TORONTO — Independent production company Amaze announced today the hiring of Alex Lalonde (above left) in the new position of chief operating officer and Gina Vanni (above right) as senior vice-president of business affairs.
The announcement was made by Amaze co-founders Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence in a press release. Based in Toronto, both Lalonde and Vanni will report to Souther and Lawrence.
These new appointments expanding Amaze’s executive team reflect the company’s overall strategy to grow its business domestically and internationally, the release says.
In her role as COO, “Lalonde will be charged with managing corporate operations, as well as sourcing IP and co-production opportunities, packaging, financing, sales and acting as an Executive Producer across projects,” the release explains.
As senior vice-president of business affairs, “Vanni will be responsible for business affairs and finance both corporately and across the Amaze slate of domestic and service productions,” the release adds.
“Our goal is to grow the award-winning Amaze brand and to further scale-up into international markets, diversify the production model and expand talent collaborations,” Souther and Lawrence said in a joint statement in the release.
“Alex and Gina are leaders in global treaty co-production, commercial co-production, domestic and service production, and will be an integral part to Amaze’s expansion and growth into broader markets.”
Lalonde has more than 30 years of experience in film, television and digital media. She previously led Stratagem RX, where she produced the feature film The Desperate Hour (directed by Phillip Noyce) and the Canadian shoot for Marvel Studios’ TV mini series Hawkeye and Secret Invasion, according to the press release.
Before that, Lalonde was vice-president at New Metric Media (Letterkenny, Bad Blood) and previously COO at Digital Howard, “where she launched the multi-Canadian Screen Award winning interactive platform for Wynonna Earp interactive,” the release says.
“Lalonde has deep knowledge of international treaty co-production/co-venture gained while serving as Executive in Charge of Production for First Generation Films and as EP on numerous feature films including Life (Anton Corbijn) and Regression (Alejandro Amenábar).”
Lalonde has also held positions at The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund and the Motion Picture Bond Company, and has served as a board member for WIFT-T and as chair of the WIFT-T foundation. She currently sits on the Film Ontario board as well as the Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival board of directors.
Vanni “is a leader in the field of Canadian service and international co-production finance and business affairs,” according to the press release.
Vanni started her career at the Ontario Media Development Corporation (Ontario Creates), certifying tax credits for film, television and digital media projects. Later promoted to director of tax credits and financing, she oversaw the administration and certification process for Ontario’s tax credit programs.
After Ontario Creates, Vanni went on to work as vice-president of production finance at Dufferin Gate Productions and Take 5 Productions, and as vice-president of business affairs at New Metric Media. Most recently, Vanni was senior vice-president of business affairs at Stratagem RX.
Amaze is an award-winning film and television production company based in Toronto. It is currently in production on the second season of Prime Video’s hit series The Lake, starring Jordan Gavaris, Julia Stiles and Madison Shamoun. Written and executive produced by Julian Doucet (Killjoys, St-Nickel), The Lake is Prime Video’s first scripted Canadian Amazon Original comedy series and is available in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide, according to the press release.
Amaze’s other production credits include two seasons of the mystery drama procedural Carter starring Jerry O’Connell, four seasons of the HBO dark comedy series Call Me Fitz starring Jason Priestley, the half-hour comedy series The Stanley Dynamic, and the dramatic feature film Saint Ralph.
Photos provided by Amaze.
