Dana Roggero is a storyteller working behind the lens, driving creative visions and bringing projects to life in the film industry.
Roggero said in her secondary school drama class, she chose to write the scripts and manage the lighting and sound instead of performing on stage.
“I took the leap and went into film,” Roggero said.
Roggero, a third-year Film and Television Production student at Humber Polytechnic, supports the creative process by shaping ideas into polished stories.
Production budgets for film students at Humber Polytechnic are distributed through tuition paid, Roggero said.
Film and television production in Toronto benefits the city as it's one of the five leading production innovators in North America, according to a Toronto report.
The industry creates $2.6 billion in economic activity and finances 40,000 workers, according to the report.
Matthew Kennedy, Film and Television Production (FMTV) program coordinator at Humber Polytechnic, said changes in volume of work in the film industry are connected to funding.
“We haven't really seen any trickle-down effect that has massively impacted like tariffs, for example, that have impacted productions in Toronto,” Kennedy said.
“There may be, but it just hasn’t happened at scale as far as I’ve been told by industry partners and professionals, where it’s easy to point the issue to that,” he said.
Issues that occur in the world are grouped into a specific industry, Kennedy said.
High borrowing costs cause film studios to be more wary of their investments, reducing the number of films produced and jobs, he said.
Kennedy said a student working in the union spoke about the volume of production within IATSE (The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) and the guild world.
“Film and television shows in Toronto are made by guilds and unions. It’s a highly structured, regimented process of making these films,” he said.
Roggero said there is growing uncertainty around AI in film and television due to limited legislation, ethical concerns, and its impact on production, labour, and distribution rules.
“Unions are important, making sure that everyone in the industry, whether or not unionized, is being respected in terms of wages, working hours, benefits,” Roggero said.
“That's the only way that we can make sure that everyone is respected and that the industry can move forward and help in a non-exploitative way,” she said.
Kennedy said a challenge in Humber Polytechnic’s FMTV program is keeping students and encouraging them to complete their studies, as there is high demand for content creation.
Toronto’s film industry is highly competitive, with local talent winning Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, and Canadian Screen Awards, according to the report.
The industry’s success is the product of the investment and support from the City of Toronto and Toronto’s film and television professionals, according to the report.
Humber Polytechnic’s Film and Television Production students showcased their capstone projects at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema on April 16. It included the graduate premiere featuring Mothered Nature, directed by Olivia Bronwyn, written by Jayde Sobota and produced by Roggero.
“It's a special message that affects many women about the nurturing of your seed, what it means to be a mother, and how not everything is dictated by genetics,” Roggero said.
