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NETFLIX, NATIONAL BANK AND CANADA MEDIA FUND SUPPORTS

EXPANSION OF BEING BLACK IN CANADA

THROUGH NEW CROSS-INDUSTRY AND MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP

 

Montreal, – July 22, 2020 – Today, the Fabienne Colas Foundation announced new support for the Being Black in Canada program from presenting sponsor Netflix, in collaboration with National Bank, and the support of Canada Media Fund.

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 2021 and 2022.

Being Black in Canada represents Canada’s largest mentorship, training, and creation program to be entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers. 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.

Fabienne Colas is available for interviews regarding this new partnership.

Quotes

“Black artists represent the most marginalized and underserved group in the Canadian arts community. We are therefore thrilled to be partnering with Netflix alongside the National Bank of Canada and the Canada Media Fund to expand the Being Black in Canada Program from coast to coast. This will amplify the voices of emerging Black filmmakers all over Canada at an important time of our history. It marks a concrete step towards greater inclusion of diversity in the Canadian Film Industry.”

Fabienne Colas, President and CEO of the Fabienne Colas Foundation

“Creating more stories that generate empathy and understanding of the Black experience starts with providing more opportunities for Black creators to hone their storytelling craft. Being Black in Canada provides a meaningful platform for the development of young Black artists in Canada and Netflix is proud to support the expansion of this program.”

Stéphane Cardin, Director of Public Policy, Netflix Canada

“By promoting the inclusion of black filmmakers and supporting the next generation, we can help demonstrate that the future is promising, economically and socially, for the black community and beyond. As a major partner of audiovisual production in Canada, National Bank is proud to work with a number of other organizations to support the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada incubator program.”

– Louis Vachon, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bank

“The CMF recently made a commitment towards combating systemic racism in Canada’s screen-based sector. 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.”

Valerie Creighton, President and CEO, CMF

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 2,000 artists and attracted close to 1 million festival goers 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.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with 193 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

About National Bank of Canada

With $317 billion in assets as at April 30, 2020, National Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada’s leading integrated financial groups. It has more than 26,000 employees in knowledge-intensive positions and has been recognized numerous times as a top employer and for its commitment to diversity. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA).

About Canada Media Fund

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms. The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. The CMF receives financial contributions from the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors.

Media contact:

Talar Adam

Publicist

Fabienne Colas Foundation

514-833-0274

press@MontrealBlackFilm.com

www.BeingBlackInCanada.com