Montreal, December 15, 2020 – We are proud to announce the 20 new participants of the 2020 Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada Program – presented by Netflix, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada represents Canada’s largest mentorship, training, and creation program to be entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers. As part of the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Youth and Diversity Initiative, the FCF’s Being Black in Canada program was created to make up for the blatant lack of diversity and the lack of Black People in front and behind the camera in Canada. Founded in 2012, with the first cohort launched in 2014, the Program gives a voice and a platform to creators who would not otherwise be seen or heard. The Foundation actively promotes equal opportunities for Black Film professionals while fostering Diversity on our screens that unfortunately showcase content that is too white for a truly diverse society.
The 20 new participants will have the opportunity to present their films as a World Premiere at the Toronto Black Film Festival (Feb. 10 – 21, 2021), followed by the Halifax Black Film Festival (Feb. 23 – 28, 2021), and the Montreal International Black Film Festival (Sept. 2021).
In 2020, the FCF’s Being Black in Canada program enabled 20 emerging filmmakers, aged 18 to 30, from the Black communities of Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax to create 20 documentary shorts of approximately 10 minutes each. The 20 young filmmakers were guided through the many steps in audiovisual production (screenwriting, directing, editing, post-production, etc.) and creation of a documentary short. This process was carried out under the tutelage of industry experts with professional equipment and dedicated mentorship.
THE 2020 FABIENNE COLAS FOUNDATION’S BEING BLACK IN CANADA PROGRAM’S PARTICIPANTS
BEING BLACK IN MONTREAL – FRANCOPHONE PROGRAM
Aïcha Morin-Baldé, Cassandre Grégoire, Kimberley Ann Surin, Nitsé Mathelier, Tania Doumbe Fines
BEING BLACK IN MONTREAL – ANGLOPHONE PROGRAM
Amelya Hempstead, Dee Edouard Williams, Devantie Johnson, Melannie Jonas, Steve Deku
BEING BLACK IN TORONTO
Bethlehem Tsegaye, David Peddie, Selina McCallum, Shani McKenzie, Uranranebi Agbeyegbe
BEING BLACK IN HALIFAX
Andre Anderson, Kardeisha Provo, K. Taylor, Lily Nottage, Tyler Simmonds
“This impressive slate of emerging filmmakers proves one more time that Black creators don’t lack talent, they lack opportunities. And this is exactly the reason behind the creation of the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada program. We are beyond proud to be fostering massive inclusion in the Canadian Film Industry, by empowering the next generation of Black Filmmakers.” Said Fabienne Colas, Founder of the Program.
We would like to thank all our loyal partners who supported us through these hard times of the Covid19 pandemic and without whom there would be no program this year.
Over the next two years, the program will also extend its reach to Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver with an aim to support a total of 70 new filmmakers and 55 alumni by 2022. In 2019, The FCF’s Being Black in Canada Program was held in three Canadian cities: Montréal, Toronto & Halifax, in collaboration with the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF), the Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF) & the Halifax Black Film Festival (HBFF) and were also aired on Television.
Watch the 2019 films online at TeleQuebec.tv, CBC GEM Toronto, CBC GEM Halifax
About the Fabienne Colas Foundation
The Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF) is a not-for-profit cultural organization dedicated to building bridges and advancing education through the arts as well as to support the creation, production, promotion and dissemination of cinema, the arts and culture in Canada and elsewhere. To fulfill its mission, the Foundation put together 9 festivals and programs to break barriers, celebrate diversity, foster togetherness, understanding and inclusion. Since its inception in 2005, its initiatives/festivals have showcased and supported over 3,000 artists and attracted over 2 million festivalgoers in Canada, the USA, Haiti and Brazil. The Foundation mostly promotes Black culture in Montréal, Toronto, Halifax, New York City et Salvador de Bahia (Brazil); and Quebec culture in Port-au-Prince. www.fondationfabiennecolas.org
For interview inquiries, please contact :
Véronique Fecteau, publicist : 514-893-0772 veronique@perfecteaucomm.com
