Amp 2026 | VIFF Institute

Overview
Sessions
Guests

Nurturing Careers in Music for Media

VIFF Amp’s Music in Media Summit continues to nurture, educate and champion emerging and established music professionals, including composers, songwriters and music entrepreneurs, with a strong emphasis on supporting those from marginalized or underrepresented communities.

The summit offers creative insights, mentorship and unique career development opportunities in the form of feature panels, workshops, 1:1 dialogues, interactive sessions and more from international experts in the Music Media space.

This year’s Amp cohort will be selected through a competitive, juried application process. Those chosen will receive free admission to the summit, encouraging diverse participation and engagement.

Supported by

Funded by

Music in Media Summit 2026

people holding music scores in a recording studio

The Unseen Soundtrack

What happens to music between the creative decision and the final mix? Go behind the scenes of filmmaking’s often-overlooked music process with music professionals whose credits include Backrooms, The Monkey, My Life with the Walter Boys, Heretic, Allegiance, A Nice Indian Boy, and Mafia Most Wanted.

Featured Speakers: Natasha Duprey, Shayla Swanson, Eimear MacCarrick, Julia Niendorf
Moderator: Bailey Garno

Presented by

Community Partner

Stages-to-Screens

In this edition of Stages-to-Screens, we are focusing on music artists who have transitioned to visual media. Three up-and-coming composers will explain their stories, challenges, and rewards of adapting to the world of scoring.

Featured Speakers: Meg Remy (US Girls, Dead Lovers), Peter Peter (Heated Rivalry), Matthew Rogers (The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer)

Presented by

Music BC's SOUNDOFF

SOUNDOFF is a platform for showcasing our most promising local musicians, focusing on song placement and sync licensing in film and TV. Local artists perform their songs in front of music supervisors at this live event.

Featured Music Supervisors: Danny Exum, Michelle Johnson, Héctor Vázquez, Natasha Duprey, Cody Partridge

Presented by

a person with a conductor's wand standing next to a large monitor

Art of Composition

The Soundtrack Edition

Go behind the music of critically acclaimed North of North with composers Caleb and Brian Chan, showrunner Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, and music supervisor Michael Perlmutter. Explore how pop, Inuit music, Inuktitut recordings, and score shape the series’ humour, heart, and sense of place.

Featured Speakers: Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, Brian and Caleb Chan, Michael Perlmutter
Moderator: Adrian Ellis

person holding a rose looking at overlapping X-rays

Creative Intelligence: Technology, AI & the Future of Storytelling

AI is reshaping storytelling across music, publishing, film, and studios. This panel explores AI’s impact on authorship, ethics, rights, collaboration, and creative value — and where human artistry remains irreplaceable.

Featured Speakers: Micheal Tippet, Val Biggin, Tony Scudellari, Wilson Tang
Moderator: John Canning

Inside the Game: New Ways to Build and Monetize Music Fandom

Gaming has evolved into a powerful platform for music discovery, fan engagement, and cultural moments. Explore how artists, labels, and publishers can leverage gaming communities, creator experiences, and innovative music placements to grow audiences and build lasting connections.

Featured Speakers: Heather Johnson, Jordan Kallman, Kristin Epstein
Moderator: Dan Turcotte

Amp Program Curators

Amp is curated by Tony Scudellari and Rob Calder. Tony oversees all aspects of music for Sony Pictures Television’s programming, and is also the lead creative executive for the division’s music releases. Rob has been an active part of Canada’s creative industries for over 20 years. He is known for building impactful events and growing audiences and community.

Featured Guests

Adrian Ellis

Adrian is known for inventive, concept-driven scores, including Last Call, recorded live in a single take; The Scarehouse, using sounds from its haunted attraction set; and The Strings, featuring an all-choir score. His work on Timebox used only “found sounds.” A Canadian Screen Music Award winner and six-time nominee, his credits include Daily Planet, The CFL, and International Hockey. He chairs the Screen Composers Guild of Canada.

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril

Alethea is an Inuit filmmaker from the Canadian Arctic who has written, directed, and produced film and television since 2003. Her acclaimed work includes Angry Inuk, Twice Colonized, and The Grizzlies. She co-created North of North, which earned a record 20 Canadian Screen Award nominations and nine wins in 2026. A recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross, Alethea is a member of the Canadian and American Academies.

