Who We Are
LifeSketch Media is a production company in the city of Mississauga, the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. It was founded in 2012 by award-winning filmmaker, Shazia Javed to tell stories that allow creators from under-served communities to explore their authentic voices. Since then, we have been committed to diversity in stories that we tell, and people that we work with.
Our work ranges from documentaries to web and TV series. With our recent productions we have successfully established ourselves as a producer of hard hitting, impactful content that resonates with global audiences. We take audiences through entertaining & emotionally engaging experiences that evoke empathy and provoke thoughtful discussions.
Our work has been supported by the Indigenous Screen Office, Canada Media Fund, National Film Board of Canada, various arts councils, private organizations, and Canadian & International broadcasters. Our productions have been shown at prestigious international film festivals, broadcast worldwide, and streamed on leading platforms such as Netflix. Currently, LifeSketch Media has a robust development slate of productions in various genres.
Team
Shazia Javed
CEO / Producer
Shazia Javed is a content creator and founder at LifeSketch Media, a production company that is committed to nuanced storytelling & perspectives from historically marginalized communities. Her career spans two continents and two decades. She began work as one of the first on-field female camera-persons in India at a leading News Channel. She soon pivoted to making documentary films; and working as a director on TV shows.
After her migration to Canada 17 years ago, Shazia has worked in a variety of mediums. Her films have screened internationally at prestigious film festivals such as Hot Docs, Mumbai International, Durban & DOXA. Her documentary Namrata with the National Film Board was a finalist for three AMPIA (Alberta Industries) awards: Best non-fiction program, Best production reflecting diversity; and Best screenplay under 30 for Shazia herself. She has garnered support from the Independent Production Fund, Canada Media Fund, IndigenLeoous Screen Office, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council as well as international Broadcasters for various projects. Her films have been used for community engagement globally with impact screenings across Canada and other countries such as Australia, Malaysia, Srilanka, the UK, Ireland, UAE, USA, and India.
Her latest documentary, 3 Seconds Divorce won the Audience Choice Award at Reelworld Film Festival, and streamed worldwide on Netflix. Shazia has a MFA in Film from York University and a certificate in Producing from NAIT. She has participated in some of the best incubators that include Reelworld’s E20, Women in Director’s Chair; and the DOC Breakthrough program where she won a development award juried by industry leaders. She is selected for this year’s Banff Spark Accelerator for women in the business of media as well as for BIPOC Film & TV showrunner’s bootcamp. Shazia is listed in Playback’s 10 to watch for her recent achievements.
Team
Naiyelli Romero Agüero
Business Affairs Coordinator
Naiyelli Romero Agüero (she/her) is a Venezuelan-Canadian Producer and Production Manager based in the GTA. As a child she featured in “¡Qué Locura!”, a comedy show by Venevisión, one of Venezuela’s largest television networks.
After transitioning to behind the camera, Naiyelli completed her BFA in Film Studies at the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), where she received a variety of accolades for her work, including the Woman in Film Award and the Norman Jewison Filmmaker Award. She has continued to develop her skills by participating in workshops and mentorship programs, including WIFT-T’s Media Business Essentials Program from Humber College and the CMPA’s One Stop Business Workshops.
Her latest project, “Sara” directed by Jessica Hinkson won Best Canadian Short at the 2023 Silver Wave Film Festival. Her upcoming projects include Michelle D’Alessandro Hatt’s “Brave Rebel Army”, the second film in her feminist fantasy trilogy, as well as Alison Duke’s “Bam Bam: The Story of Sister Nancy”.
