ABOUT us

FILM FORGE is a production company dedicated to producing thematically complex, formally innovative film and television from indelible cinematic voices. Founded in 2007 and led by writer-director Andrew Cividino and producer Karen Harnisch, we cater to global audiences from our home base in Toronto, Canada

The company’s credits include Cividino’s SLEEPING GIANT (Cannes Critics Week 2015; TIFF 2015), Calvin Thomas and Yonah Lewis’ WHITE LIE (TIFF 2019), and Brandon Cronenberg’s INFINITY POOL (Sundance 2023; Berlinale 2023), a Neon, Focus Features and Elevation Pictures release.

Upcoming projects include Amar Wala’s debut fiction feature SHOOK, Eva Michon’s MIZERIA and CUTBLOCK from Cividino and Trey Edward Shults, in development with Hyperobject Industries.

In September 2022, we joined forces with fellow Canadian prodco Triple Point to launch a capitalized development slate of new work, fostering collaborations with breakthrough talent from around the world.

ANDREW CIVIDINO

Andrew Cividino (he/him) is a writer/director and Co-President of Film Forge. His debut feature film SLEEPING GIANT had its world premiere at Critics’ Week in Cannes and went on to win prizes at TIFF, Munich and Mumbai. Andrew was a frequent director on the POPTV/CBC series SCHITT’S CREEK, for which he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Direction for a Comedy Series in 2020. His upcoming feature film CUTBLOCK is in development with Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries (Succession).

Andrew is an alumni of Berlinale Talents, TIFF’s Len Blum Fellowship, Sundance Institute’s FilmTwo Lab, and the Oxbelly Screenwriters Lab. As a producer, Andrew plays an active role in Film Forge’s slate of projects, including Brandon Cronenberg’s INFINITY POOL.

Ryan bobkin

A Toronto-based producer, Ryan Bobkin (he/him) is the Head of Development at Film Forge, where he specializes in new project development, packaging, financing, and business affairs. Named Playback’s 10 to Watch in 2022, he has worked extensively in the United States and Canada for companies such as Animal Kingdom and Elevation Pictures. 

With films that have screened at Sundance and the Berlinale and TIFF, he is an associate producer on Brandon Cronenberg’s INFINITY POOL (released by NEON and Focus Features), Lindsay Gossling’s 13 MINUTES (Quiver Distribution), Maxwell McCabe-Lokos’ STANLEYVILLE (Oscilloscope) and Haya Waseem’s QUICKENING (levelFilm). He has produced short films commissioned and supported by Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, CBC and TIFF Next Wave including Rita Ferrando’s PLEASURE GARDEN, which made its World Premiere at TIFF 2022. Upcoming projects include Amar Wala's SHOOK and Sophy Romvari's BLUE HERON, both supported by Telefilm Canada.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Production from Toronto Metropolitan University and like many producers, is a former child actor.

KAREN HARNISCH

Karen Harnisch (she/her) is a film and television producer and Co-President of Film Forge. She produced Andrew Cividino’s breakthrough SLEEPING GIANT which premiered at Semaine de la Critique (Critics' Week) in Cannes and won the Best Canadian First Feature Award at TIFF. Karen has since produced Brandon Cronenberg’s INFINITY POOL, Calvin Thomas and Yonah Lewis’ WHITE LIE, Antoine Bourges' FAIL TO APPEAR, Drew Lint's M/M and 13 MINUTES by Lindsay Gossling. Karen is currently producing Amar Wala's feature SHOOK and CUTBLOCK, written and directed by Cividino and Trey Edward Shults. 

Karen is also experienced as a line producer and production executive on independent, studio- and streamer-backed films and television series. She is an alumna of TIFF Studio, the EAVE Producers Workshop and The Torino Film Lab, and a recipient of a SSHRC grant for her Master's Thesis: “Producing Producers: Critical Film Production Education and Canada’s Future Cinema”. In 2021, Karen joined the faculty of Toronto Metropolitan University's The Creative School - Image Arts, where she teaches creative producing.