ANN SHIN

On a bitter cold January morning in a small farmhouse at the border of North

Korea and China, I met with a human smuggler and 6 North Koreans escaping from their country. I followed them on what turned out to be a 3,000 mile journey to freedom, across China and Southeast Asia. It was a harrowing experience, dodging inspectors on trains and buses, hiding out in safehouse apartments, and hiking along smuggler routes in the jungles of southeast Asia. I was able to film the defectors’ incredible journey and produced the documentary The Defector: Escape from

North Korea which won 3 Canadian Screen Academy awards.

It was the first documentary for our fledgling company, Fathom, and that

drive and commitment to story has become our signature. We produced award-winning documentaries and series including the Emmy-nominated and Oscar shortlisted My Enemy, My Brother and Artificial Immortality.

Now we have production teams in cities as far-flung as Baghdad, Seoul, Los Angeles, Beijing and we work with global broadcasters and platforms. We create new intellectual property and also provide production services, having worked with health agencies, private companies and community organizations to shape stories that speak to audiences and engage them in the stories of their lives.

We have developed expertise in creating content to be shared across media, whether it be streaming media, podcasts, social media and print; all threaded together with a honed sense of story. We’ve made Virtual Reality projects such as Eye of the Beholder, and have book publications like The Last Exiles with Harper Collins. I wrote this novel based on the experience I had filming The Defector. This story of one couple’s ultimate quest for freedom is written from raw, authentic experience, and carries a universal message.

These are the kinds of stories that drive me. It’s what makes me tick, and what makes Fathom tick as a company. We are passionate about working with people to tell their compelling stories. Let’s tell some stories together.

Fathom Film is a Toronto based production company known for its innovative approach to content across multiple platforms. Fathom produces original films and series, and cross-platform engagement campaigns that have garnered numerous awards including Canadian Screen Academy Awards, Digi Awards, and Emmy and Oscar nominations. Fathom productions have been sold in all territories across the globe for theatrical, broadcast, digital, SVOD and OTT platforms. From inception, Fathom Film has been committed to diversity with a women and 2SLGTBQIA+ creative team who represent diverse voices within the film industry. BL.