MARGARET MARDIROSSIAN

Executive Producer

A graduate of McGill University, Margaret Mardirossian founded Anaïd Productions in 1993. Honoured three times as one of the world’s most influential independent production companies on Realscreen Magazine’s Global 100, Anaïd Productions produces award- winning, internationally recognized, top-rated factual and dramatic television series.

 

Margaret has produced over 150 hours of television including four seasons of each of the following Gemini award winning series: Mentors (Family Channel), Taking It Off (Life Network), and X-Weighted (Slice).

 

Margaret is Executive Producer for season 5 of X-Weighted: Families, which will premiere in October 2010 on Slice. Margaret is also the Executive Producer for The Quon Dynasty, a new series for Rogers’ Broadcasting, currently in production.

 

Most recently, Margaret was Executive Producer for X-WEIGHTED.COM, a companion website for the television series, which completed a 26 week national weight loss challenge on July 10, 2010.

 

Margaret’s additional credits include Executive Producer for two seasons of The Rig (OLN) as well as Anaïd ’s third season of Family Restaurant: The Quons (Food Network Canada), which garnered the 2009 Banff Rockie Grand Prize for Best Entertainment Program as well as the Rockie award for Best Lifestyle/Information Program.

 

Margaret has volunteered her time on numerous industry related organizations and has been a guest speaker at a number of industry and business related panels. In 2000, Margaret was a recipient of the Global Television’s “Woman of Vision” award.

HELEN SCHMIDT

Executive Producer & VP Business Affairs

A member of the Anaïd team in Edmonton since 1995, Helen Schmidt oversees all aspects of business affairs and accounting for Anaïd. She is responsible for production financing, budgeting and cost control as well as overall corporate operations and has served as Executive Producer on X-Weighted, Family Restaurant, and The Rig. Helen is distinguished in the field of accounting by her advanced understanding of Canadian film financing and its related issues. Helen and her business affairs team have enabled Anaïd Productions to earn an impressive reputation with investors, broadcasters and distributors alike.

A Certified Management Accountant, Helen Schmidt started her accounting career with the Alberta Government, then moved to private industry for several years prior to joining Anaïd. Helen is active in her local community and has used her financial acumen to benefit numerous non-profit organizations by serving on committees and volunteer boards.

ERIN BERUBE

Manager of Production/Digital Media - Vancouver

Delighted to be back at Anaïd, Erin is responsible for managing production budgets and business affairs, as well as focusing on digital media opportunities for Anaïd’s current programs.

Erin started her career with the Anaïd team in Edmonton in a variety of roles, from Assistant to the Producer to Supervising Producer, on series including Mentors, Taking It Off, and X-Weighted before moving to Nova Scotia.

While in Halifax, she continued with Anaïd remotely as a Casting Director for X-Weighted and The Family Restaurant.  She also worked as Production Manager for Cubers, a one-off documentary on rubik’s cube obsession, which aired on CBC in the fall ’08.  Erin then joined CTV as the Coordinator of Independent Production for Eastern Canada and served as CTV’s gateway to the Eastern independent production community. During her time with CTV, Erin handled business affairs on documentary and dramatic projects in development, accepted pitches and worked closely with producers in Eastern Canada.

KAREN REDFORD

Development Producer - Edmonton

As Development Producer, Karen is responsible for the administration and management of Anaïd’s many projects in development. She is also Supervising Producer on the Anaïd television series The Quon Dynasty.

Karen brings more than two decades of production experience to her new position at Anaïd. Her credits include feature films (Fubar 2, Brokeback Mountain), episodic television (Mentors, Caution: May Contain Nuts), and documentary series (The Family Restaurant, X-Weighted). 

BREE BEACH

Associate Producer - Edmonton

Bree is thrilled to be part of the Anaïd team as Associate Producer.  Her responsibilities include compiling and submitting various funding applications for all projects in development and production and ensuring that contractual requirements for funding deliverables are met. She also obtains Canadian content, insurance and copyright certificates, monitors distribution agreements and payments and submits award/festival applications.

After graduating from NAIT’s Radio/TV Arts program and Producers Emergence course, Bree has worked numerous contract positions including; Production Coordinator for Network One Productions Edmonton: An Historic Journey and Alberta Frontiers and Futures, CFTPA Internship with ImagiNation Film and TV and Trainee Assistant Director on NBC’s Fear Itself. Bree has also produced a few short films. 

