Tag: MIBFF

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Transforming a dark chapter of history

15th Montreal International Black Film Festival kicks off with an exclusive screening of Harriet

Harriet, a poignant biopic of the life of Harriet Tubman, a runaway slave who helped hundreds of slaves to freedom, opened the 15th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) at the Imperial Cinema on Sept. 24.

This festival presents groundbreaking cinema that moves us, raises awareness and takes us all by surprise. The MIBFF strives to present films that take on important issues in the world, that raises questions that are provocative, that make us smile, that leave us perplexed and, at times, that even shock us,” stated Fabienne Colas, its creator, at a recent press conference.

Hundreds of guests were welcomed on the red carpet by Colas at the glitzy opening night cocktail party. Guests included Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, filmmakers Euzhan Palcy and Jean-Claude Lord, and Telefilm Canada’s newly-minted executive director, Christa Dickenson.

In her brief address, Plante emphasized the importance of the MIBFF, particularly for emerging filmmakers based in Montreal, whose talents would be overlooked because of limited access to mainstream venues to showcase their work.

Before the screening of Harriet, Colas awarded MIBFF Pioneer Awards to Palcy and Lord for their decades of work devoted to making trailblazing and impactful films that illuminated political and humanitarian issues, with inclusiveness at their core.

Palcy is a Caribbean-born filmmaker who has won both a César Award and a Silver Lion Award, and Lord is a Montreal-based legendary filmmaker. In their acceptance speeches, each provided insight into the trials they had encountered as they strove to create films that would enlighten and raise awareness.

In Harriet, Cynthia Erivo plays the leading role. The British actress is a Tony, a Grammy, and an Emmy Awards-winner, and now there’s buzz about an Oscar for her performance in Harriet.

As Tubman, Erivo delivered a demure, youthful, energetic and very spiritual slave who courageously fled Maryland to freedom while still in her 20s. It is evident that Tubman knows that her innate lack of fear shocks the men in her orbit, but she succeeds in using it as a tool to frustrate the authorities and slave-owners as she leads hundreds of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad network. 

Kasi Lemmons, the director, successfully transformed what is an otherwise painful and dark chapter in the history of human suffering into a tale that is inspiring, illuminating and, at times, quite jarring. Scenes depicting the brutality that slaves were subjected to by their owners are included, but Lemmons’ approach is more positive in that the focus is on Tubman’s call to action and her seemingly natural ability to inspire others. A year after gaining her freedom, Tubman returns to Maryland for her husband and discovers that he has remarried, but she quickly convinces some of her relatives and friends to follow her north to freedom instead.

John Toll, a two-time Academy Award cinematographer, provided the stunning backdrop in which Harriet shines. Artfully, he captures the scenery and the foreboding landscape and uses it to portray its threat to survival and the sheer destitution it rendered. Terence Blanchard’s enraptured score enters the scenes, almost as another character and harmoniously and seamlessly moves the narrative along. When despair appears on the horizon, the gospel tracts serve to energize the action. This team delivers an impactful, memorable, yet entertaining tale that is neither preachy nor unnecessarily overworked.

Harriet is a perfect fit for the MIBFF’s mission in that this story is told through a black lens. Notably, at its establishment in 2005, the MIBFF was named the Haitian Film Festival that featured just three films. Along the way it was renamed and this year’s program featured over 90 films from 25 countries. As an additional bonus, Q&A sessions with the members of production crews followed many of the screenings.

“Our focus now is to go beyond awareness with concrete actions that will foster inclusion and diversity, both on and off the screen,” said Colas. As part of its quest to empower the next generation of black filmmakers, several workshops were held that were moderated by a array of directors, filmmakers, and actors. In addition, Colas announced the creation of Quebecor’s Diversity on Screen scholarship to foster diversity in front and behind the camera.

Harriet, this must-see film, had its world premiere at TIFF earlier this month and will open in theatres all across Canada on Nov. 1.  For more information please consult montrealblackfilm.com 

 

Feature photo source: MIBFF

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September arts & culture festival masterlist

Don’t get too cozy yet! The weather was strangely warm this week and it appears it’ll stay that way for another… so get off the couch! Take a study break and go check out these festivals happening all over Montreal this fall! Oh, and if you haven’t seen any part of the Momenta Biennale, do that too!

 

THIS WEEK

LadyFest
Returning for its fifth year, LadyFest is a comedy festival celebrating femme and non-binary talents. I had the opportunity to go last year and had such a great time! Did I mention that I went back to watch a show alone… and sat in the front row? I didn’t even anxiety-hurl! LadyFest is truly soul food. Anyway, this magnificent happening ends Saturday, Sept. 21, so get your tickets here or at Théatre St-Catherine. For more information visit http://ladyfest.ca

 

Feminist Film Festival
No one will be turned away for lack of funds at this intersectional film festival! With local and international film shorts, FFF promises to challenge gender norms and feature strong female leads.

