Disney+ Canada names Telefilm alum as director of content

The Walt Disney Company has appointed former Telefilm Canada exec Stephanie Azam as director of content for Disney+ Canada.

Azam joins the streaming service from a short stint at MK2 Mile End, the Quebec-based independent distribution firm, which she joined in September 2021 as VP of development and acquisitions.

Stephanie Azam

Prior to that, Azam spent more than 13 years at Canadian government-owned Telefilm Canada, where she oversaw production financing for English-speaking Canada, joining in 2008 as a marketing and distribution specialist, before being promoted to national director of feature film in 2009, and staying in the role until her move to MK2 Mile End.

Azam also spent five years at Zeitgeist Films in New York as director of theatrical marketing.

The appointment suggests the Mouse House streamer will be looking to increase its focus on Canada, where Disney+ has to date not ordered a local original.

Competitors, meanwhile, have been ramping up staff numbers in the country, with Netflix unveiling its first original earlier this year, following the appointment of Tara Woodbury and Danielle Woodrow as local content chiefs.

Earlier this month, Disney overtook Netflix as the world’s largest streaming operator, with a total of 221.1 million streaming customers globally, across services including Disney+ and Hulu.