The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada program has welcomed a remarkable number of participants from the LGBTQ+ community since its inception in 2012. The incubator that supports emerging Black filmmakers through all the short documentary creation stages is now the largest of its kind in Canada because of the Foundation’s many partners. This incubator is offered in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
While Black people are rarely seen on our screens, Black people from the LGBTQ+ community are almost completely erased. The Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec project addresses the intersection of systemic racism and LGBTQphobias through cinema.
In keeping with the “Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec” theme, five Black filmmakers from the LGBTQ+ community will be supported in the production of their short documentary. Filmmakers will benefit from mentoring in all stages of research, creation, production, postproduction, and distribution. Their short documentaries will be screened during this year’s Black History Month, at the Toronto Black Film Festival, the Halifax Black Film Festival, and the Fade to Black Festival in Montreal. Following these events, the documentaries will be submitted to other festivals, including Massimadi (Montreal’s LGBTQ+ Afro Film and Arts Festival) and image+nation Festival Film LGBTQueer Montréal, as well as in the education and community sectors.