Paul Barkin

Paul Barkin’s been hustling in the film game for over twenty years now, running the show at Alcina Pictures. The guy’s got a real knack for backing bold directors—especially the new kids on the block—and somehow, he keeps churning out movies that critics actually like, not to mention ones that make a splash at the box office. His resume? Kinda wild, honestly. He was behind Cherien Dabis’ AMREEKA, which landed at both Sundance and Cannes and even racked up three Indie Spirit noms, including Best Picture. Not bad, eh? Then there’s Bruce McDonald’s THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS, which snagged a bunch of awards and had people talking for ages. Su Rynard’s KARDIA took home the Alfred P. Sloan Prize, and Jeff Renfroe’s THE COLONY—a frosty apocalypse flick starring Laurence Fishburne and Bill Paxton—brought some serious star power. He even dabbled in Nordic noir with HEVN, thanks to Kjersti Steinsbø. Jasmin Mozafarri’s FIRECRACKERS made waves at TIFF in 2018, popping up in the Discovery program and making the festival’s Top Ten list. And then there’s Danis Goulet’s NIGHT RAIDERS, a debut that’s all kinds of cool—Indigenous sci-fi, no less—premiering at Berlin and TIFF, and pulling in 11 Canadian Screen Award noms. The guy’s not slowing down, either. Up next: SHARP CORNER, Jason Buxton’s latest, shooting in Nova Scotia and based on Russell Wangersky’s Whirl Away. Barkin’s got an eye for fresh talent and stories that actually matter.