For the past forty years, Storyline Entertainment CEO Ed Barreveld has been bringing together top Canadian and international creatives, investors, and partners on award-winning, auteur-driven documentary films that explore underexposed stories, events, and perspectives in society and culture.

 

Born in Rotterdam, Barreveld moved to Canada in his early twenties and began his film career as the unit administrator of the NFB’s Ontario studio in Toronto. After four years traveling the world as a documentary line producer, he cofounded Storyline Entertainment in 2000 for its inaugural release, “Aftermath.”

 

Since becoming Storyline’s sole principal in 2004, Barreveld has remained a hands-on creative producer with an eye for emerging talent, a commitment to filmmaker development, and a penchant for iconoclastic subjects. His films have won Emmy, Gemini and Canadian Screen Awards, garnered numerous festival accolades, and been sold and broadcast around the world.

 

In 2016, Hot Docs opened with Storyline's  “League of Exotique Dancers” and recognized Barreveld’s creative vision, entrepreneurship, and mentorship with the Don Haig Award. In 2024, Barreveld’s contribution to and advancement of the Canadian documentary community was acknowledged with DOC Institute’s Rogers - DOC Luminary Award. He continues to broaden his experience in both financing and partnerships, working with co-producers and investors in numerous countries and participating in international doc market events.

 

Storyline’s twenty-fifth anniversary year finds Barreveld working on feature projects with filmmakers Aisha Jamal, Angad Bhalla, Gary Lang and Maria Markina. A lifelong jazz fan, he is also developing a handful of music docs with Canadian and international partners.

 

Barreveld is a member of the Documentary Organization of Canada, the International Documentary Association, the Documentary Producers Alliance and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s Documentary Film Committee.