SECOND ANNUAL CALGARY BLACK FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS 47 FILMS FROM 14 COUNTRIES!
CBFF 2022 HYBRID Festival Opens with THE WHITE LINE and amplifies Black Voices with Innovative, Diverse and Bold Programming from May 26 to 29, 2022
Calgary, AB – The second annual Calgary Black Film Festival, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation and presented by Global News, is thrilled to announce its official hybrid program and events lineup, running May 26 – 29, 2022. After the great success of the first virtual edition, #CBFF22 is back to amplify the voices of Afro-descendants in Alberta.
The Calgary Black Film Festival’s bold and diverse programming is moving to a hybrid model this year with its first in-person offering in Calgary, with continued online programming for accessibility across Canada and the world. Through films and various panels, this hybrid second edition is aimed at the public from all communities as it highlights the talent of creators from diverse backgrounds and makes room for them to reflect on the issues they face. The in-person screenings and events will take place at the Globe Cinema, the Dome Theatre at Telus Spark Science Centre, the Calgary Memorial Park Library and the Calgary Central Library.
“What a thrill to be back to the beautiful city of Calgary with the 2nd annual Calgary Black Film Festival! CBFF is more than just about films, it’s a movement! At this pivotal moment in our history, the people of Calgary have really stepped up as a BLM ally and have shown tremendous support towards their Black communities. As such, we are seizing on this opportunity to help bring even more awareness through concrete actions,” said Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the Black Film Festivals in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary.
“It is vital for us to spread our message of inclusion and diversity off and on camera from coast to coast and celebrate the differences that make us unique and the shared values that bring us together.”
The Festival will open on Thursday, May 26 at 7pm MDT with Desiree Kahikopo-Meiffret’s THE WHITE LINE, at the Globe Cinema: a riveting untold love story between a man and woman who do not see race and colour, subconsciously going against society’s norms and find solace in love in an era where love was restricted to you only loving your kind. At 9pm MDT, all films will be accessible online.
The CBFF will close with South African filmmaker Enver Samuel’s feature documentary, MURDER IN PARIS, a political crime thriller that traces the motives for the assassination of anti-Apartheid activist, Dulcie September.
This second edition’s highlights include the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s BEING BLACK IN CANADA short film series – with films from Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa and Vancouver – as well as TUG OF WAR, DEAR JACKIE and BONUM.
The #CBFF22 All Access Pass is available for only $55 and gives access to the entire ONLINE programming and can be purchased on the Festival’s website. In-person single tickets for individual films and short series are available for $12 and $20 for the Opening Night film. Both can be purchased on the Festival’s website.
“Global News is proud to support the Calgary Black Film Festival as co-presenter in its second year,” said Carmela Gentile, News Director and Station Manager, Global Calgary. “Our team recognizes the importance of amplifying Black voices and stories in the community and we look forward to sharing in the excitement of such an important event.”
Fabienne Colas Foundation’s BEING BLACK IN CANADA PROGRAM is presented by NETFLIX, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts and various local partners. 35 Canadian short films from the 2021 cohort will be presented at #CBFF22! The FCF’s Being Black in Canada supported 35 Black Canadian Filmmakers, 18 to 30 years old, in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver in the creation of 35 documentary short films (8 to 10 minutes). The filmmakers received professional coaching for each stage of the audiovisual production process then made a short documentary film under the tutelage of industry professionals. A unique project that ensures inspiring emerging artists from culturally diverse backgrounds.
The CBFF BLACK MARKET space is dedicated to the cinema industry and raising awareness of today’s social climate with some powerful & FREE panel discussions:
IN-PERSON DISCUSSIONS:
(at the Memorial Park Library, 1221 2nd Street SW, Calgary)
Meet the Filmmakers: This panel will focus on their inspirations, the obstacles, the improvements and the positive points of being a Black content creator in Calgary.
Networking-The How To Rules for Approaching People in the Industry: The entertainment industry is not only about talent but also the ability to network. Knowing how to approach people with the intent of creating powerful bonds and solid support systems will take you a long way. This panel will discuss how to successfully accomplish this.
Victories and Challenges of Calgary’s Black Community: The last two years were extremely challenging for many entrepreneurs and organizations, especially those from Black communities. This panel will discuss some of the obstacles Calgary’s Black community faced during this unprecedented situation. And most importantly, how people managed to rise up and find victories during these difficult times.
ONLINE DISCUSSIONS:
The Art of Marketing – How to communicate your film or tv series to a broader audience: Every movie or tv series has its target audience, and sometimes, finding them is not an easy task. This panel will discuss how these marketing teams work to create a connection between the audience and the project, sparking people’s curiosity and the desire to follow these unknown adventures.
In Our Own Voice – What is said, How it is Said and Who should Say It: The industry is trying to find more content representing a diversity of voices but these films and TV shows do not always have BIPOC members in their creative teams, perpetuating the problem. This panel will feature Black Industry leaders and Creatives who will look at these difficult questions and discuss ways to advocate lasting and significant change.
ENCORE PRESENTATIONS
Diversity On And Off-Screen: Industry professionals discuss the underrepresentation of Black talent off and on screen. They will share their experiences regarding the issue and offer ideas and advice to help solve the problem.
Black Artists in Calgary – On the Move: This discussion will feature some of Calgary’s talented emerging Black Artists who are successfully establishing themselves and realizing their projects despite the obstacles and unique challenges they may be faced with.
The second edition of the Calgary Black Film Festival, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation and co-presented by Global News, runs May 26 – 29, 2022, with the support of the Calgary Arts Development, Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund and Calgary Economic Development.
All Access Passes and Single Tickets on Sale Now at www.CalgaryBlackFilm.com!
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For Media Inquiries, please contact:
Aldona Barutowicz, Publicist
Telephone: (403) 471-5308
Email: aldonabcreative@gmail.com
About the Calgary Black Film Festival – #CBFF22
The Calgary Black Film Festival (CBFF), a not-for-profit organization created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, is about discovery and Inclusion. CBFF wants to amplify more Black voices and showcase the most relevant Black films from here and abroad while creating a space to debate major cultural, social, and socio-economic issues. The Calgary Black Film Festival is dedicated to giving unique voices in cinema the opportunity to present audiences with new ways of looking at the world. CBFF’s ambition is to encourage the development of the independent film industry and to promote more films on the reality of Black people from around the Globe.
About the Fabienne Colas Foundation
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is the largest organization in Canada for Black culture. Created in 2005, the FCF is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the arts across Canada and around the world. Together with Zaza Production, the Fabienne Colas Foundation is behind 12 festivals: the highly popular Montreal International Black Film Festival, the renowned Toronto Black Film Festival, the Black Film Festivals of Halifax, Calgary, Vancouver, and Ottawa, and a number of other successful festivals in Canada, United States, Haiti, and Brazil. These initiatives have presented and supported over 5,000 artists, bringing over 2 million festival-goers together. The Foundation is also behind the Being Black in Canada program, Canada’s largest incubator dedicated to Black Filmmakers, which is presented by Netflix in collaboration with the National Bank. The FCF recently announced the creation of the Festwave Institute dedicated to training and mentoring Black Film & TV professionals.
