Village Gamer

The Toronto International Microfinance Summit announced today The MasterCard Foundation is providing 100 college and university students with financial assistance to attend its conference at Toronto’s Allstream Centre September 17, 2011. In its third year, the Summit is comprised of two events, a fundraising Gala on September 16th and the micro way Conference with a new MicroMarketplace September 17th. This year the theme is From Microfinance to Financial Inclusion: Making a Difference in our World. Topics include:

• Financial Literacy, Youth Programs and First Nations
• Mobile Banking, Technology and Investment Funds with impact
• How microfinance enables global health initiatives
• Rating Microfinance Institutions and Risk Management
• Microfinance in conflict zones

“The Toronto International Microfinance Summit brings together thought leaders in the sector with both international and domestic expertise,” says Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the MasterCard Foundation.  “The Summit is an important platform for knowledge-sharing and The MasterCard Foundation is proud to support students’ attendance.”

“Microfinance is the place where business and international development objectives intersect and social impact is achieved,” adds Jim Louttit, Vice President of Toronto International Microfinance Summit and Rotarian Action Group for Microcredit Secretary.  “For the second year, The MasterCard Foundation is partnering with us so more students can learn about this powerful poverty reduction tool, interact with experts and get involved.

The Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, will attend the Gala and offer official greetings. Forty Summit speakers from thirty organizations on five continents are scheduled to make presentations,  including:

• Bob Annibale – Citi Microfinance
• Vidar Jorgensen – Grameen America
• Kadita (A.T.) Tshibaka – Opportunity International
• Philip Smith – philanthropist and author
• Joyce Lehman – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Michael Bowles – Aga Khan Foundation
• Damien von Stauffenberg – MicroRate
• Jeff Rayman – Secutor Capital
• Dr. Tanjina Mirza – Plan Canada
• Howard Weinstein – Solar Ear
• Charles Belanger – FINCA
• Francois Montour – CIDA
• Tess Bayombong – CARE Canada
• Deborah Lindholm – Foundation for Women

The organizers of Web-In, presented by the Canada Media Fund, are proud to announce the first series of speakers who will present their vision of the Web of tomorrw, on October 31^st at the Hilton Montréal Bonaventure hotel, as part of MTL DGTL.

Web-In is a one-day event, featuring micro-conferences that aim to drive industry professionals to break new ground and create the Web of the future by encouraging them to be a step ahead of common observation, leave their comfort zone and question their certainties. Take advantage of the Early Bird 30% discount on the regular price by registering online before September 16.

Brief and Inspiring Speakers!

• Jonathan Bélisle: Ux, Drugs & Rock N’ Roll: From Divergence to Exploration to Convergence
• Olivier Bruel: La viralité gratuite
• Alexandre Ekerli: Le Web comme rituel
• Geoffroi Garon: Le phénomène du «Selftracking» et le concept de «Quantified Self»
• Luc Gauvreau: Le «Montréalscope»: histoires données au futur
• Alex Lauzon: L’obsolescence (non planifiée) des logiciels de courriels
• Laurent Maisonnave: Comment le buzz des médias sociaux rendra enfin sexy votre TV connectée
• Véronique Marino: Création transmédia: la compréhension de l’autisme est-elle la clef de la réussite?
• Sébastien Paquet: Le futur est collaboratif et ouvert
• Patrick Tanguay: Post-numérique et l’Internet des machins

“Web-In will be the perfect opportunity for Web enthusiasts to find inspiration for their next projects,” says François Légaré, Coordinator of the event. “We are proud to welcome close to 20 speakers who are willing to share their vision and passion, in order to push Quebec’s Internet community to excel, and move forward creatively.”

Vancouver Film School has announced the dates for the 2012 version of its annual Game Design Expo. Day One of the expo, known as Industry Day, will be held at the Vancouver International Film Centre on Seymour on January 21st. Industry Day is filled with speaker and panel presentations in the theatre, with displays and networking opportunities held in the lobby area.

Day Two of the Expo will be hosted at the new VFS Game Design Campus at 88 East Pender on January 22nd, where those interested in attending VFS as a student can speak with instructors and admissions counselors as well as participate in hands-on workshops or try out some student-developed games.

The Games Design Expo has also put out a Call For Speakers and Panels. Deadline for submissions is October 16, 2011. If you or your company are interested in becoming an event sponsor, please see the information on the Expo’s Sponsor page.

