Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada Program

Thanks to the support of NETFLIX, the National Bank, Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, and their local partners, the Program will support up to 21 new young, promising Black filmmakers in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver.

The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada program offers professional mentorship in the audiovisual production of a short film with the theme of “Being Black in Canada.” Up to 21 new young, promising Black filmmakers in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver (3 per city, and 6 in Montreal – 3 francophones and 3 anglophones) will be guided through the many steps of audiovisual production (screenwriting, directing, editing, post-production, etc…), and will create a documentary short from 8 to 10 minutes.

This process will be carried out under the professional tutelage of industry professionals with professional equipment. Their final work will be screened as:

• World Premiere at the Toronto Black Film Festival – February 2026
• Atlantic Premiere at the Halifax Black Film Festival – February 2026
• Premiere at the Ottawa Black Film Festival – March 2026
• Premiere at the Calgary Black Film Festival – May 2026
• Quebec Premiere at the Montreal Intl Black Film Festival – September 2026
• Premiere at the Vancouver Intl Black Film Festival – November/December 2026
• Potential screenings to other festivals/events in 2026 and beyond (tbd)

Eligibility Criteria

• Be between 18 and 40 (included) on the date of application.
• Be from a Black community.
• Be a visible minority who identifies as Black.
• Have demonstrated an interest in the audiovisual field and documentary filmmaking.
• Have concrete career-oriented plans in the audiovisual field.
• Demonstrate motivation for the program.
• Be available for activities related to the program, particularly from June to December 2025 for all training, creation, editing, follow-up, networking etc between January & December 2026 for screenings, festivals, distribution, promotion, interviews etc. (Part-time)
• Be available to attend the Black Film Festivals tour in all cities (physically and/or virtually)
• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Live in the Greater Area of either: Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, or Vancouver.

Ineligibility Criteria

• People who have already created, completed, or directed professional videos or films are not eligible.

Application Requirements

• Submit a video or film you made in a non-professional setting (short film, clip, video, etc.).
• Submit a concrete documentary project that fits the program theme (300 words).
• Films can be created in English and/or French (local languages and/or dialects are allowed as long as they are part of the script). However, each applicant must be fluent in English to fully benefit from the program and easily take part in training, mentorships and more (except for Francophone participants in Montreal who can attend French class only).

For more information, visit Being Black in Canada.