Brian Chan

Brian Chan is a Vancouver-based composer and one half of a scoring duo with his brother Caleb. His credits include North of North (Netflix), Allegiance (CBC), Alert (FOX), and LEGO DreamZzz. A former CBC recording engineer, he’s worked with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Mother Mother, and more. His accolades include a CASMA award, Leo Awards, and SOCAN’s 2024 Breakout Composer of the Year. Brian also serves on VIFF’s board, supporting cinema and community.

Caleb Chan

Caleb is a Canadian Screen Music Award and four-time Leo Award winner whose work spans film, TV, and animation. With his brother Brian, he’s scored North of North (Netflix/CBC), Alert (FOX), LEGO DreamZzz, Pinecone & Pony (Apple TV), and more. He’s orchestrated nearly 250 songs, including Queen Charlotte’s Beyoncé and SZA arrangements. Named SOCAN’s 2024 Breakout Composer of the Year, Caleb also serves on the board of the Screen Composers Guild of Canada.

Cody Partridge

Cody Partridge is a multi-award-winning Music Supervisor and President of Pear Tree Music Supervision, with over a decade of experience and 200+ credits across media. Known for discovering hidden musical gems and navigating complex clearances, rights, and union requirements, Cody supports productions creatively and administratively. He also serves as Vice President and a Board Director of the Canadian Guild of Music Supervisors.

Daniel Turcotte

Monstercat, founded in 2011 in Waterloo, Canada, is one of electronic music’s leading independent labels, representing artists like Marshmello, Kaskade, DIESEL (Shaquille O’Neal), WHIPPED CREAM, and Sullivan King. With teams in Vancouver, Toronto, and Los Angeles, the label released over 350 tracks in 2024, partners with major games like Fortnite and Rocket League, and appears at top festivals worldwide. Monstercat proves that independent labels can shape and redefine the music industry.

Danny Exum

Danny Exum is Head of Music at Create Advertising Group in Los Angeles, where he leads the agency’s music department and oversees its creative music work. After beginning his career as a DJ and live mix engineer at Boston’s 88.9 WERS and later joining EMI’s Film/TV department, he built an acclaimed career in trailer music, contributing to campaigns for films and series including The Smashing Machine, The Last of Us, Sinners, Rocketman, and Toy Story 4. A six-time Guild of Music Supervisors Award nominee, he also music supervises independent films and co-produces archival music releases.

Heather Gardner

Heather Gardner is a music supervisor with more than 17 years of experience across television series, feature films, TV movies, advertising campaigns, and video games. Trained in piano performance and arts management, she combines creative insight with expertise in music licensing, guiding projects from concept to cue sheet. Her work has earned three Canadian Sync Awards and multiple nominations. Heather serves as President of the Guild of Music Supervisors, Canada, advocating for the craft of music supervision nationwide. In 2025, she was named to Billboard Canada’s inaugural 40 Under 40 list, recognizing emerging leaders in the music industry.

Heather Johnson

Heather has worked at the intersection of technology, gaming, and music since 2019, when she became “Chief Everything Officer” at Ninety9Lives, a label and publisher focused on music for content creators. In 2021, she joined the A2IM board, helping bridge the tech, gaming, and music industries while advocating for creators’ rights. She now continues this work at Sub Pop, while serving as Co-Chair of Women In Music’s Seattle Chapter.

Héctor Vázquez

Héctor Vázquez is a music supervisor with more than 12 years of experience in the Mexican music industry. He is the founder of DOMO, a creative agency specializing in music services for audiovisual productions. Through DOMO, he has supervised music for feature films, television series, and documentaries for platforms including Netflix, Amazon, Paramount+, ViX, and Universal+. He has also licensed and produced original music for global brands, including Aeroméxico, Modelo, Ray-Ban, Meta, Mitsubishi, Apple, Adidas, and Uber Eats. Vázquez is a founding member and serves on the Board of Directors of the Spanish Speaking Music Supervision Association (ASM).

Jordan Kallman

Jordan Kallman is an entrepreneur, artist, and cultural producer exploring how people gather and experience culture. Co-founder of The Social Concierge, he has spent two decades working across hospitality, art, technology, and entertainment. Today, as Partner and General Manager of RELICSxyz, he explores how music discovery and participation are evolving inside video games and virtual worlds.

Kristin Epstein

Kristin Epstein has spent more than a decade at the intersection of gaming, music, and the creator economy. As VP of Screenwave Media and Music Supervisor for Retroware, she oversees music licensing, IP, rights, soundtracks, and royalties across licensed and original games. She is founding chair of MMF-US Philadelphia and serves on the A2IM Mentor Committee.