It’s not easy being tween. Youth today face difficult and sometimes life-threatening decisions, and at this time of year, back-to-school anxiety and stress is much discussed among parents, educators and the media. Tweens and young teens, confronted with peer pressure, cyber-drama, bullying and the increasingly pervasive influence of social media, often need support to help them navigate their way from childhood to high school.

And schools in Toronto and the GTA are able to do that with the free kids.now after-school program, which matches one volunteer mentor with 10 students in a 12 week curriculum-based program that provides students with important lessons in building self-confidence, resolving conflict, setting goals, improving communication and managing stress.

“We are really pleased to be partnering with kids.now to offer many of our students the opportunity to work with a mentor that will help students discover who they are and what they can become,” says Chris Spence, Director of Education for the Toronto District School Board. “I know from personal experience the value of mentorship and I encourage students to get involved and let their journeys begin.”

Since 1999, kids.now, a charitable organization, has provided free in-school group mentoring programs to more than 11,000 grades 7 and 8.  This fall, kids.now will run 80 programs in Ontario and 40 more throughout New Brunswick and Alberta.

“What we do is really provide kids with a toolbox that helps them in these critical years but that they can also access as they get older,” said kids.now President and Founder Janet King. “We empower youth to believe in themselves to make positive choices so they can reach their full potential.”

Marilia Lana signed up “shy introvert” Vinny during a particularly difficult time in her family’s life. “After the program, Vinny was like a flower blossoming. He just became better,” said Marilia, a family support worker. “Our experience with kids.now has impacted our whole family, and I want to tell other parents that this program is a no brainer – the results are big, a huge improvement in social skills.”

Accenture and the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) have announced that the Accenture Foundations have awarded the national charity a grant of US$420,000 to help the organization support young entrepreneurs in Canada.

The two-year commitment is part of Accenture’s global corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed, which will equip 250,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. The grant will help CYBF mentor more than 2,000 entrepreneurs aged 18 – 34 and enhance the mentoring skills of more than 3,700 existing and new mentors, who help entrepreneurs build and scale sustainable businesses across the country.

In addition to the grant Accenture will provide CYBF with pro-bono services to help ensure the long-term success of the program. Specifically, Accenture employee volunteers will create a new online mentoring orientation program, which will upgrade the skill sets of both mentors and mentees. Additionally, Accenture volunteers will be recruited to act as mentors to the entrepreneurs.

“Supporting Canadian Youth Business Foundation helps bring to life Accenture’s commitment to building skills,” said Adrian Lajtha, chief leadership officer at Accenture. “CYBF proves it’s possible to make a significant, lasting impact on the economic well-being of individuals and their communities by developing entrepreneurial skills and connecting people with the right job opportunities.”

“Accenture’s work empowering Canadian youth through our work with Canadian Youth Business Foundation builds on our goal to make a difference in the lives and careers of people across Canada,” said Bill Morris, managing director of Accenture in Canada. “Teaming with CYBF fits with Accenture’s global corporate citizenship focus, Skills to Succeed, which recognizes that skills are one of the most powerful drivers of success.”

The grant is an extension of Accenture’s relationship with CYBF which began in 2006, when Accenture funded development of their online mentoring tools and interactive business planner. Additionally, CYBF is an active member of the Prince’s Youth Business International network (YBI), which Accenture has supported since 2006 by providing more than US$3.6 million in grants and pro-bono assistance in recruiting, training and maintaining the organization’s mentoring network. The new funds will be used to rebuild and roll out the nonprofit’s online mentoring orientation tool and to assess, scope and develop mentoring programs and services.

“Both the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and Accenture share a commitment to invest in the success of tomorrow’s business leaders by providing them with the skills and support they need to start and sustain their own businesses and to drive economic vitality in communities” said Vivian Prokop, chief executive officer of Canadian Youth Business Foundation. “The support of Accenture will enable Canadian Youth Business Foundation to strengthen and broaden its successful mentoring program as the foundation and platform for entrepreneurial, small business skill development for young entrepreneurs in Canada and around the world.

Following a five-week-long call for applications, The Canadian Youth Business Foundation has announced the names of the 30 young entrepreneurs who will form the official Canadian delegation at the G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit (G20 YES) in Nice, France this fall.

Thirty dynamic young Canadian entrepreneurs have been selected to participate in the G20 YES, an annual international summit that brings together dedicated and influential entrepreneurs of the G20 countries, between October 31 and November 2, 2011. At the summit, delegates will be working together to identify the ways that governments and business communities can best harness the potential of young entrepreneurs, while also driving public policy, raising awareness and providing a voice for young entrepreneurs around the globe. The resulting recommendations will then be officially handed to the G20 leaders on November 3^rd in Cannes.

