DIDIHOOD ~ Issue 86

Happy Summer, Didis! It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through 2025!

I curated a little Didihood Summer playlist for y’all to enjoy!

Let us know if there’s any other artists we need to have on our radar right now!

Meet the Didi

This month we’re chatting with Toronto’s Alison Almeida! Alison is a South Asian producer whose associate producing credits include Amar Wala’s Shook (TIFF 2024), Hubert Davis’s The Well, Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse (TIFF 2024), Reza Dahya’s Boxcutter (SXSW 2025) and Season 4 of Children Ruin Everything. She started off her career as a coordinator on acclaimed feature films such as Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla (2023), Matt Johnson’s Blackberry (2023), Clement Virgo’s Brother (2022), and many more. She line-produced the musical short Before They Were Them (2019) and produced the 39-minute musical film More Together (2023), which has won Best Musical in multiple international festivals. Alison has participated in the CMPA Production Mentorship Program with Babe Nation Films, the 2024 Whistler Film Festival Producers Lab and the 2024 CFC Norman Jewison Producers Lab. She is currently working with Cameron Pictures.

Tell us about your journey into becoming a producer. Is it something you've always wanted to do? 

I didn’t always know I wanted to be a producer. It was about three or four years ago that it started to take shape. I’d worked with some great producers and was curious about how they moved — how they held the room, how they made decisions. But I didn’t fully understand the scope of the role until I started associate producing myself. Then it became clearer. Through the Canadian Film Centre’s Producers Lab and the Whistler Lab, I started to figure out the kind of producer I want to be — someone who’s there for the creative and the crew. Someone who can lead a story from the ground up and guide the process in a way that feels intentional. What draws me to producing is the balance between structure and creative vision. I've become obsessed with the arc of this job -- there is a huge responsibility to the story, the artists, the crew, and the audience. This responsibility fuels and drives me. 

You've worked on numerous productions like Sofia Coppola's Priscilla and most recently Boxcutter that premiered at SXSW. How has this experience been? 

Both productions pushed me in completely different ways — and gave me some of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. Priscilla was the biggest-budget film I’ve worked on, though by industry standards, it was still modest. Watching Sofia Coppola and the rest of the team pull off that level of scale within tight parameters was addictive. They built Graceland in a studio from the ground up — every detail, every texture — and the result was so convincing. It reminded me of what’s possible here in Canada — the talent, the resourcefulness, the craft.

At the other end of the spectrum, Boxcutter was the lowest-budget project I’ve worked on — a Talent to Watch film made with grit and heart. Every person on that team went above and beyond. There was no complaining, just commitment. We all became close — still are — and that spirit, that energy, I think you can feel it in the final cut. That project cemented my love for indie filmmaking. There’s something about the way a team rallies around a story when resources are tight — it’s magic. And I’m proud to have been part of it. The cast and crew are all still close, we became a little film family. 

What has been your experience as a South Asian woman working in the film and television industry? 

I've been working in the film and TV industry actively for the last 10 years. But it wasn't until 2023 that I got the chance to work for South Asian directors. That year, I associate-produced Bonjour Tristesse (Durga Chew-Bose), Shook (Amar Wala), and Boxcutter (Reza Dahya). I kept pinching myself that I was given the opportunity that I had been craving for so long. It sucks that it took so long but I have so much hope for the future and the impact we can make as South Asian filmmakers in this industry. 

What kinds of stories are you hoping to see more of? 

I'm drawn to movies that feel a little unhinged but are grounded in something deeply human. I think life is complex, rarely tidy and never offers easy answers. That's the space I want to explore on screen. I want to see more Canadian directors taking risks in their storytelling. I love it when a director has a unique out-of-the-box vision. I’m interested in how far our imaginations can stretch when we lead with curiosity and aren’t afraid to make a bit of a mess in the pursuit of something original.

What advice would you have for any Didis who want to do what you're doing? 

The only "no" that should ever stop you is your own. Rejection is a normal part of this industry - funding falls through, negative feedback stings, and not everyone will connect with your story. But that doesn't mean you abandon your vision. Your instincts and creativity are your strongest assets, and they are uniquely you. Nurture it, feed it, and embrace it in its full capacity. 

What we’re reading:

— Roohi Sahajpal
Issue 68
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