Ani Kevork's path from Canada to Hollywood was anything but linear. What began as a commerce degree evolved into a global journey — from teaching abroad to working her way up through production, learning the craft from the ground up. That foundation, combined with a willingness to pivot and take risks, ultimately led her to senior leadership.
Ani Kevork
SVP of Physical Production
Fox Entertainment Studios
Today, she oversees a diverse slate — from filmmaker-driven projects like Slanted to broader audience content — balancing creative ambition with the realities of modern, global production. Her work continues to gain recognition, including a recent nomination at the Canadian Screen Awards for The Way Home.
And on a personal note from Zoe — she'd be remiss not to publicly congratulate her baby sister on an incredible run: from an audience award at South by Southwest Film Festival to her Canadian Screen Award nomination. Beyond the titles, what stands out most is Ani’s approach — grounded, collaborative, and distinctly Canadian, even as her work spans continents.
You’re currently SVP of Physical Production at Fox Entertainment Studios — can you walk us through your journey from Canada to a senior leadership role in Hollywood?
After studying commerce at the University of Toronto, I realized fairly quickly that the finance world wasn’t where I was meant to be. I made a conscious decision to step away from a more traditional path and instead teach English abroad and travel — and that decision ultimately set everything in motion. My travels eventually brought me to Los Angeles, where I started from the very bottom as an intern.
From there, it was a gradual, sometimes nonlinear climb. I was always open to adjacent and parallel moves — whether that meant working in development, assisting producers, or shifting into production roles when opportunities presented themselves. That openness ended up being critical. At one point, I found myself in London as a production secretary at 28 — older than most in that role — but that maturity and prior experience helped me stand out. The line producer recognized that quickly, and I was promoted through the ranks at a pace that reflected both the work ethic I brought and the breadth of experience I had built.
Over time, that progression led me from production secretary to coordinator, to line producer, then producer, and eventually into executive leadership as Head of Production and now SVP of Physical Production.
There was also a defining moment early on that shaped how I think about this career. At a roundtable in the late 2000s, the late Laura Ziskin said: “You can’t be a producer or executive in this town without experience on the floor. If you don’t know what a key grip does versus a gaffer, you’re not a good producer.” That stayed with me. It reinforced the idea that credibility in this business comes from doing the work — from understanding every layer of production.
Looking back, it does feel like I followed my own version of a yellow brick road — not always linear, but always forward.
You recently executive-produced Slanted — what drew you to that project?
Slanted came through our Tideline slate, which is specifically designed to support bold, filmmaker-driven storytelling — the kinds of projects that may not always fit into traditional studio models but feel urgent, necessary, and distinct.
What stood out immediately was that sense of urgency. These are stories that feel like they need to be told now, and more importantly, that can only be told by the filmmakers behind them. That authenticity is something we prioritize heavily when evaluating projects in that slate.
At the studio level, there’s always a balance between creative risk and strategic alignment, but Tideline gives us the ability to lean into unique voices and perspectives in a meaningful way. That’s largely driven by our Head of Scripted, who is a strong and fearless advocate for these filmmakers. Being able to work in an environment where those voices are not just supported but championed has been incredibly important to me, both professionally and creatively.
Projects tied to your slate have been recognized at South by Southwest Film Festival, and you’ve also been nominated for a Canadian Screen Awards award for The Way Home. How do you approach building a slate that balances risk and broad audience appeal?
At a certain point, you have to accept that storytelling — especially original storytelling — inherently involves risk. There’s no formula that guarantees success, so the role of a studio or executive becomes less about certainty and more about informed conviction.
For us, it’s very much about building a diversified slate. We approach it almost like a portfolio — balancing projects that are more experimental or festival-driven with others that are designed for broader, more commercial audiences. That might mean investing in a film that has strong festival potential and critical voice, while also developing formats like microdramas or other scalable content that meet audiences where they are today in terms of consumption habits.
Recognition at places like SXSW or through awards bodies like the Canadian Screen Awards reinforces that this approach is working — that there’s room, and a real appetite, for both specificity and scale. The key is not trying to make everything fit one mold, but rather embracing a range of storytelling formats and voices, and managing that balance thoughtfully over time.
Physical production sits at the intersection of creative vision and execution — how do you manage that balance in today’s environment?
It’s really the core of the job, and it takes up almost all of my time. We’re constantly navigating how to deliver high-quality, competitive content while also staying within increasingly tight financial parameters.
That balance starts very early — in development. We don’t develop in a vacuum; we develop with purpose. That means building creative ideas alongside financial and business models from the outset, rather than trying to retrofit them later. By the time a project moves into production, we’ve already aligned on both its creative goals and its economic realities.
At Fox Entertainment, we’re fortunate to have a leadership team that is very clear about both sides of that equation. There’s a strong understanding that creative ambition and fiscal responsibility are not opposing forces — they have to work together. My role is to ensure that the execution supports both, whether that’s through team structure, scheduling, location strategy, or production design decisions.
Ultimately, it comes down to discipline, communication, and making sure every department is aligned toward the same outcome.
As a Canadian working at the highest levels of Hollywood, how has your background shaped your perspective and leadership style?
I think my background has given me a genuinely global perspective. I was born in Canada, my son was born in the UK, and my daughter in the United States — and that personal experience mirrors what production has become today. It’s no longer localized; it’s inherently global, both in terms of talent and execution.
Growing up in Canada also shaped how I approach leadership. There’s a certain humility, a tendency to listen first, and a collaborative mindset that I carry into everything I do. I’ve found that those qualities translate well in an industry that relies so heavily on teamwork and trust.
More than anything, my journey — moving across countries, industries, and roles — taught me to stay open to opportunity. Hollywood, and this business more broadly, is about pivots. The people who succeed long-term are the ones who are willing to evolve, to take risks, and to adapt as the landscape changes.
If there’s one piece of advice I would give, especially to Canadians looking to build careers abroad, it’s to embrace that flexibility. Your perspective is an asset — but your willingness to grow and pivot is what will ultimately carry you forward.