Founded by filmmaker and producer Frances-Anne Solomon, CineFam is registered as a not-for-profit company in Canada. Their mandate is to support bold, original film stories by women and non-binary creators of colour around the globe.
CineFAM kicked off International Women’s Month by launching their new initiative, the Women of Colour (WOC) Content Creator Database. The goal of The Content Creator Database is to enhance the visibility of Women of Colour and non-binary people in the film industry including directors, content creators, producers, screenplay writers, actresses, animators, motion designers, etc, in hopes of widening their networks and accessibility to larger resources. Any person who identifies as a media arts professional, ranging from early career to established artists can apply to be included in the database. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. The goal is to include as many, if not all, women and non-binary creators of colours in Canada. Some of the extraordinary women who are a part of the database are Emmy® Award Winning TV Host/Personality Patricia Jaggernauth, Award Winning Filmmaker & Academy Director Member Frances-Anne Solomon, and award-winning writer, and producer Jennifer Holness. CineFAM will continue with rolling calls for applications as well as ongoing promotion of the database and updates on the WOC and non-binary creators and their projects. Festival and Program Manager Courtney Panchan says the database was always an idea/concept that the organization was interested in, but they needed funding to tackle the huge project. They applied for funding in 2020 and spent 2021 developing.
The Content Creator Database is just one of CineFAM’s initiatives that aims to build capacity and viability for women and non-binary creators of colour and provide multiple platforms for their work to be shown. In the past they have held short film challenges for emerging creators, and their annual film festival is now in its sixth year. In addition, they have a partnership with the Durban Filmmart to develop South Africa/Canada co-productions led by African women. In 2019, CineFAM launched its first Feature Film Incubator for Canadian women of colour directors and partnered with the Creators of Colour Incubator program to invest further in women and non-binary filmmakers of colour. CineFAM produces in-house panel discussions called "ShopTalk," featuring women and non-binary creators of colour in discussions related to filmmaking and creating.
“This database is a step forward for WOC filmmakers' voices to be heard and their work to be seen. CineFAM’s mission is to promote and broaden the visibility of women of colour in the film industry and provide paths to a larger network, we look forward to welcoming as many new filmmakers as possible.” Frances-Anne Solomon
If you identify as a WOC or non-binary filmmaker or creator of colour, you are encouraged to fill out the application on CineFAM’s website, or if you know of someone who would benefit from this initiative, forward them the details and application form.
Story by Glodeane Brown
Header photo provided by CineFAM
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