The schedule is as follows:

Sept. 21 at Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ), 5154 St-Hubert St.
4:30 p.m. – The Different Faces of Maternity

Sept. 22 at Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ), 5154 St-Hubert
St. 6:30 p.m. – Racialized Points of View

 

Stop Motion Festival
A fabulous contributor covered the Stop Motion Festival last year and completely overwhelmed me with the number of cool workshops that took place. Largely based on Concordia’s campus, this festival screens at the J.A. de Sève Cinema in the Hall building, in the EV building’s main auditorium, the LB atrium, and at Mckibbin’s Pub on Bishop St. Grab a beer and freak out about some sick animation until Sept. 22. View the full schedule here.

 

NEXT WEEK

Sept. 24-29: Montreal International Black Film Festival
I’ve attended the MIBFF since I started writing for The Concordian. Each year, my eyes are opened wider than the last. I was particularly fascinated by last year’s documentary on the reclamation of Dutch wax fabric, one of the most popular textiles in Africa.

With programs for youth, discussions, markets, and screenings, of course, this festival – opening with a tribute to Harriet Tubman – isn’t one to miss. For more information and tickets, visit http://montrealblackfilm.com/

Sept. 25-28: VIVA! Art Action
Taking place in the industrial heart of St-Henri, the VIVA! Biennial will feature over 20 artists from all over the world, including a handful from Montreal and a couple from Concordia! Performances, workshops, conferences, and other participatory experiences take the forefront at this festival, where lines between the artist and the viewer are blurred. Keep your eyes peeled for this one.

 

Sept. 25-29: POP Montreal
Hello fall festival queen, are you a person who likes to spend all day at art shows and all night at concerts and movies at the same time? Yes? Me too. Last year’s POP Montreal drained my soul in the best possible way. I have fond memories of walking to and from venues with POP’s specialty drink in my hand.

Committing to the festival means discovering new spaces and experiences you wouldn’t typically find yourself in. Queer visibility and sexuality, the underlying theme of Art POP, connects various satellite exhibitions across Montreal. Partnerships include UQAM, artist-run center Articule, and Elephant gallery – where Concordia-based creator Skawennati has developed a virtual portrait project with youth from Montreal North and Kahnawake.

It doesn’t stop there. In addition to art and music, POP Montreal includes a segment of symposium talks (which cross disciplines between art, music, queer theory, etc.) and film screenings at the glorious Cinema Moderne in the Mile End.

 

There is ALWAYS something happening in Montreal. No matter the weather. The end of September just so happens to be the sleepiest and busiest time ever. Yeah, yeah Green Day, I’ll wake you up when September ends, (that’s a lie I will wake you up now so you can festival hop.) Happy fall! Stay hydrated! Wash your hands!

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Do the right thing, do what you love

Spike Lee kicks off Montreal’s International Black Film Festival and talks film and racism in America

Legendary director Spike Lee talked filmmaking, racism in America and “Agent Orange” at the Cinéma Impérial on Sept. 26 as part of the 14th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF).

Moderated by MIBFF founder Fabienne Colas, “An Intimate Evening with Spike Lee” was two hours of valuable advice from the star whose latest film, BlacKkKlansman, won the Grand Prix at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

Lee had a lot to say about how to make it in the film industry. “I’m not going to stand on this stage, lie and tell you this stuff is easy,” he said. “People do not understand how hard it is in this industry… It is hard to make a horrible film. It is hard to make a horrible film, let alone a good film.”

Colas interjected with, “How hard is it, Spike?”

“Hard as shit,” he replied, adding that the idea of overnight success that has become popular with this generation is particularly harmful. “No such thing,” he said. “It doesn’t exist. You might not hear the hard shit, but nobody worthwhile just popped up out of nowhere.”

According to Lee, a common reason people don’t follow their dreams is because they feel pressured to make their parents proud. “Parents kill more dreams than anybody,” he said. “It’s not because they’re evil, but parents want more for their children than what they got.”

Adopting the persona of a stern parent, Lee continued: “Me and your mother have taken out a second mortgage on our house to put your black ass through school so you could be a poet? A dancer? A writer? As long as you’re black and in my house, eating my food, wearing my clothes, you’re going to get a good damn job, and you’re going to get paid every two weeks.”

The crowd erupted with knowing laughter. Lee looked out over the audience.