Representing Canada will be:

• Arjun Kumar: CEO of Kela Medical Inc. in Whitby
• Armen Bakirtzian: CEO of Avenir Medical Inc. in Toronto and CYBF Entrepreneur
• April Glavine: CEO of Lean Machine Healthy Vending Service Inc. in Moncton and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Barbara Mclean-Stollery: President of Executive Airways Grooming Services in Calgary, CYBF Entrepreneur and G20 YES 2010 participant
• Devon Brooks: Co-Founder of Blo Blow Dry Bar in Vancouver and CYBF Mentor
• François Baron: President of 3Dvisionic in Montréal and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Harry Chemko: Co-Founder and CEO of Elastic Path Software Inc. in Vancouver, G20 YES 2010 delegate and CYBF Board Member
• Jackie Cook: Chief Production Officer of Thread Media in Saskatoon
• Jean-René Lemire: Theobroma Chocolat, G20 YES 2010 participant
• Kassandra Linklater : Co-founder and Director of D.L. Strategic Online Media Corporation in Surrey
• Ken Leblanc: CEO of PropertyGuys.com Inc. in Moncton G20 YES 2010 participant, CYBF Entrepreneur and CYBF Board Member
• Kendal Netmaker: Founder and CEO of Neechie Gear in Saskatoon
• Kévin Paquet: President of AL-Peintre Inc. in St-Gédéon-De-Beauce and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Lesley Steele: President of Eastern Passage Village Veterinary Hospital in Eastern Passage and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Lisa von Sturmer: Founder and CEO of Growing City in Vancouver and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Martin Thibault: President of Absolunet in Boisbriand
• Marty Park: President and CEO of Evolve Business Group in Calgary and CYBF Mentor
• Matthew Hudson: Founder and CEO of Invenia Technical Computing in Winnipeg and CYBF National Best Business Award winner
• Meghan Athavale: President of PO-MO Inc. in Winnipeg and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Mike Wahl: Co-Owner of Definitions Wellness Safety Services in St. Johns, Newfoundland
• Milun Tesovic: Co-Founder and CTO of MetroLeap Media Inc. in Burnaby and G20 YES 2010 participant
• Monica Mei Chiu: CEO of WhatImWear.in, Owner of Aime Luxury and Founder of M Project in Toronto and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Mylène Chaumont: President of Sentinelle Santé in Gatineau and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Olivier Letard: Chairman of PCO Innovation in Montréal
• Roxanne Tétreault: Artistic Director of Esprits Libres Communications in Granby and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Stéphane Elie: President of Symbiose Communication in Longueuil, Québec and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Toby Reid: President and CEO at Solegear Bioplastics Inc. in Vancouver and CYBF Entrepreneur
• Tod Caton: President of Backside Tours in Edmonton
• Wael Badawy: President and CEO of IntelliView Technologies Inc. in Calgary and CYBF Mentor
• Valérie Bellavance: Senior Director, Quebec of Canadian Youth Business Foundation in Montréal

“The Canadian Youth Business Foundation is proud to have some of Canada’s most driven, resourceful and influential young entrepreneurs participate in the G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit,” explains Vivian Prokop, chief executive officer of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and founding chair of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance. “These dynamic young delegates have been selected for their role as Canada’s job creators and innovators. Hailing from the four corners of our country and focused in diverse sectors of our economy, they have an impressive depth of experience and insight to offer to the G20 leaders and their fellow entrepreneurs. In November, these 28 young entrepreneurs will come home with strengthened knowledge, a credible platform and the voice to become a leader who drives change to the culture of entrepreneurship in Canada.”

CYBF hosted the inaugural G20 YES in Toronto in June 2010, inviting 200 young entrepreneurs and the organizations that represent them from the G20 countries to participate in the development of a communiqué delivered to the G20 leaders. The Summit also resulted in the creation of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, an international network of like-minded organizations supporting youth entrepreneurship.

Learning Tree International, Inc. will be presenting five informative sessions at Showcase Ontario 2011, providing key insights on the best in public and private sector business training practices and solutions. Showcase Ontario takes place this September 7th through 9th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and will offer participants access to career-focused education sessions, world-class speakers and a dynamic exhibition.

