Calgary Black Film Festival returns for its second year

Globe Cinema rolls out the red carpet for the second annual Calgary Black Film Festival (CBFF) on Thursday, for four nights of film amplifying Black voices.

Fabienne Colas, founder of the Calgary Black Film Festival, says she began the project 18 years ago when she moved to Canada from Haiti to continue her acting career in North America.

“I landed in Canada, I wanted to conquer America and unfortunately, there was no place for somebody like me. All the doors were closed, no auditions, and no work because we did not have a lot of diversity on screen at the time,” Colas said.

She said she was determined to create more seats at the table, and after nearly two decades, her hard work paid off. The festival has expanded across Canada and other parts of the world creating a global platform for Black filmmakers.

“We are here to bring films and create platforms and create opportunities for talented Black film professionals and for Black stories to be seen,” Colas said. “Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, and Vancouver Black Film Festivals, and we also have a festival in Brazil, we have one in New York City, we have one in Haiti. Our mission is to bring diversity on screen all over.”

Colas adds the festival features 47 films from 14 countries including a local selection. This year also features a premier series called being “Black in Canada” with filmmakers selected from Calgary.

“We handpicked five filmmakers from Calgary, and we helped them and mentored them during the year to create their first documentary short film,” Colas said.

Andrea Este, head coordinator of CBFF says the festival is for everyone.

“Not only for the Black community, it’s also for all of Calgary to discover these amazing programs, this amazing festival. The response has been really fantastic,” Este said.

The first Calgary Black Film Festival was in 2021, but the event was limited to online viewing. This year features a hybrid model with both panels and films.

For more information on the festival and films, visit the CBFF website.