Parents, you know who you are … Please, do not crush your children’s dreams.”

Lee, who teaches film classes at New York University, asked the crowd to raise their hands if they’d seen any of the movies he asks his students to watch. He made his way through the list and then repeated the activity, this time naming the five Spike Lee movies he thinks are most important to see in terms of the messages they convey.

Lee said he was impressed by the amount of people who’d seen some of his lesser-known projects. He occasionally yelled, “Don’t lie!” when he suspected the audience might be trying to impress him. Was it so hard to believe that a theatre full of Spike Lee fans had actually seen most of his movies?

Colas commended Lee’s consistent activism through his films and documentaries—citing Do the Right Thing and 4 Little Girls as examples—and sought his opinion on the firing of American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

“Number one, the NFL is guilty of collusion,” Lee said, prompting what was easily the loudest audience reaction of the night. “In no way, shape or form was the act of kneeling about disrespecting the military and the flag. Americans can be stupid sometimes, and they took that, hook, line and sinker. That was about bringing light to how black people are treated in the United States of America,” he said, adding that the United States was built by black people after the land was stolen from Native Americans.

“The NFL owners, they’re going to be on the wrong side of history,” Lee said. He sighed and shook his head. “And then this guy in the White House: Agent Orange… I think the mistake some people are making when they look at Agent Orange is they think—when they look at BlacKkKlansman—that this doesn’t happen in the United States of America … It happens all over the world.”

Even today, I have meetings where I’m the only black person in the room. So a whole lot of work needs to be done.”

Lee urged the crowd to follow their dreams. “You do what it takes to do what you love,” he said. “I say my prayers every night because I’m doing what I love. The majority of the people on this earth go to their grave having worked a job they hate.”

BlacKkKlansman is currently screening at select theatres in Montreal.

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A dream come true

The 14th annual MIBFF features over 70 new, international productions

“This is a dream,” Fabienne Colas, founder and general manager of the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF), told CBC in early September. Her excitement stemmed from Spike’s Lee agreement to participate in an open discussion with film goers and other filmmakers on Sept. 26. “He chose Montreal, and he chose the Montreal Black Film Festival, so it’s a huge honour for us.”

Lee is an influential figure in black film; his work tends to gravitate toward black issues in the modern world. His most recent film, BlacKkKlansman, won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival last May. Lee has also been nominated at the MIBFF for Do the Right Thing and 4 Little Girls.

The festival was created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation in 2005 under the name Montreal Haitian Film Festival. In addition to a name change that has broadened the scope of the festival to include all black culture, the festival has gone from presenting three films over three days to screening more than 70 films in English and French over the course of six days.

On Sept. 26, Lee will lead a panel discussing his experience in the film industry as a director and producer, and his views on today’s socio-economic climate. Tickets are available online for $35. A $135 VIP package is also available for those who would want to have a drink with Lee and take a picture with him. The cocktail hour is set at 7 p.m. while the conference starts at 8 p.m.

Throughout the week, theatres around the city will host more than 70 films made by students and professionals alike.

The annual event promotes independent film productions, and the projects are diverse. Among the 70 productions are documentaries, short films, animations and children’s movies that explore the often ignored reality of living as a person of colour. This year, filmmakers from 25 countries have submitted their work. Over the last 14 years, grants and awards have been given out to the winners in efforts to help develop the Canadian and international cinema industries.

Starting off this year’s festival is the British film OBEY, directed by Jamie Jones. The film is centered around a man living in eastern London who is torn apart by his love for a woman while living in an ever-changing and turbulent society. OBEY will make its Canadian debut as a strong, emotional opening to the festival on Sept. 25 at Cinéma Impérial.

Throughout the week, a multitude of films will be presented daily. Festival goers may also participate in a series of Black Market conferences, where a wide range of topics, from social issues to how to navigate the film industry will be covered.

For more information about the schedule, visit montrealblackfilm.com. Tickets for films and conferences can be acquired on the website or in person 30 minutes prior to a screening.

 

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From Dust to Zion, filmmakers are speaking up

A still from Dust when the character Sarah wakes up. Photo courtesy of Evangeline Kabuya.

At the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Concordia graduates Evangeline Kabuya and Irene Angelico. Both are producers of amazing but entirely different films exploring aspects of black identity and culture.

After graduating from the communications program in 2016, Kabuya created Poussière (Dust), a short silent film inspired by her experience working in a library.

Q: Can you to talk me through the events that take place in the movie and why you directed it that way?

A: I was inspired by the works of Maya Deren, especially her piece At Land (1944). I think the similarities between my short and hers are obvious, like how the protagonist seemed to move seamlessly from location to location. I like the absurdity of it, how you cannot help but feel involved in the storyline.