Defining Clear Project Goals with Larry Barnard
Wednesday, September 7, 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.
Description:This interactive session will help create clear goals for projects, and explain how to use these goals to ensure successful projects and achieve smooth project closure.

Managing Emotional Intelligence with Larry Barnard
Two Sessions: Wednesday September 7, 1:00pm – 4:00pm & Thursday September 8, 9:00am – 12:00p.m.
Description: This session will help participants learn to combine strong interpersonal skills with technical skills, and to apply Emotional Intelligence to motivate and engage teams, foster cooperative working relationships and improve overall effectiveness.

Planning for Project Success with Larry Barnard
Thursday, September 8, 1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m.
Description: This intensive mini-course will discuss strategies for planning for project success, as well as common project pitfalls to avoid.

Cloud Computing Overview: Evaluating the Opportunities with Boles Sykora
Friday, September 9, 10:00a.m. – 1:30p.m.
Description: This half-day event features live demonstrations of current cloud computing products such as Salesforce.com, Microsoft Azure, Google & Amazon EC2 to help you evaluate the options, benefits and decisions involved with incorporating cloud computing.

The Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS), presented by the Canada Media Fund, unveiled programming for the 8th annual event, which takes place this November 1st and 2nd at the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure. Once again, MIGS is bringing together industry experts to create a educational event of unparalleled quality with presentations in six key areas of the business.

“One of the key objectives of MIGS is to expand the knowledge of developers so they will go back to work with their heads full of new and innovative ideas,” says Marie Claude Bernard, Director of MIGS. “With this year’s collection of inspiring speakers and our series of amazing events, the eighth edition of the MIGS is sure to be a great success.”

Participants will have the opportunity to hear the following experts:

* Arts & VFX:

• Alex Alvarez – Founder, President and CEO of Gnomon School of Visual Effects
• Hiroshi Matsuyama – CEO of CyberConnect2
• Raphael Lacoste – Art Director at Ubisoft

* Audio *NEW this year:

• Amaury LaBurthe – CEO and Assistant Professor at AudioGaming
• Jean-François Guay – Audio Expert and Programmer at Ubisoft
• Mona Mur – Composer
• Paul Weir – Audio Director, Composer and Audio Designer at Eidos

* Business:

• Jesse Divnich – Vice-President at EEDAR
• Marc Jackson – Managing Director at  Seahorn Capital Group
• Raphael van Lierop – Founder and Creative Director of HELM|Studio

* Design:

• Alex Epstein – Screenwriter
• Craig Morrison – Creative Director and Executive Producer at Funcom
• Nels Anderson – Lead Designer at Klei Entertainment

* Production:

• Andrée-Anne Boisvert – Associate Producer at Playdom
• Patrick Hsieh – Producer at Playdom
• Keith Fuller – Production Consultant for Fuller Game Production, LLC
• Scylla Costa – Development Director at Bioware

* Technology:

• Jeff Timanus – Software Developer for Google Canada
• Mike Ruangutai – Technical Director for  GameSpy Technology
• Renaud Bédard – Programmer at Polytron Corporation

Telefilm Canada will be holding the first of a three part panel discussion luncheon on September 9th in the Filmmakers’ Lounge at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. A Toronto International Film Festival partner event, the Question and Answer session will be hosted by Telefilm Canada Executive Director Carolle Brabant and moderated by Tom McSorley, Executive Director of the Canadian Film Institute, with opening remarks by Atom Egoyan, director of Chloe and The Sweet Hereafter.

The future of Canadian cinema is here and it is now. This panel discussion brings together filmmakers who’ve just made that elusive first feature. Whether it’s making the transition from shorts to features, the exciting opportunities of making films with digital media, or the aesthetic possibilities afforded creators by new technologies, these young directors will discuss how they got here and where they intend to go.

Directors who will be participating in the panel are as follows:

• Simon Davidson, The Odds, Canada First!
• Guy Édoin, Wetlands (Marécages), Canada First!
• Anne Émond, Nuit #1, Canada First!
• Ivan Grbovic, Romeo Eleven (Roméo Onze), Canada First!
• Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas, Amy George, Canada First!
• Nathan Morlando, Edwin Boyd, Special Presentations

There will also be panels held on September 12th and 14th, but details have not yet been released.

Telefilm Canada is enhancing its participation in the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with two new initiatives created to promote Canadian talent. A first for this year, 12 films to be shown at the Festival were promoted to the New York industry as part of Telefilm’s Eye on TIFF initiative, in which festival Co-Director Cameron Bailey took part.