Matthew Rogers

Matthew Rogers is an award-winning film composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose credits include more than 60 feature films and nine television series. A nine-time Leo Award winner, he has also received two Juno Award nominations and two ASCAP Screen Awards. He has produced and arranged over 40 albums, earning five Western Canadian Music Awards, and performs with the acclaimed blues duo The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer. Recent scoring credits include Family Law (Season 4), World Breaker, and Lockbox.

Meg Remy

Meg Remy is a multi-disciplinary artist, performer, and author. Primarily known as the creative force behind the musical entity U.S. Girls.

Michael Perlmutter

Michael has placed thousands of songs in TV shows, films and documentaries, seen and heard around the world. Michael has been working in the music/film/TV industries for 20+ years.

Michael Tippet

Michael Tippett is a media and technology entrepreneur exploring how emerging technologies transform media creation and distribution. A two-time Emmy nominee and web pioneer, he helped advance citizen journalism and user-generated content. Today, his work focuses on generative AI, balancing its creative potential with concerns around trust and information reliability. His projects include Facture, Generation Studios, and The Internauts, and he advises UBC’s Global Reporting Center.

Michelle Johnson

Michelle Johnson is a Los Angeles-based music supervisor whose credits include The Boys, Gen V, Cobra Kai, About My Father, and the upcoming All the Sinners Bleed and Vought Rising. Her work spans television, film, comedy, documentary, and genre series, with experience across creative search, clearance strategy, source music, playback, and on-camera performance needs. Originally from Texas, with many years spent in New York City, Michelle brings a wide musical vocabulary and story-first approach to music supervision.

Natasha Duprey

Natasha Duprey is an award-winning Vancouver-based music supervisor whose extensive credits include The L Word, Kids in the Hall, The Terror, Snowpiercer, and Emmy Award-winning documentaries Boys State and Girls State. Her recent film work includes Longlegs, Backrooms, Heretic, and The Monkey. Natasha is currently working across Netflix, Disney, and film projects, including Below, Yaga, Coven Academy, The Young People, and new seasons of My Life With the Walter Boys, Allegiance, Animal Control, and Murder in a Small Town.

Peter Peter

Peter Peter is the stage name of Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and composer Peter Jones. Originally from Chicoutimi, Québec, he launched his solo career with his self-titled debut album in 2011 after signing with Audiogram. Over the next several years, he released five solo albums, evolving from singer-songwriter to multi-instrumentalist and producer by incorporating electronic elements into his music. His latest album, Éther (2024), led to his debut as a screen composer, scoring the hit series Heated Rivalry at the invitation of creator Jacob Tierney. He continues to explore the intersection of songwriting and immersive soundscapes.

Robert Kraft

Robert Kraft is an award-winning songwriter, composer and producer and former President of Music at 20th Century Fox, where he oversaw scores for Titanic, Moulin Rouge!, and Slumdog Millionaire. He co-produced The Little Mermaid soundtrack, including “Under the Sea”, and founded Kraftbox Entertainment, which produced the top-charting SCORE: A Film Music Documentary. Current projects include Jazz Ambassadors with Quincy Jones and Ray Charles: Keep My Name Alive with Frank Marshall.

Tony Scudellari

Tony oversees music for Sony Pictures Television’s global portfolio, guiding creative strategy, composers, music supervisors, and music releases. His two-decade career spans acclaimed series including The Boys, Breaking Bad, Cobra Kai, Outlander, and Pluribus. His work has earned multiple Emmy and industry awards. Tony is also a passionate advocate for music and inclusion, serving on several industry and academic advisory boards.

Valerie Biggin

Valerie Biggin is an award-winning music business veteran with over 30 years of experience in recording, orchestral score coordination, music supervision, and licensing. Former President and Studio Manager of Vancouver’s Mushroom Studios, she founded The Song Rep Music Supervision in 2007 and has worked on hundreds of film and TV titles. Her recent credits include Sweet Magnolias, Sullivan’s Crossing, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas, and Sidelined 3.

Wilson Tang

Wilson J. Tang is an Entrepreneur, Designer and Artist with 30+ years of experience across digital media, technology, film, and games. His career includes Electronic Arts and Industrial Light & Magic, collaborating with directors Ang Lee, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg, and shaping entertainment products for Marvel, Star Wars, Nike, Epic, Netflix, and Microsoft. He co-founded Kabam Vancouver, creator of Marvel Contest of Champions. Wilson is CEO/Chief Creative at Yumebau Inc. and CEO of BuildXLR.