Stephanie Azam has left Disney+ Canada as head of content after nearly one year in the post.
A Disney spokesperson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter the exit as part of a companywide reorganization at The Walt Disney Co. Toronto-based Azam oversaw content planning, acquisitions and licensing at Disney+ Canada, which is part of the Disney ABC Television Group.
Before joining the flagship Disney streamer in Aug. 2022, Azam was vp of development acquisitions at indie producer Sphere Films, and earlier held the position of national director, feature film at Telefilm Canada, where she was responsible for financing the production, development, and marketing of English language indie films.
Walt Disney unveiled plans to cut around 7,000 jobs to impact every corner of the company this year.
Azam’s departure also comes amid Disney+ Canada and other U.S. streamers active in the Canadian market pausing or reassessing their investments in local film and...
A Disney spokesperson confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter the exit as part of a companywide reorganization at The Walt Disney Co. Toronto-based Azam oversaw content planning, acquisitions and licensing at Disney+ Canada, which is part of the Disney ABC Television Group.
Before joining the flagship Disney streamer in Aug. 2022, Azam was vp of development acquisitions at indie producer Sphere Films, and earlier held the position of national director, feature film at Telefilm Canada, where she was responsible for financing the production, development, and marketing of English language indie films.
Walt Disney unveiled plans to cut around 7,000 jobs to impact every corner of the company this year.
Azam’s departure also comes amid Disney+ Canada and other U.S. streamers active in the Canadian market pausing or reassessing their investments in local film and...
- 6/30/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stephanie Azam is no longer the head of content for Disney+ Canada, Variety has learned. The executive was let go as part of the company’s recent reorganization after less than a year on the job, and amid news that Disney+ has paused original commissions in Canada.
Several other positions were eliminated as a result of the reorganization. Jason Badal remains in place as the VP and general manager of Disney+ in Canada. Sources indicate the company is still looking at Canadian originals, although the timeline surrounding any such commissions is unclear.
Last September at a Content Canada conference, Badal indicated the streaming service was in search of Canadian content for the Star component of Disney+. Azam was in the audience at the time and still new to the role. Still, Badal revealed her email for those in the room who wanted to send pitches.
“We did hire someone who’s actually in the audience.
Several other positions were eliminated as a result of the reorganization. Jason Badal remains in place as the VP and general manager of Disney+ in Canada. Sources indicate the company is still looking at Canadian originals, although the timeline surrounding any such commissions is unclear.
Last September at a Content Canada conference, Badal indicated the streaming service was in search of Canadian content for the Star component of Disney+. Azam was in the audience at the time and still new to the role. Still, Badal revealed her email for those in the room who wanted to send pitches.
“We did hire someone who’s actually in the audience.
- 6/29/2023
- by Amber Dowling
- Variety Film + TV
Disney+ has put the brakes on original commissions in Canada until at least the end of the year, Variety can reveal.
Sources indicate that the Mouse House has put a pin in local programming from across its brands in Canada, and isn’t actively commissioning. It’s understood that this mandate will be in place until the end of 2023 and could extend into 2024.
Disney+ officially launched in Canada in November 2019, but like other streaming services north of the border, it’s taken a few years to get originals underway. Last summer, the company hired respected Telefilm executive Stephanie Azam as its director of content for Canada — an appointment that generated some buzz in the local industry.
In September, the originals strategy seemed to be shaping up, with Jason Badal, VP and general manager for Disney+ in Canada, taking the stage at industry conference Content Canada to outline the team’s initial objectives.
Sources indicate that the Mouse House has put a pin in local programming from across its brands in Canada, and isn’t actively commissioning. It’s understood that this mandate will be in place until the end of 2023 and could extend into 2024.
Disney+ officially launched in Canada in November 2019, but like other streaming services north of the border, it’s taken a few years to get originals underway. Last summer, the company hired respected Telefilm executive Stephanie Azam as its director of content for Canada — an appointment that generated some buzz in the local industry.
In September, the originals strategy seemed to be shaping up, with Jason Badal, VP and general manager for Disney+ in Canada, taking the stage at industry conference Content Canada to outline the team’s initial objectives.
- 6/15/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Disney+ is preparing to greenlight original Canadian content. However those seeking to place programming with the northern contingent of the Mouse House may not be preparing pitches the streamer is actually looking for.