CRYSTAL SMITH

Business Affairs Coordinator - Edmonton

Crystal has worked at Anaïd in a variety of capacities from Clearance Coordinator to Associate Producer on several series including Taking It Off, The Rig and X-Weighted. She now works with Anaïd’s legal team to prepare and manage agreements for projects in development and in production. Since graduating from NAIT’s Television Arts Program (hons) she has accumulated a great deal of experience in multiple areas of television production. She shot, edited and produced stories for the 6:00 News for CTV in Saskatchewan; developed, researched and pitched stories for Things We Do For Love Season III & Season IV and Adoption Stories for Alliance Atlantis Factual Division (formerly Great North Productions Inc.); and opened Capturing Time Productions Inc. to provide corporate clients with video projects and commercials. Crystal has consistently proven herself to be highly organized, reliable and keen to take on new challenges. She is a valuable part of the Anaïd team and contributes towards the company’s growing success.

LISA MUNRO

Executive Assistant - Edmonton

Lisa joined the Anaïd team in 2005 after 12 years in the world of theatre.  Throughout her previous career as a stage manager, Lisa worked in every major city from Victoria to Winnipeg, with companies as varied as the Vancouver Playhouse, Edmonton and Calgary Operas, Rosthern Summer Theatre and many others.  Lisa also has a wide range of experience coordinating various aspects of special events such as the Calgary International Children’s Festival, Edmonton First Night Festival and Edmonton Folk Music Festival.  Lisa brings strong organizational skills and a joy of interacting with people to her position as Executive Assistant for Anaïd.

SHANTEL PRUNEAU

Assistant Production Coordinator - Edmonton

Shantel Pruneau is currently working on X-Weighted as an Assistant Production Coordinator. After working in the oil and gas industry, Shantel sought a new creative challenge and enrolled in the Makeup Design for Film & Television program at Vancouver Film School.  Shortly after her return to Edmonton, Shantel joined the Anaïd team in August 2007 as the receptionist.  She now works on X-Weighted while it is in production, where she started as an Office PA and is currently the Assistant Production Coordinator for the three production cities.  Shantel is thrilled to be part of the Anaïd team and further her knowledge in the TV industry. 

CHLOË ECKERT

Creative Assistant - Vancouver

Born and raised in Vancouver, Chloë serves the Anaïd team the Creative Assistant to X-Weighted: Families.  A graduate of Capilano’s Film & TV Program, Chloë began working on independent movies and T.V. commercials in the art department as a Set Decorator. Inspired by the creative  and logistical masterminds behind the projects she worked on, she turned her focus to production. She worked on the BBC co-pro Surviving Disaster: Eruption at Mount Saint Helens and on DaVinci’s City Hall before joining Infinity Films for two and a half years. While there, she worked in various areas of production and business affairs, gaining valuable experience on documentaries, feature film, corporate videos and game shows. Chloë brings over 7 years of experience in film and television to her position at Anaïd Productions. She is pleased to be working with such a talented and inspiring team!

OKTAWIAN GALA

Production Accountant - Edmonton

Oktawian (aka “Okto”) provides corporate and production accounting services, including cost reporting for the various prodcos, administering financing on projects, payroll, accounts payable/receivable as well as corporate and production tax audit preparation.

Prior to joining Anaïd Okto provided corporate and production accounting services to the Alliance Atlantis Factual Division in Alberta (formerly Great North Productions Inc.) for 7 years, becoming an  expert in tax credits and financial reporting.  From June 2004 until joining Anaïd he provided all corporate and production accounting services to Kaizen West Productions .  Okto’s accounting experience as well as his unique sense of humour are a great asset to Anaïd.

BRANKA PEJIC

Accounting Assistant - Edmonton

Branka is the newest member of the Anaïd accounting team, working as Accounting Assistant.  Graduating from the Microcomputer Office Specialist program at Alberta College in 2002, she worked at The Access Media Group in the Accounting Department for two years prior to joining Anaïd. She currently provides accounts payable services for Anaïd’s projects as well as assistance in other aspects of accounting including bank reconciliations, accounts receivable, GST claims and journal entries.