenous audiovisual industry. As the largest investor in Canadian cinema, Telefilm supports the economic power and cultural impact of the audiovisual sector in collaboration with industry players. Additionally, Telefilm provides recommendations to the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding the certification of treaty-based audiovisual co-productions, and administers programs of the Canada Media Fund. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Letterboxd.
Creative BC is an independent non-profit society created and supported by the Province to sustain and help grow British Columbia’s creative sector, comprised of five distinct industries: motion picture, interactive digital media, music and sound recording, and both book and magazine publishing. The organization acts as an economic development agency with programs and services that expand B.C.’s creative economy, including: home of the BC Film Commission; administrator of provincial motion picture tax credit programs; administrator of funding programs; and provider of strategic business attraction, export, and research in support of the sector.
Supported by the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) is a not-for-profit organization that invests in Canadian creators and companies to tell stories that reflect and connect us all. We fund audiovisual and interactive digital media content—across all platforms—that builds a stronger cultural identity at home and on the world stage. The CMF puts stories front and centre, opening pathways to domestic and global markets and promoting a screen-based sector that is more resilient, more inclusive, and fuelled for growth. Visit our website to learn more about what we do: https://cmf-fmc.ca/
Producer of Global Business, Big Ocean ENM
Bio +
Jaeyoung Jen Park is a Producer on the Global Business team at Big Ocean ENM, a Seoul-based entertainment company behind OUR BELOVED SUMMER, FLEX X COP, and TOMORROW. She works across international co-productions and co-developments, connecting Korean content with partners and audiences worldwide. Her experience includes K-culture documentaries, BEEF Season 2, a K-pop feature with Nemsia Studios in Nigeria and more. Her team's global projects span across Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and Nigeria.