December 11, 2025 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Suzanne Guèvremont, the Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the National Film Board of Canada, today confirmed that Stéphanie L’Écuyer has been appointed to the role of Director General, Programming and Production, and Anne-Claire Lefaivre has been appointed Director General, Programming and Audience Engagement. 

Having occupied these positions on an interim basis for over 18 months, Ms. L’Écuyer and Ms. Lefaivre are now officially the heads of these two new NFB divisions. Working separately but in collaboration with one another, they will each take on responsibilities related to production and audience engagement.

In confirming these new roles, the NFB is also revising its structure: it is abolishing the positions of Director General, Programming, Creation, Distribution and Marketing, and Head of Programming, along with the related assistant director general roles.

Ms. L’Écuyer and Ms. Lefaivre will use their respective experience and expertise to jointly oversee the NFB’s programming vision. They’ll be combining their leadership roles to bring bold new projects into the production pipeline and ensure that Canadian and Indigenous stories continue to be told in all their rich diversity.

These appointments signal a key moment for the NFB, which recently unveiled its strategic plan for the next three years, conveying a vision that powerfully reaffirms the importance of its twofold mandate: promoting and preserving the Canadian sense of self while acting as a galvanizing force for the country’s creative community.

Stéphanie L’Écuyer: Director General, Programming and Production 

Stéphanie L’Écuyer has more than 20 years of experience in the audiovisual industry. A lawyer by training, she first joined the NFB as a legal adviser in March 2007, going on to spend over eight years as Director of Operations, first for English Program and then for French Program. Since September 2022 she’d held the position of Assistant Director General, Programming – Creation, where her duties included supervising all production operations for the English and French Programs. During her time in this role, she demonstrated collaborative leadership that emphasized the value of multidisciplinary-team expertise and the involvement of all stakeholders. Her goal was to make the NFB a far-reaching national studio with a cohesive overall strategy, all while preserving the vitality and originality of its six production units based in various parts of the country. She complemented that vision with a programming approach focused on a consistent nationwide offering that reflected the diversity of Canadian experiences and perspectives.

Prior to joining the NFB, Ms. L’Écuyer worked in legal services and business relations for independent producers such as Téléfiction, CinéGroupe and Galafilm, collaborating on international co-productions as well as TV series and Canadian feature films. She also produced the short films La cloison and Sheng Qi (Souffle de vie). 

Anne-Claire Lefaivre: Director General, Programming and Audience Engagement 

Anne-Claire Lefaivre has more than 25 years of experience in the Canadian cultural and audiovisual sectors. She got her start at the NFB in 2016 as Director of Marketing, and since 2022 she held the position of Assistant Director General, Programming, Distribution and Marketing, overseeing all activities related to audience engagement. For nearly 10 years, she has worked to ensure that audiences are central to conversations at the NFB, urging her teams to constantly challenge themselves and adapt to industry transformations, with the goal of continually improving their fulfilment of the NFB’s public mandate. As the driving force behind the nfb.ca/onf.ca platform and mobile applications, Ms. Lefaivre helped grow the NFB’s Canadian and Indigenous audiences. She also oversaw the nationwide “Stream Canadian / Visionnez canadien” advertising campaign, which continues to engage audiences across the country by celebrating the wealth and diversity of local storytelling.

Anne-Claire Lefaivre began her career at Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History, before joining the media industry. She held positions as a marketing and communications director with Astral Media and then Bell Media before working for several television and radio stations, including CHOM-FM, Virgin Radio, Historia, Canal D, VRAK, Ztélé and Super Écran. She holds a DESS in Cultural Institution Management from Concordia University and a bachelor’s degree in History. 

QUOTES 

“Ms. L’Écuyer and Ms. Lefaivre both have the expertise, energy and insight needed to ensure that our productions embody the creativity and authenticity that are hallmarks of our national identity, while reflecting the country’s contemporary realities. They are committed to growing our audiences through works that speak to and inspire Canadian and Indigenous communities, and that build new bridges with younger generations from coast to coast to coast.”

— Suzanne Guèvremont,
Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB

“I’m honoured and excited to embark on this new chapter as the NFB’s Director General, Programming and Production. I begin this role with a firm commitment to supporting the boldness and vision of local creators and providing them with the means to ensure their films achieve their fullest potential. My vision of collaboration aims to build bridges between creative talent and audience members, so that our programming reaches and inspires more people across the country. Together, we will continue to bring to life innovative works that reflect the diversity and richness of our Canadian and Indigenous experiences.”

— Stéphanie L’Écuyer,
Director General, Programming and Production 

“In a rapidly changing media landscape, collaboration is our greatest strength. I’m taking on my role as Director General of Programming and Audience Engagement with the determination to work in partnership, within our institution as well as with the industry at large, to develop meaningful, compelling narratives crafted by local creators. Working together, we have a unique opportunity to tell our own stories more effectively while staying true to the rich diversity that is Canada’s distinctive quality. Helping to fulfil that mission is a privilege, but it also comes with the responsibility to create and distribute works that make an impact in our time.”

— Anne-Claire Lefaivre,
Director General, Programming and Audience Engagement

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Version française ici.