Krik Shaw

Kirk Shaw is one of North America's most prolific award-winning producers, with over 250 films and television credits spanning over 30 years. He has worked with all major studios and collaborated with A-list talent, including Woody Harrelson, Charlize Theron, Ashton Kutcher, John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kim Basinger, Ray Liotta, and Cuba Gooding Jr. He is recognized for leadership in the entertainment industry and innovative methods in financing and packaging film and television projects. In 2017, Shaw was inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame, honoring his lasting contributions to Canada’s screen industry. He built Canada’s largest independent production company and developed creative ventures into globally competitive businesses. As a CEO, Shaw’s expertise spans scripted and non-scripted production, high-concept IP packaging, financing, and international co-productions. His work covers IP acquisition, development strategy, and managing budgets from $1 million to over $200 million. He has formed partnerships across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, securing theatrical, streaming, and broadcast distribution. Skilled in business affairs, legal oversight, investor relations, and marketing, Shaw balances creative leadership with corporate growth. Shaw is Co-President of Ambitious Entertainment, a next-generation studio in Los Angeles and Vancouver focused on global content packaging. Founded in 2017, Ambitious has produced Guns of Redemption, Viper, and Dead Man’s Hand. By 2025, Shaw had grown into a fully integrated IP-acquisition and packaging studio for streamers, major studios, and international markets. The company emphasizes profitable, high-concept storytelling and is positioned to be publicly traded on the NYSE. In 2009, Shaw founded Odyssey Media Inc., a boutique studio specializing in lower-risk international co-productions. Supported by a $25 million investment fund, he financed more than 20 films with combined budgets exceeding $70 million. Notable works include Drive Hard, Pound of Flesh, and The Town That Came A-Courting. Shaw’s career began in 1990 with Insight Film Studios, initially producing museum audio guides before moving into documentaries like Inside Track. By the early 2000s, Insight focused on long-form content, beginning with Maximum Surge in 2002. Under Shaw’s leadership, the company became Canada’s largest independent film and television producer, creating over 130 titles and managing annual budgets exceeding $200 million. Highlights include Battle in Seattle, Helen, and the Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker. Television credits include Blood Ties and Painkiller Jane. Shaw is a member of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, and the Producers Guild of America (PGA). He studied journalism at Douglas College, helped launch the Edmonton Sun, worked in the computer industry, attended Vancouver Film School, and completed a National Screen Institute (NSI) of Canada program in production.