Black Women Film! LEADERSHIP program

In 2016 Annual Black Women Film! Leadership Program was founded by Ella Cooper, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and industry partnerships with TIFF, CFC, NFB, Regent Park Film Festival and CBC. This one of kind program once again offers emerging and mid-career Black women filmmakers and media artists of African diaspora, the opportunity to forward their careers in film and media arts through in depth industry workshops and mentorship with Black women industry leaders from the film, television and media arts sector. Since then Black Women Film has become a collective and catalyst in the sector dedicated to providing professional development, a network and a platform for Black women identified filmmakers and media artists.

THE 2019 LEADERSHIP PROGRAM HAS NOW LAUNCHED CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS TO SEE THE EXPERIENCE FIRST HAND!

@BWFCANADA

In 2017, The program offered a range of hands-on presentations on dramatic storytelling in film, directing, producing and fund development, production management, script writing, cinematography, experimental media arts practices, plus transmedia and web series development.

The Black Women Film! program was hosted at TIFF Bell Lightbox and the National Film Board Head Office from October 28 – November 8, 2017. The program was held on weekends and evenings and offered small group mentorship from award winning writers, directors and producers; plus meetings with funders and broadcasters and the opportunity for participants to screen work at the Carlton cinemas as part of an exciting new partnership with Reel Girl Talk (November 8, 2017). 

Prior to the leadership intensive, the 2017 fully subsidized program included tickets to the TIFF Industry Conference, Black House Foundation events, networking opportunities and select screenings during the festival.

LEADERSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

2019 Helena Morgane, Ghislan Timm, Fartousa Siyad, Soko Negash, Ashley Gill, Maya Annik Bedward, Tristen Sutherland, Aden Adebe, Muna Deria, Yasmijn Nicolle, Jackie Batsinduka, Kourtney Jackson, Daphné Joseph, Sasha Leigh Henry & Tamara Mariam

2017 Yasmine Mathurin, Valerie Bah, Josiane Blanc, samah ali, Elizabeth Mudenyo, Rebecca Singh, Nicki St-Louis, Fiona Clarke, Alicia Cox, Tamika Guishard, Magda Uculmnana-Falcon, Merle Augustin

2016 Kyisha Williams, lindsey addawoo, Fatima G, Luwam Tekeste, Loren Delaney, Nataleah Hunter-Young, Alicia Bunyan-Sampson, Gesilayefa Azorbo, Sharrae Lyon, Farhia Jama, Yasmine Mathurin, Lekeeya Kinghorn, Jean Boampong

LUCKY 13 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

2018 Christine Armstrong, Samantha Chizanga, Angelyn Francis, Alexandra Douglas, Isa Benn, Zipporah Yohannes, LaMeia Reddick, Dasola Dina, Lu Asfaha, Barbara Mamabolo, Carmine Pierre-Dufour, Celestina Aleobua, Rodas Dechassa

Black Women Film! is made possible with generous support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. In partnership with TIFF, National Film Board of Canada and the Canadian Film Centre