Reelworld Trailblazer Award Recipients
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Celebrating excellence and driving change, the Trailblazer Awards honour Indigenous and racially diverse professionals who are reshaping Canada’s media and entertainment industry. Each year, six outstanding individuals are recognized for inspiring others, forging new paths, and contributing to a stronger, more diverse film and television landscape.
Zahra Bentham
Actress, Producer, Singer-Songwriter, Co-Founder – TABIA Studios
Zahra Bentham is an actress, producer, singer-songwriter, and co-founder of TABIA Studios. Her credits include Star Trek: Discovery, How to Die Alone, Village Keeper, and Morningside, Canada’s highest-grossing independent film of 2025. Her performance in Village Keeper earned her a Canadian Screen Award nomination. Through TABIA Studios, she creates opportunities for underrepresented voices and builds spaces for artists to connect, collaborate, and thrive.
Katharine King So
Actress, Director, and Producer
Katharine King So is a multi-hyphenate whose acting credits include Revival, The Recruit, Transplant, and Harmony Gardens, and leads in features Bloodthirsty, The Voyeurs, and the CW/Harlequin queer adaptation of Ordinary Girl in a Tiara. Besides getting her gay tiara on, Katharine is also developing a unique voice in producing, directing, & writing (TIFF Series Accelerator, Inside Out Finance Forum, Reelworld E20).
Avan Jogia
Actor, Writer, Director, and Author
Avan Jogia is an actor, writer, director, producer, and author whose work spans film and television. He recently starred in Amazon MGM Studios’ hit series 56 Days and A24’s Backrooms. His feature directorial debut, Door Mouse, premiered at TIFF. He is currently preparing to direct Replacera, a psychological horror film starring Halsey, and recently wrapped Season 3 of Netflix’s Nobody Wants This.
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
Filmmaker and Producer
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril is an award-winning Inuit filmmaker and producer bringing Indigenous stories to global audiences. She co-created and executive produced the acclaimed Netflix comedy series North of North. Through Unikkaat Studios, she produced the award-winning documentary Angry Inuk, which received audience awards at Hot Docs and TIFF. Her work champions contemporary Indigenous stories with humour, heart, and cultural insight.
Jasmeet Raina
Writer, Director, Actor, Comedian, and Producer
Jasmeet Raina is a Toronto-based writer, director, actor, comedian, and producer. After building a loyal YouTube audience through South Asian-inspired comedy, he created the acclaimed comedy series Late Bloomer in 2024 and serves as creator, co-showrunner, writer, director, executive producer, and lead actor. In 2025, he received the Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Script for the pilot episode, “Nudes.”
Lucius Dechausey
Director, Producer and Editor – CBC Docs
Lucius Dechausay is a Scarborough-born director, producer, and editor committed to telling emotionally complex stories. His vibrant work—ranging from the provocative policing doc Kettle to the infectious dance series The Move to the Afrofuturistic 21 Black Futures—has garnered critical acclaim, numerous awards, and millions of views globally. As an Executive in Charge of Production at CBC Docs, he currently oversees Short Docs and For The Culture with Amanda Parris.
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