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.
Being Black in Canada - Backgrounder
About Being Black in Canada
Being Black
in Canada is a pan-Canadian initiative created by the Fabienne Colas
Foundation's Youth and Diversity Program - initially created in 2014
in Montreal to address the chronic lack of diversity on and
off-screen. Since then the program has been developed
in Toronto and Halifax with plans to soon expand
into Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver, becoming a true coast to coast
diversity initiative.
Being Black in Canada supports Canadians, 18 to 30 years old, from
black communities in the creation of a short documentary film and
broadcasts them at prestigious Black Film festivals in select cities
nationally. The emerging filmmakers are provided with training and
mentorship from established industry professionals such as producers,
directors, production crew, editors and workshops to perfect their
craft. The program also includes ongoing strategic professional
development for alumni.
By training young black filmmakers, Being Black in Canada is
changing the stories and the narrative of what is seen on screen,
making it true tangible impact for diversity in Canada by providing
equal opportunities for Black Filmmakers and increasing representation
in front of and behind the camera.
With this new support from Netflix, National Bank and Canada Media
Fund, Being Black in Canada will expand the program as
follows over the next three years:
Being Black in Canada 2020:
- Montreal, Toronto, Halifax
- A total of 35 Black
filmmakers
- 20 new filmmakers will join the program
- 15 alumni filmmakers from the 2019 program will receive
personalized mentorship and training including how to prepare
funding submissions for their next projects, best practices in
marketing, networking, and possible production collaborations.
Being Black in Canada 2021:
- Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver
- A total of 55 Black filmmakers
- 35 new filmmakers will
join the program
- 20 alumni filmmakers from the 2020 program
will receive personalized mentorship and training including how to
prepare funding submissions for their next projects, best practices
in marketing, networking, and possible production
collaborations.
Being Black in Canada 2022:
- Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver
- A total of 70 Black filmmakers
- 35 new filmmakers will
join the program
- 35 alumni filmmakers from the 2021 program
will receive personalized mentorship and training including how to
prepare funding submissions for their next projects, best practices
in marketing, networking, and possible production
collaborations.