Telefilm is also proud to announce that renowned Canadian director Atom Egoyan will launch its new Talent to Watchinitiative, which will spotlight the creative talent of the country’s emerging and established filmmakers, with Canadian and international media in attendance.

Back again for a 12^th consecutive year is festival favourite Telefilm Canada PITCH THIS!, which encourages industry support for new feature film ideas. Two additional activities will keep Telefilm in contact with its clients: Copro 101 information sessions will explore the ins and outs of co-producing with Canada, while Meet and Greet sessions provide opportunities to meet Telefilm’s top executives in one-on-one sessions.

“We’re enthusiastic about these two new initiatives that reaffirm Telefilm’s commitment to innovate and to promote the Canadian industry,” said Telefilm Canada’s Executive Director Carolle Brabant. “TIFF makes it possible, year after year, to support the industry’s growth by captivating international audiences, by forging ties within the industry, and by celebrating both up-and-coming and veteran talent.”

Director Atom Egoyan added: “Canadian filmmakers have always relied on the visibility and attention they can draw at film festivals.  This is a bold and vital initiative that fully understands the crucial role of promising young talent. ”

“We’re delighted to partner with Telefilm Canada on these exciting new projects,” said Cameron Bailey, Co-Director of the Toronto International Film Festival. “Eye on TIFF is helping to build profile for our best emerging talent, and is sure to open up new foreign sales opportunities for Canadian films. Our work will go a long way towards helping TIFF achieve one of its core missions: building audiences for Canadian filmmakers.”

Talent to Watch
Dates: September 9, 12 and 14, 2011
Time: 12:00 to 12:45 pm
Location: The Filmmakers’ Lounge, Hyatt Regency Hotel
Photocall: 12:00 pm
Talent to Watch spotlights the creative talent of our country’s emerging and established filmmakers. Don’t miss our “In conversation with…” sessions at the Filmmakers’ Lounge, which promise to take an insightful and perhaps even critical look at why Canadian cinema is applauded around the world. Atom Egoyan, one of Canada’s most renowned directors, will attend the first session, The New Face of Canadian Cinema, and will deliver opening remarks. Panellists will be announced shortly.

Telefilm Canada’s Eye on TIFF
This event was held in New York City on August 23^rd as an exclusive pre-festival mixer for Canadian film teams and the New York acquisitions, festival and exhibition community – a chance for some key decision-makers to sneak a peek at what Canada has to offer at TIFF 2011. TIFF Co-Director Cameron Bailey and Telefilm Canada Executive Director Carolle Brabant were co-hosts for the occasion.

TIFF Rising Stars
Dates: September 8 to 11, 2011
Telefilm is a partner in TIFF Rising Stars, a new initiative designed to discover the next generation of made-in-Canada talent. At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF Rising Stars will showcase four Canadian actors who have proven themselves ready to expand into international careers. Sarah Allen, Katie Boland, Sarah Gadon and Keon Mohajeri will receive intensive professional development and mentoring from casting directors, agents, managers, producers and filmmakers.

Telefilm Canada PITCH THIS!
Date: September 13, 2011
Time: 12:00 pm
Location: TIFF Bell Lightbox
Telefilm Canada PITCH THIS! returns to TIFF for the 12^th consecutive year. Six participating teams have six minutes each to pitch their feature film ideas to a live audience of over 200 industry professionals. The winning team is selected by a jury of international industry experts and receives $10,000 CAD from Telefilm to further develop their projects.

Talent Lab
Telefilm is a partner in Talent Lab, an intensive four-day professional development program that provides emerging talent with an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the world’s best film creators. Talent Lab leads participants in group discussions on a range of topics focused on the creative aspects of filmmaking, sharpening the skills and confidence of a new generation of filmmakers.

Meet and Greet with our executives
Dates: September 9, 11, 12 and 13, 2011
Telefilm’s Meet and Greet is a series of 15-minute one-on-one meetings with some of Telefilm’s top executives during TIFF, in order to discuss topics in their respective areas of expertise.

Copro 101
Dates: September 10, 12 and 13, 2011
Time: 9:30 to 10:30 am
Location: Filmmakers’ Lounge, Hyatt Regency Hotel
Marielle Poupelin, Deputy Director, Coproduction Certification, and Sandra Karr, National Director, Business Affairs, will lead hour-long discussions on the ins and outs of coproducing with Canada. Whether you’re a visitor interested in doing business with Canada, or a Canadian seeking international partners, these group sessions will introduce you to the world of coproduction.