About Us
Mandate & Mission • Board of Directors • Partners & Supporters
Our Mandate & Mission
The Hamilton Film Board (HFB) is a not-for-profit organization founded by industry professionals to champion Hamilton as a premier destination for film, television, and digital media production.
Our mission is to:
- Strengthen Hamilton’s creative economy by promoting screen-based industries.
- Foster community engagement and cultural participation.
- Support talent development, youth mentorship, and educational partnerships.
- Enhance cultural tourism and elevate Hamilton’s reputation as a dynamic screen industry hub.
- Promote inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability in all our initiatives.
We believe that the screen industry is more than entertainment — it is a cultural force that creates jobs, builds identity, and connects communities.
Board of Directors
Active Industry Members Committed to Building Hamilton's Screen Industry
Christoph Benfey
Founding Board Member
Coming Soon.
Jeff Boulton
Founding Board Member
Jeff Boulton is a Canadian film, television, and media producer with three decades of experience in executive leadership and content creation. After five years at the CBC, he launched H.L. Hawk Productions and Dante Media Group, producing Gemini-nominated interactive projects, branded content, the Global TV series Unzipped, and the documentary Naked Circus.
As Head of Production at Don Carmody Television (2017–2020), Boulton contributed to the Netflix and CBC series Northern Rescue and films including Tulipani (Oscar-winner Mike van Diem), Lucky Day (Oscar-winner Roger Avary), and Death of a Ladies’ Man (Gabriel Byrne). Now at Crafthaus Ltd., he is developing a Telefilm-supported original thriller, Brookfield, producing Skin the Ghost with director Terrance Odette, and developing Light of the Void with director Ashlea Wessel. Boulton remains focused on building strong creative teams and championing sustainable careers for Canadian filmmakers.
Nathan Fleet
Founding Board Member
Nathan Fleet is a writer, director, composer, and lifelong Hamiltonian committed to cultivating the city’s creative culture. Leading Blue Pick Media, he produces original film and music projects, including Air Knob, Songs From the Hammer, Wild Child, East End, and the new micro-musical series Phone.
As Executive Director of the Hamilton Film Festival and the Hamilton School of Media Arts, he oversees year-round education programs—from youth camps to industry development—and now the HFFd distribution initiative to expand local content into Canadian theatres.
A graduate of the Mohawk College music program and a musician since the late 1980s, Fleet continues to write, perform, and compose—with a well-known fondness for loud guitars and a reluctance for formal attire or dancing.
Mike Bruce
Founding Board Member
Mike Bruce is a Canadian entertainment entrepreneur whose career spans more than three decades in film, television, and music. He has worked as a performer, producer, and locations manager while also investing in creative infrastructure as a studio owner-operator.
Bruce is a co-founding partner of Aeon Studio Group in Hamilton and Studio 550 in Toronto, both of which are focused on building innovative production facilities for film and television. In 2023, he joined the ownership group of Grant Avenue Studio, one of Hamilton’s most iconic recording spaces. In addition, he serves on the Hamilton Music Advisory Team, helping guide cultural policy and advocate for the city’s thriving creative community.
Through his broad expertise and entrepreneurial drive, Bruce continues to advance Hamilton’s reputation as a premier destination for both screen and music production.
Christopher Giroux
Founding Board Member + President
Christopher Giroux is a Canadian film and television producer with over 50 credits spanning horror, holiday, drama, and genre content. A graduate of Sheridan College, he began his career in live production before moving into producing, where he made his mark through collaborations with Black Fawn Films and Vortex Media.
Giroux’s work includes Anything for Jackson, The End of Sex (TIFF 2022), Christmas Island, and The Voices of Her Mother. His projects have aired on major platforms including Netflix, Crave, Prime Video, and Hallmark.Giroux is a two-time Canadian Screen Award nominee and an active member of the Producer’s Roundtable of Ontario.
Giroux is a two-time Canadian Screen Award nominee and an active member of the Producer’s Roundtable of Ontario.
Ali Goldthorpe
Founding Board Member
Ali Goldthorpe is a Hamilton-based Canadian producer and line producer with more than ten years of experience across film and television. After graduating from Sheridan College’s Media Arts program, she began her career on major productions such as the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water. She went on to specialize in production management and line producing, with notable credits including Anything for Jackson, The End of Sex, and Amazon Prime’s Beast Games, the largest reality series in the world. Most recently, she line-produced an episode of CBC’s The Nature of Things.
