A veteran of both the film industry and non-profit leadership, with an Emmy Award-winning background, has been selected as Calgary’s new film commissioner.
Adnaan Wasey is set to return to Alberta in the role at Calgary Economic Development on Aug. 1, after a career in the United States which most recently included leading New York City’s Rooftop Film Festival.
He replaces Luke Azevedo, who left the Calgary film commissioner role to become CEO of Edmonton Screen.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime professional opportunity. Second, it’s a natural homecoming for me. This is where my family is,” said Wasey.
“Those two things together became very strong drivers for me. I’ve got to say, Calgary is just unbelievably enviable as a film production environment. It’s a place that is at a creative inflection point right now. We’ve got world-class crews, a tremendously diverse talent pipeline, incredibly competitive film incentives, and it goes without saying, breathtaking locations.”
He said that he was excited to help continue that momentum of growing Calgary’s film industry.
In being both a filmmaker and a producer, Wasey said that he brings that experience to the role to help other producers navigate the process to bring their creative visions to Calgary.
“If I’m talking to a producer, I can actually empathize with them and understand their concerns. I’ve had to deal with film commissioners, and I know that when you reach out to a film office, and the paperwork is tricky and you want to have someone to call,” he said.
“I understand the anxiety that producers have. I understand their administrative concerns, and I can advise when it comes down to it.”
As a vision for what kinds of productions would be created in Calgary, he said that a focus wouldn’t just be on the big studios but also smaller productions and productions from overseas.
“It’s a diversity of productions that we want to have. So, of course, the big flashy ones that everyone hears about—the Hollywood productions—but we want to support production nationally and support production locally,” Wasey said.
“If we’re not supporting the local talent, we are not building the pipeline. That is something that we can and should do. So it’s really a portfolio approach that.”
While Wasey’s term as film commissioner begins in August, Calgary Economic Development said that he would be attending the Calgary Stampede to engage with community members ahead of the transition.
“My job, really for the start and really forever, is to listen. There’s a lot of folks here that are involved in the ecosystem of film and Calgary,” he said.
“Calgary is really broad. It’s not just ‘film’ in quotes. It touches so many different sectors, and I want to hear from folks at every level.”
Calgary Economic Development CEO Brad Parry said that Wasey would continue the work to develop Calgary as a premier destination for filming internationally.
“Adnaan’s leadership and industry connections will continue to elevate Calgary on the international stage, scale our creative economy and position the city as a powerhouse for content creation, production and storytelling.”
