35 Emerging Filmmakers from Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, & Vancouver
Taking Part in Canada’s Largest Mentorship Program Entirely Dedicated to Black Filmmakers.
Montreal, December 29, 2021 – The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada Program – presented by NETFLIX, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts – is proud to announce its 35 new participants. In 2021, the program expanded to Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver, joining the 3 immensely successful cities, Montreal, Toronto and Halifax.
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.
In 2021, the FCF’s Being Black in Canada program enabled 35 emerging filmmakers, aged 18 to 30, from the Black communities of Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver to create 35 documentary shorts of approximately 10 minutes each. The 35 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 Being Black in Canada 2021 cohort will have the opportunity to present their films as a World Premiere at the Toronto Black Film Festival (Feb. 2022), followed by the Halifax Black Film Festival (Feb. 2022), the Montreal International Black Film Festival (Sept. 2022), the Ottawa Black Film Festival (March 2022), the Calgary Black Film Festival (May 2022) and the Vancouver International Black Film Festival (December 2022).
THE 2021 FABIENNE COLAS FOUNDATION’S BEING BLACK IN CANADA PROGRAM’S PARTICIPANTS
BEING BLACK IN MONTREAL – FRANCOPHONE PROGRAM
Ernest Pierre, Jenny Jean-Baptiste, Maëlle Bonnegrace, Matthieu Pierre-Canel, Nkosi Akins Phanord and Tani Balourd
BEING BLACK IN MONTREAL – ANGLOPHONE PROGRAM
Àdùkẹ́ Babalọlá, Chris Henny-Nyanguila, Hamda Elmi, Mikael Romulus, Roy Kingsley and Yzaih Phénix-Alphonse
BEING BLACK IN TORONTO
CJ Mayers, KhaRå Martin, Marc Samuels, Niya Abdullahi and Rennae Byfield
BEING BLACK IN HALIFAX
Deborah Castrilli, Guyleigh Johnson, Jodell Stundon and Tyus Mcsween
BEING BLACK IN OTTAWA
Bénédicte Bélizaire, Jeanne-Andrée Mazile, Maiakovsky Camille, Mariama Tani and Weris Dualeh
BEING BLACK IN CALGARY
Badria Abubaker, Kamika Bianca Guerra-Walker, Ryan Wilkes, Sarah Uwadiae and Shae Kubur
BEING BLACK IN VANCOUVER
Ilhan Abdullahi, Manny Obiajunwa, Omorose Osagie and Zavia Forrest
“We are beyond proud to be fostering massive inclusion in the Canadian Film Industry, by empowering the next generation of Black Filmmakers. We started this program because there is blatant lack of diversity in front and behind the camera in Canada. This impressive slate of emerging filmmakers proves one more time that Black creators don’t lack talent, they lack opportunities. We are thrilled and immensely proud to play a role in launching the careers of talented Canadian emerging Black filmmakers from coast to coast,” – said Fabienne Colas, Founder of the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada program
THANKS TO OUR LOYAL PARTNERS
The Fabienne Colas Foundation would like to thank its loyal partners who support the program:
NETFLIX (Presenter), The National Bank (Co-presenter), Canada Economic Development for Quebec Region, Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, CBC, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, la SODEC, Ontario Creates, Ministry of Culture and Status of Women in Alberta, Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Economic Development, Toronto Arts Council, Arts Nova Scotia, Conseil des Arts de Montréal, Zaza Production, Molson Coors, Brian Bronfman Family Foundation, Paul Bronfman Family Foundation, l’Inis, National, Afcoop, Montreal International Black Film Festival, Toronto Black Film Festival, Halifax Black Film Festival, Ottawa Black Film Festival, Calgary Black Film Festival and Vancouver International Black Film Festival.
Watch the FCF’S Being Black in Canada 2020 films online on CBC GEM (Broadcast in 2021)
About the Fabienne Colas Foundation
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is Canada’s largest Black cultural organization. Created in 2005, the FCF is a not-for-profit artistic organization dedicated to promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Cinema, Art and Culture in Canada and abroad. Along with Zaza Production, the Fabienne Colas Foundation is also the creator of 12 Festivals the highly successful including the Montreal Black Film Festival, the hugely popular Toronto Black Film Festival, the Halifax Black Film Festival as well as the several other successful Festivals in Canada, the USA, Haiti and Brazil. These initiatives/festivals have showcased and supported over 5,000 artists and attracted over 2 million festivalgoers. The Foundation is also the creator of the FCF’s Being Black in Canada program, Canada’s largest incubator dedicated to Black Filmmakers
Media Inquiries:
Talar Adam, publicist, press@torontoblackfilm.com
