Being Black in the film industry in Canada
Lucmane Vieux ·
The 12th edition of the Fondation Fabienne Colas' "Being Black in Canada" program is launching its call for applications for the 2026 edition.
The 12th edition of the Fondation Fabienne Colas' "Being Black in Canada" program is launching its call for applications for the 2026 edition. Presented with the support of NETFLIX, Banque Nationale, Téléfilm Canada, the Canada Arts Council, and several local partners, the program will welcome up to 21 promising Black filmmakers from 6 Canadian cities: Calgary, Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Applicants have until April 25, 2026 to apply and only selected individuals will be contacted. Emerging filmmakers (aged 18 and over) from Black communities will benefit from mentorship on the various stages of documentary screenwriting and audiovisual production (scriptwriting, directing, editing, etc.) with the goal of writing and directing a short documentary film under the guidance of industry professionals.
This year, the Foundation is raising the age criteria for participation in the program. Arts Councils have evolved in their approach to the question of emerging artists. "Before, it was a question of age — today it is a question of artistic practice," Fabienne Colas noted in an interview with In Texto. It should be noted that having fewer than 5 years of artistic practice is now required to be considered an emerging artist, regardless of whether you are 70 years old.
The 2026 participants will have their films premiere worldwide in 2027 at the Toronto Black Film Festival, followed by the Halifax Black Film Festival, the Montreal International Black Film Festival, and then the Black Film Festivals in Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver. The Fondation Fabienne Colas' BEING BLACK IN CANADA represents Canada's largest incubator entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers.
These initiatives and festivals have showcased and supported more than 10,000 artists and have attracted over 2 million festivalgoers. Over the past 12 years, many of them have built careers in the industry.
"Absolutely!", exclaims Fabienne Colas, "among those young people, some have won the Canadian equivalent of an Oscar — the Canadian Screen Awards — the Gémeaux Relève Award, and some are directing television series with CBC Radio-Canada and others."
As part of the Fondation Fabienne Colas' Youth and Diversity initiative, the FFC's Being Black in Canada program was created to address the glaring lack of diversity and the underrepresentation of Black people in front of 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 encouraging Diversity on our screens, which unfortunately present content that is too white for a truly diverse society.