With over 20 productions shot in Hamilton to her credit, Ali has embraced the city’s thriving creative community as her professional home. Her work reflects a commitment to efficient production, creative problem-solving, and supporting local talent.
Ann Pirvu
Founding Board Member + Secretary
Ann Pirvu is a Romanian-born, CSA-nominated actor, writer, and producer whose vibrant career bridges television, streaming, and independent film. She is best known for her fan-favourite role as Nicole Touchet in The CW’s Reign, and for scene-stealing performances in Workin’ Moms, The Girlfriend Experience, Total Frat Movie, and Remedy. Her romantic leads have lit up screens on Hallmark, Lifetime, and beyond—with recent titles like Operation Nutcracker, The Heiress and the Handyman, and Catching a Christmas Cowboy.
A passionate storyteller and creative force, Ann co-produces the Cable 14 series The Pickup and recently co-created the graphic novel Doctor Awesome Woman. She teaches at Armstrong Acting Studios, serves as a jury member for TOWebfest, and is a frequent speaker at screen and digital media festivals across Canada.
Danielle Rizzo
Founding Board Member
Raised in a fashion retail family in Brantford, Ontario, Danielle Rizzo has always been drawn to style, creativity, and the power of community. After building a career in buying, retail sales, and wardrobe styling, Danielle discovered a historic gem at 64 Hatt Street in Dundas. She saw more than just a building—she saw a home for Hamilton’s creative energy. Her vision was to create a space where filmmakers, photographers, event producers, entrepreneurs, and innovators could work side-by-side, sharing ideas and building something bigger together.
That vision became Millworks Creative Studios: a vibrant hub offering fully equipped studios for film, photography, and events, alongside co-working spaces designed to spark inspiration. For Danielle, Millworks isn’t just a place to work—it’s a community where connections are made, ideas flourish, and creative visions become reality.
Matthew Watts
Founding Board Member
Matthew Watts is a Canadian gaffer, lighting director, and General Manager at Picture Perfect Package Lighting and Grip Rentals.
With over two decades of experience, he has worked across a wide range of film and television productions, ensuring lighting design and equipment support meet the highest professional standards. His role at Picture Perfect includes managing day-to-day operations, guiding clients through equipment needs, and contributing hands-on expertise to productions.
Deeply rooted in Hamilton’s creative community, Watts is passionate about mentoring the next generation of crew and advancing local screen production. His leadership and dedication continue to make him an essential part of Hamilton’s growing reputation as a world-class filming destination.
Ken Woychesko
Founding Board Member + Treasurer
Ken Woychesko is a veteran entrepreneur and co-founder of Hamilton Film Studios, where he merges 20+ years of expertise in corporate finance, tax planning, and systems integration to support the city’s thriving screen industry.
Known for his work with platforms like Odoo, Ken helps implement smart, transparent workflows that empower independent productions.
Passionate about Hamilton’s economic and cultural future, he plays an active role in strategic planning and sector development through his involvement with the Hamilton Film Board.
Zach Zohr
Founding Board Member
Zach Zohr is a Canadian screen industry veteran whose career began in Toronto as a teenager and grew into a 25-year run as a key grip. His breakthrough came working with Sarah Polley on Stories We Tell, a film whose lighting design remains a subject of study in classrooms across the country.
A versatile creative, Zohr also built a cult following with his Henson-inspired puppet web series This Cat is Ned.
In 2018, Zohr co-founded Hamilton Film Studios with Ken Woychesko, establishing a rental house and expendables store that has become a cornerstone of Hamilton’s film and television production community. Today, HFS supports both established productions and emerging filmmakers, helping solidify Hamilton as a leading destination for screen production.
Outside of work, Zohr enjoys gardening, golfing, and time with his son Zane.
Partners & Supporters
HFB works collaboratively with a wide network of partners who share our vision for Hamilton’s screen industry:
- City of Hamilton (Film Office, Cultural Industries Team)
- Supercrawl (An arts and culture festival)
- Local Studios and Vendors (Hamilton Film Studios, Picture Perfect, Grant Avenue Studio, etc.)
- Educational Institutions (Mohawk College, McMaster University, Hamilton School of Media Arts)
- Festivals and Broadcasters (Hamilton Film Festival, Cable 14, CHCH, CBC Hamilton)
We thank our partners and supporters for their commitment to Hamilton’s creative industries.