MONTREAL — Telefilm Canada announced today its support for the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada incubator program for Black filmmakers, joining current major partners Netflix, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and National Bank.
The Being Black in Canada Program is Canada’s largest mentorship, training and creation program entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers. It was created in Montreal in 2012 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, and presented its first cohort in 2014. Colas (pictured, far left, with director Spike Lee, centre, and members of the program’s 2019 cohort) is a Haitian-Canadian actress, director and producer, and she created the foundation in 2005.
Participants in the Being Black in Canada program receive mentorship and training by established experts across multiple areas of film production, including screenwriting, directing, editing and post-production. They also have the opportunity to create individual documentary shorts that address the issue of social integration of people from Black communities in Canada.
The 2019 program included 15 Black filmmakers, ages 18 to 30, from Montreal, Toronto and Halifax. These filmmakers premiered their documentary shorts at the Black Film Festivals in Montreal, Toronto and Halifax.
As a result of the cross-industry partnership with Telefilm, Netflix, CMF and National Bank, the 2020 Being Black in Canada program will expand to include 20 new participants from Montreal, Toronto and Halifax. The program will further expand over the next two years to extend its reach to Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver, with an aim to support a total of 70 new filmmakers and 55 alumni by 2022, says the Telefilm press release.
“The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada initiative comes at a moment when support for Black talent is essential for our industry, and this combined partnership across private and public organizations demonstrates a united front in making this a reality,” said Christa Dickenson, executive director of Telefilm Canada, in the press release. “It will give emerging Black filmmakers in Canada insight and exposure to develop and further sustain their careers, helping to break down the barriers that Black creators have disproportionally faced. We are thankful to the Fabienne Colas Foundation for bringing this opportunity to us and look forward to continuing our partnership in support of Black creators and artists.”
The 2019 films by the program’s participants from Toronto and Halifax will air on CBC and CBC Gem on November 7, 2020. The films created by the Montreal participants were broadcast on Télé-Québec on July 1 and are currently available on telequebec.tv.
