Workshops

Derek Luis

Derek Luis is a media educator and executive based in Toronto. In the past two years alone he has received over 500 pitches from both amateur and professional producers. He knows what works. He holds the record for winning the most pitches in one day at an industry pitch competition. The people he trains, win pitch competitions.

His 20 year media career includes work as a producer for network programs broadcast on CBC, YTV, TVO, MuchMusic and CTV.

He has recently executive produced over 200 episodes of lifestyles, documentary and variety programming for SUNTV, Canada's newest terrestrial TV channel where as Executive Director of Independent Producton, he overseas the station's multimillion dollar commitments to the development, production and licensing of original content.

Derek's independent producing credits include the made for TV movie, Love's A Gamble, broadcast by CHUM on Citytv and Bravo in 2005/06. Prior to that he was Director of Development at Inner City Films [Skin Deep, Jozi-H] a Geminin Award-winning production company.

Derek has studied interactive media at the renowned Banff Centre for the Arts and also coordinated the first digital storytelling and interactive game design workshop at the Canadian Film Centre.

Derek has previously served as a consultant to: the National Film Board of Canada; municipal, provincial and federal government agencies; the United Way and the United Nations, on media training and youth mobilization initiatives. 

He is a graduate of the Alliance Atlantis TV Executive Program. 

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