TORONTO – BIPOC TV & Film and Bell Media announced last week the first initiative resulting from their new partnership, a web portal to generate increased employment of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour working in the Canadian media industry.
Launching later this summer, HireBIPOC “will become an industry-wide roster of BIPOC crew and creatives working in screen-based industries available for Canadian productions and media companies to hire. It will facilitate and increase BIPOC hiring in Canadian media and entertainment in roles across all areas of the industry, including production (above and below the line), behind the scenes, communications and marketing, on-air, and more,” reads the Bell Media press release.
“HireBIPOC’s objective is simple: get more BIPOC hired,” said Nathalie Younglai, founder and CEO, BIPOC TV & Film. “There are many talented, qualified BIPOC crew and creatives available to work in our industry. We have always been here – the challenge has been getting hired. Too often we hear excuses like, ‘we can’t find any BIPOC crew’ – that’s simply unacceptable. HireBIPOC will simplify the process and more importantly, hold productions and entertainment companies accountable.”
“HireBIPOC will be an indispensable tool for producers, production managers, development executives, broadcasters, distributors, cultural institutions, and more,” added Randy Lennox, president of Bell Media, in the release. “To effect change, we need the entire industry to step up and get onboard. We believe HireBIPOC is a first step and a game-changer; we are committed to ensuring its success and will hold our partners and productions accountable in improving their hiring practices.”
HireBIPOC will also feature a supporter wall highlighting the productions, producers, and production companies that have used the site and hired. The new site will extend the work of FilmInColour.ca, an online platform that showcases Canadian POC Filmmakers and serves as a community hub to showcase their work and personalities.
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