Real Friends
A company that keeps good company.
Real Friends is a Toronto-based independent production company.
Built on good relationships, shared creative instincts and the belief that the people you make things with matter just as much as what you make.
We develop original film and television, collaborate with international partners and bring together talented people to make award-winning work.
Lana Belle Mauro
Founder / Producer
Lana Belle Mauro is a Toronto-based film and television producer and founder of Real Friends Media.
With a career spanning documentary, music, culture and entertainment, Lana has produced award-winning films and television for some of the industry’s leading networks, streamers and production companies.
A Peabody Award winner for Netflix’s Hip-Hop Evolution, her credits include six seasons of Dark Side of the Ring, Dark Side of Comedy and the feature documentary The Abnormal Beauty Company, which won Best Feature at Tribeca X in 2025.
Her work has taken her from independent documentary production to large-scale international television, building longstanding relationships with filmmakers, creative talent and production partners along the way.
Through Real Friends, Lana is focused on developing original film and television, building international partnerships and bringing together the right people to make ambitious work happen.
Drawn to stories about the people, ideas and movements shaping culture, Lana has a particular interest in uncovering overlooked perspectives and championing women whose contributions have helped define the cultural zeitgeist.
On Repeat.
Music has always been part of the picture. Consider this the unofficial soundtrack to Real Friends. A little bit of everything, depending on who’s got the aux cord.
Here’s what’s playing.