MISSION AND GOALS

Being Black in Canada represents Canada’s largest mentorship, training, and creation program to be entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers. This important initiative, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Youth and Diversity Program, aims to train, mentor and empower the next generation of Black Filmmakers in Cinema and Television.

Being Black in Canada 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. It gives a voice and a platform to creators who would not otherwise be seen or heard. The Foundation actively promotes equal opportunities for Black Filmmakers while fostering Diversity on our screens that unfortunately showcase content that is too white for a truly diverse society.

In 2021, Being Black in Canada allowed 35 underserved emerging Black Filmmakers in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver to create their first short documentaries. The program provides FREE training, mentorship, professional equipment, editing studios, professional crews to assist them from beginning to the end of their filmmaking process. Then, we will premiere their films at the Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver Black Film Festivals, as well as elsewhere.

HISTORY

Created in Montréal in 2014, the series was held in 2019 in three cities in Canada: 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).

In 2019, the program enabled 15 young Black Filmmakers (from Montreal, Toronto & Halifax), aged 18 to 30, to create 15 documentary shorts of approximately 10 minutes each. Filmmakers addressed the issue of social integration of people from Black communities in Canada through the powerful medium of film. The 15 promising filmmakers were guided through the many steps in audiovisual production (Researching, Screenwriting, Interviewing, Directing, Editing, Post-production, Promotion, Touring in Festivals etc.) and creation of a documentary. This process was carried out under the professional tutelage of industry professionals with professional equipment and dedicated mentorship.

The 15 films have been presented as world premieres at the Montreal International Black Film Festival in September 2019. The 15 filmmakers also screened their films as Ontario Premieres at the Toronto Black Film Festival and then as Canadian Atlantic Premieres at the Halifax Black Film Festival in February 2020. The film screenings were followed by talks to discuss the socio-economic issues and black realities in cinema and society, particularly their respective provinces and share possible solutions for better inclusion of black youth in the community.

Then, the 2019 films will be screened on CBC (Toronto & Halifax), Tele-Quebec (Montreal), TFO (Toronto).

In 2021, thanks to the support of Netflix, the National Bank, Telefilm Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and local partners, the program is also being offered in Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. In addition, this support will allow, each year, 35 new Black artists to participate in the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada program.Their films will then be screened at the Black Film Festivals of Montreal, Toronto, Halifax and elsewhere and broadcast on television.

Want to support this life changing program? You can DONATE here!