Less than a year after former Shopify e-commerce director Jason Badal took the top job as VP and Gm of Disney+ in Canada, he sat onstage for a spotlight Session at content Canada to discuss the company’s push into general entertainment content. Specifically, he revealed the company is looking to blow out the Disney Star portion of Disney+.
“That’s where all of our audience-expanding content is,” he explained. “I love to hear that people with older kids or younger kids love our product, but I’m always trying to, even on a one-to-one basis, remind people that there’s older-skewing general entertainment content.”
He added that part of his job right now isn’t just...
Less than a year after former Shopify e-commerce director Jason Badal took the top job as VP and Gm of Disney+ in Canada, he sat onstage for a spotlight Session at content Canada to discuss the company’s push into general entertainment content. Specifically, he revealed the company is looking to blow out the Disney Star portion of Disney+.
“That’s where all of our audience-expanding content is,” he explained. “I love to hear that people with older kids or younger kids love our product, but I’m always trying to, even on a one-to-one basis, remind people that there’s older-skewing general entertainment content.”
He added that part of his job right now isn’t just...
- 9/20/2022
- by Amber Dowling
- Variety Film + TV
Disney continues to grow its presence in Canada with the appointment of Stephanie Azam as director of content for streaming service Disney+.
Although no Canadian originals have been announced for the streaming service to date, the hire suggests that could soon change.
Azam joins Disney following a year-long gig with the independent Canadian distribution company MK2/Mile End, where she served as VP of development and acquisitions. The Quebec-based company created the role to expand in English Canada last September in hopes of deepening domestic and international partnerships.
This April, Montreal-based Sphère Média acquired the company but kept the Toronto and Montreal teams in place.
Previously, Azam spent 12 years at Telefilm Canada as the National Feature Film Executive, where she oversaw production financing for all of English Canada. Before joining Telefilm as a marketing and distribution specialist in 2008, she spent five years as the director of theatrical marketing at Zeitgeist Films in New York.
Although no Canadian originals have been announced for the streaming service to date, the hire suggests that could soon change.
Azam joins Disney following a year-long gig with the independent Canadian distribution company MK2/Mile End, where she served as VP of development and acquisitions. The Quebec-based company created the role to expand in English Canada last September in hopes of deepening domestic and international partnerships.
This April, Montreal-based Sphère Média acquired the company but kept the Toronto and Montreal teams in place.
Previously, Azam spent 12 years at Telefilm Canada as the National Feature Film Executive, where she oversaw production financing for all of English Canada. Before joining Telefilm as a marketing and distribution specialist in 2008, she spent five years as the director of theatrical marketing at Zeitgeist Films in New York.
- 8/19/2022
- by Amber Dowling
- Variety Film + TV
MK2 Mile End, the Quebec-based distribution outfit launched by French film studio MK2 and industry veteran Charles Tremblay, is set to expand into the English-Canadian market with key appointments.
The company, which debuted in 2017 and is headed by Tremblay, has tapped well-established industry professionals Stephanie Azam from Telefilm Canada and Lainie Elton at Level Film to spearhead this strategic expansion.
Azam takes on the newly created role of vice-president of development and acquisitions, and Elton as vice-president of licensing and digital strategy, with both headquartered in Toronto.
Azam recently stepped down from Telefilm Canada. She previously worked at Zeitgeist Films in New York as head of theatrical marketing.
Elton has over 20 years of experience in the North American film distribution scene, most recently at Level Film and previously at Alliance Films and Entertainment One.
“These appointments, particularly after the challenges of our industry over the past 18 months, signal an important...
The company, which debuted in 2017 and is headed by Tremblay, has tapped well-established industry professionals Stephanie Azam from Telefilm Canada and Lainie Elton at Level Film to spearhead this strategic expansion.
Azam takes on the newly created role of vice-president of development and acquisitions, and Elton as vice-president of licensing and digital strategy, with both headquartered in Toronto.
Azam recently stepped down from Telefilm Canada. She previously worked at Zeitgeist Films in New York as head of theatrical marketing.
Elton has over 20 years of experience in the North American film distribution scene, most recently at Level Film and previously at Alliance Films and Entertainment One.
“These appointments, particularly after the challenges of our industry over the past 18 months, signal an important...
- 9/9/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
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