CMF TAKES PART OF BEING BLACK IN CANADA PROGRAM

Fabienne Colas Foundation has announced new support for the Being Black in Canada Program from presenting sponsor Netflix, in collaboration with the National Bank, and the support of the Canada Media Fund (CMF).

“The CMF recently made a commitment towards combating systemic racism in Canada’s screen-based sector,” said Valerie Creighton, President, and CEO, CMF. “Training and mentorship are fundamental for meaningful and lasting change to happen. Supporting the Fabienne Colas Foundation's Being Black in Canada initiative is a key step on the road towards representation and racial equity. We’re deeply committed to supporting change that lasts. We look forward to seeing the next generation of Black Canadian storytellers change the narrative and eliminate stereotypes for audiences here in Canada and around the world.”

As a result of this cross-industry partnership, the 2020 program will expand to include 20 new participants from Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax. Over the following two years, the program will further expand to include Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver and support a total of 70 new filmmakers and 55 alumni in both 2021 and 2022.

Program participants benefit from mentorship and training by established experts across multiple areas of film production including screenwriting, directing, editing, and post-production. They will also be provided with the opportunity to create individual documentary shorts that address the issue of social integration of people from Black communities in Canada.

In 2019, the program included 15 filmmakers, ages 18 to 30, from the Black communities of Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax. All of the filmmakers presented their documentary shorts as world premieres at last year’s Montreal International Black Film Festival as well as an Ontario premiere at Toronto Black Film Festival and the Atlantic Canadian premiere at Halifax Black Film Festival.