TORONTO — The Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) announced Wednesday it has appointed industry veteran Michelle van Beusekom to the role of executive director.
Van Beusekom brings more than 25 years of experience in documentary to the national non-profit association. Most recently, she worked as executive director of the National Film Board of Canada’s English program where she led the editorial and creative direction, operations and finances for five production studios across Canada.
“Documentary has never been more popular and it has never been so underfunded. There is no one better than Michelle to advocate for a genre that has brought international recognition to Canadian filmmakers, while forging a uniquely Canadian art form,” said DOC chair Nadine Pequeneza, in the news release.
Van Beusekom joined the NFB in 2006 as the assistant director general of English program and twice served as the program’s interim director general. She has previously worked at the CBC and WTN (now W Network) as a production executive and as a programmer at the Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival. She produced the Gemini-nominated feature Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary (2008), the interactive documentary by the same name, and Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts (2014), an interactive history of the NFB.
“For over three decades, DOC Canada has played a vital role in supporting and lobbying for Canada’s vibrant independent documentary community and the expansion and transmission of documentary culture. I’m excited and honoured to be stepping into this role and the opportunity to put my skills, energy and relationships in the service of Canada’s documentary community at this critical time. In our current context of market disruption and upcoming shifts in Canada’s regulatory environment, ensuring a strong vision and voice for Canada’s documentary community has never been more important,” said van Beusekom.
DOC is the collective voice of independent documentary filmmakers in Canada and represents more than 800 directors, producers and craftspeople in the Canadian documentary community. DOC advocates on behalf of its members to foster an environment conducive to documentary production and strives to strengthen the sector within the broader film production industry.
