The 2021 Toronto Black Film Festival is here.
The ninth TBFF will feature 154 films from 26 countries, plus a number of special events. The event will take place online due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
An all-star lineup of celebrities who are taking part in the online festivities has been revealed, including: Taraji P. Henson, Shaquille O’Neal, Danny Glover, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lou Gossett Jr. — plus many more.
“This is an important time in our history after the Black Lives Matter movement resurgence that renewed last year,” Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the TBFF, tells ET Canada. “Now, more than ever, we need to amplify more Black voices. The film industry is really lacking diverse voices.”
Adding, “The Black communities don’t lack talent. The talent is there. They just lack an opportunity to showcase that talent. That is exactly what the Toronto Black Film Festival is doing. To go find these great, authentic stories that otherwise nobody would have seen.”
The #TBFF21 All Access Pass is available for $69 and gives access to all films (Feature Films accessible in Canada only / Short Films Series accessible worldwide). Regular tickets are $8 for Feature Films and $12 for Short Film Series. All tickets and Passes can be purchased on the Festival’s website.
The Toronto Black Film Festival takes place between Feb. 10 and Feb 21. Fans can get involved using the hashtag “#TBFF21”. Review the entire Toronto Black Film Festival lineup below.
TBFF BLACK MARKET
Presented by Canadian Heritage in collaboration with the Bell Fund
The TBFF BLACK MARKET space dedicated to the Film & TV industry.
TBFF “SHOW ME THE MONEY” SERIES!
The TBFF Black market is proud to present the FREE Show Me the Money Series. Everything Black Creators and Producers need and want to know about how to access funding! A special 4-part series featuring Canada’s primary funders:
- Part 1. Funding for Canadian Artists and Arts Organisations with the Canada Council for the Arts, The Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Arts Council
- Part 2. Funding and Support for Film and Television with The Canada Media Fund, Telefilm and Ontario Creates. Co-presented by the Canada Media Fund
- Part 3. Funding and Support for Film, Television and Digital Content with The Harold Greenberg Fund and the Shaw Rocket Fund
- Part 4. A Canada Media Fund Case Study. Co-presented by the Canada Media Fund
TBFF PANELS, CONFERENCES, MASTERCLASSES
The TBFF Black Market is thrilled to present its lineup of FREE compelling Panel discussions & Masterclasses featuring some of today’s most powerful and influential Black voices addressing important social and industry topics that affect us all:
- BIPOC: Is the word BIPOC just another acronym to make Black, Indigenous and People of Color invisible? Co-presented by Directors Guild of Canada
- This Seat is Taken: The Absence of Black Leadership Roles in Performing Arts Institutions.Co-presented by ACTRA Toronto
- Black Wealth Matters: Encouraging Black entrepreneurship
- What Has Changed Since the BLM Movement?
- The Fashion “Oh So White” Industry”: Racism in the Fashion Industry
- Not Just Another “N-WORD”: In the context of the art of storytelling, should the N-Word be permitted?
- In Conversation with Wes Hall: Wes Hall’s Journey to success – MacLean’s 2021 Power List of Top 50 Most Powerful Canadians. Co-presented by Black North Initiative
- Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada: Canada’s largest mentorship, training, and creation program to be entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers – 20 emerging Filmmakers from the 2020 cohort talking about creating their first documentary shorts.
RELATED: Black Canadian Music Awards Announce First Ever Winners
Fabienne Colas Foundation’s BEING BLACK IN CANADA
Presented by Netflix, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts and various local partners.
Twenty Canadian short films from the 2020 cohort
The FCF’s Being Black in Canada supported 20 Black Canadian Filmmakers, 18 to 30 years old, in Montreal, Toronto and Halifax in the creation of 20 short documentary films (8 to 10 minutes). The filmmakers received professional coaching for each stage of the audiovisual production process then made a short documentary film under the tutelage of industry professionals. A unique project that ensures inspiring emerging artists from culturally diverse backgrounds.
TBFF LIVE PERFORMANCE SERIES
The TBFF Live Performance Series showcases different genres of music, representing the Afrocentric community. In the past three years, we have been on location in various cafes and bars with these performances, but this year we go Virtual! Line-up includes Steele and Hardcore Reggae Band, Joanna Majoko, Eddie and Quincy Bullen, MelDubé and Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison.
TBFF KIDS FILM FEST
TBFF Kids Film Fest is an Online fun-filled, Family Day celebration, taking place on Monday, February 15, 2021 from 11am to 3pm EST. Children ages 4-12 will get to enjoy a variety of activities from the comfort and safety of their homes. Yoga with Vonnette Forde of Higher Love Yoga; Arts ‘n’ Crafts with Craftopia DIY; Story Book Reading with Jeff Martin and Denise Lopes – sponsored by Notability Mobile Bookstore; Afro-Caribbean Dance with Keishia Facey of RiddimFit.
Introducing: the PUBLIC’S CHOICE AWARD!
Every #TBFF21 All Access Pass and/or Ticket(s) holder will be given the opportunity to vote for their favourite films on the Festival’s online streaming platform in the following categories: Narrative Features, Feature Documentaries, Mid-Length Documentaries, Narrative Short Films, Documentary Short Films. Winners will be announced after the Festival.
