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‘Orah’
Courtesy of Freddie Films
Paramount+ in Canada has partnered with the local Black Screen Office to help emerging Black Canadian filmmakers get international exposure.
That’s after Ava DuVernay in Venice said Black U.S. filmmakers have been told international film festivals are not places for their work, even as her film Origin opened the door by competing at the Italian festival this year.
Despite that breakthrough, the industry backdrop has seen major film festivals feature too few films by Black directors in their competition lineups, or participate on award-picking juries as diversity suffers amid the usual glitz, glamour and red carpets.
So Paramount+ Canada has rolled out the Black Creators Festival Initiative to help showcase indie films from Black Canadian directors worldwide by helping cover travel and hotel costs for international film festivals and TV markets like Cannes, MIP Africa and the European Film Market in Berlin.
And guidance will be offered before festivals and markets on how to exploit contact with buyers, producers, distributors and financiers. Among Black Canadian directors making inroads on the global film festival circuit is Clement Virgo with Brother, Lonzo Nzekwe’s revenge drama Orah — which screened this week in Toronto as part of the Industry Selects program — and Hubert Davis’s Black Ice.
“The world needs more diverse storytelling from Canada and that is only possible by supporting and developing our incredible home-grown talent,” Doug Smith, senior vp of streaming & content licensing at Paramount Global in Canada, said in a statement on Wednesday as the Toronto Film Festival heads to its final weekend.
The goal is to allow waves of Black Canadian directors to reach audiences around the world as a slow, yet steady culture shift to more diverse voices and talent in the Canadian industry continues.
“Their generous contribution underscores the importance of diversity and inclusion in the industry. Together, we can continue to promote the voices and talents of our community on a global stage,” Joan Jenkinson, executive director of the Black Screen Office, said in her own statement.
The Hollywood studio has already rolled out its Content for Change program in Canada to support local content creators and drive out bias, discrimination and prejudice in the local film and TV industry. But allowing them success by tapping foreign production dollars and talent is the next step in getting Black Canadian filmmakers into the industry’s creative pipeline.
In the meantime, Paramount+ Canada continues to drop roots in the market, including unveiling a slate of Canadian originals and development projects. And Pluto TV, Paramount Global’s free, ad-supported streamer has launched north of the border.
The Toronto Film Festival continues through to Sept. 17.
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