February 12 - 17, 2025

Select Page

CINEMATIC ACTIVISM: How Black Filmmakers and Crews Use Storytelling to Address Societal Issues, Challenge Stereotypes, and Inspire Activism.

Explore how Black filmmakers and crews harness the power of storytelling to confront societal issues, challenge stereotypes, and ignite change. Through their compelling narratives, these creators amplify underrepresented voices, spotlight systemic injustices, and inspire audiences to take action. Discover the transformative role of cinema as a tool for activism, reshaping perspectives and empowering communities to envision a more equitable future.

Moderator:

Powys Dewhurst - Media Producer

For 10 years he’s produced forward-facing industry development events, in collaboration with Canadian and US media organizations with a focus on training, access, funding, placements, mentorships, and screenings for diverse media creators, at Hot Docs Cinema, Ontario Place Cinesphere, Ryerson University, and Canadian Film Centre. He’s been a judge and speaker at industry events like CMPA: Prime Time, and Planet In Focus, and once debated the universe with Sidney Poitier over dinner, beer, and an interview

Speakers

Francine Alfred - Actress, Model, and Host

Francine Alfred is a multi-faceted talent, excelling as an actress, model, and host. As the owner of Talent Unleashed, she’s dedicated to promoting talent and connecting actors with key industry players. Francine is gearing up to host the new show "Faith & Fire" on KiTV Network, bringing uplifting stories of hope to a global audience

Ravelle Thomas - Producer

Ravelle Thomas is an international Producer with over a decade of experience working on union and non-union productions for BBC, Disney, Apple, ABC, Discovery, Prime, YTV, and Bell Media. As founder of Talawa Media, she champions diverse voices and fosters a more inclusive future in film and television

Lily Yawson - Artist, Actress, Director, Producer and Acting coach

Lily Yawson is a versatile talent in the entertainment industry, excelling as an Artist, Actress, Director, Producer and Acting coach. She has portrayed a diverse range of roles, most recently in, Danger in the Dorm, starring alongside Bethany Frankel on the popular Lifetime network and her most notable Sci-Fi role as "The Original Dreamer" on "The Flash" playing alongside Candice Patton (Iris) & Nicole Maines (Nia/Dreamer) available on Netflix.

Lily Yawson founded Ofie Productions Inc (pronounced oh-fee-yay) ,bringing unique vision and storytelling skills to the forefront through producing and directing music videos, web-series and short films and is working to create larger scale projects for Film & Tv.