Now, when people watch Dust, they label it as experimental even though [that] was not my intention. The way I see it, there is a strong narrative line, nothing is unsure about it. Dust came to me in fragments. I stitched [the ideas] together almost randomly.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your work?

A: My goal is to create narratives that include black women. I want people to see us. Once they do, I want them to develop their own understanding of it. I want them to make the meaning of the work their own.

I believe that as soon as someone sees my work, it’s taken from me. The meaning of it is not mine to decide anymore. When each one of us tries to understand a movie, we all come with our own baggage. It’s impossible to read a work the exact same way as another person, and I think that’s the beauty of art in general.

How does Dust reflect your learning experiences at Concordia? Is Dust an expressed product of your knowledge or an independent exploration?

Dust is an exploration of my creativity. Of course my studies at Concordia had a great impact on it. Thanks to my film teacher at the time, Emily Pelstring, who was more into experimental works, we got to study more unique and less tradition materials.

As my first film, Dust is a product of multiple mistakes. It was shot in 16 mm through an analog medium and, at the time, I didn’t know if it was going to be good or bad. I just followed my gut. And it was the most rewarding experience.

Evangeline Kabuya, a Concordia communications graduate and the director of the short silent film, Poussière (Dust). Photo courtesy of Evangeline Kabuya.

*****

Angelico’s film, Reaching for Zion follows Bob Marley’s granddaughter, Donisha Prendergast, as she traces the foundation of her grandfather’s legacy, exploring the “untold story of Rastas and Jews.”

Q: How did you come to make films with a BA in humanities of science, (now known as human relations)?

A: I co-directed my very first film with George Mihalka in a humanities of science class at Concordia. I was sick of writing papers, and I convinced George that this would be great. We had no idea if it would even be accepted. It wasn’t a sexy title—something about a young woman in a modern technological age—but it was an OK film. And we both got an A+.

Q: What was your creative process behind Reaching for Zion? How does it relate to the overall theme of MIBFF, “Speak Up!”?

A: Reaching for Zion, like all my films—in fact why I am a filmmaker at all—is all about speaking up.

Most of my films are about battling racism, poverty and religious hatred. These are my obsessions. I believe that everyone deserves a home where they can live in peace and harmony.

A photo taken in Israel of Donisha Prendergast as the Queen of Sheba in Reaching for Zion. Photo courtesy of Irene Angelico.

Like so many others, I am a huge fan of Marley’s music and of his dream of “One Love,” which embodies all these values. When I met Donisha Prendergast, Marley’s granddaughter, I was inspired by her efforts to realize that dream in our present day struggles.

In exploring all this, I became fascinated by Rastafari’s connection to Judaism. Rastas and Jews share beliefs about Yahweh/Jah, Old Testament redemption, the mystical properties of human hair, dietary practices and symbols like the Star of David and Lion of Judah. Both also share a history of slavery and persecution.

Donisha has dreamt of the African Queen Sheba since she was a girl. The Queen of Sheba’s intellectual and spiritual connection with King Solomon, son of King David, evolved into one of the most legendary romances in history. Donisha believes Haile Selassie, the former Emperor of Ethiopia (1930-1974), was a direct descendant of them.

Q: How would you describe your experience as a white producer/director of black culture?

A: We consider it a great honour for our whole team to be included in the Montreal International Black Film Festival. I am not sure I have the right to be a producer/director of black culture, and I’m not. I am looking at the commonalities of my culture as a white woman, a Jewish woman and a child of Holocaust survivors and what we have in common with Rastafari culture.

Like Donisha and all the Rastafari I have met, I believe that we can live in peace and harmony, and we don’t need to make distinctions based on colour, religion, class or anything else. There are differences, and that is wonderful. But we are also all one.

The Montreal International Black Film Festival ended on Oct. 1 with a screening of Woodpeckers at Concordia. For more information about the festival, visit the MIBFF website.

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Speak up and tell stories of diversity

Montreal’s International Black Film Festival (#MIBFF17) begins Sept. 27 with a 7 p.m. screening of Kalushi at Cinéma Impérial. Photo courtesy of the Montreal International Black Film Festival.

This year’s edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival encourages people to fight for their rights

Audiences at the 13th annual Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) can expect thought-provoking, moving and entertaining films at this year’s event. Spanning from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, the festival kicks off with a 7 p.m. screening of Kalushi, a film directed by Mandla Walter Dube, at Cinéma Impérial.

The opening film is inspired by the story of a young South African soldier, Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu. Now considered a hero, Mahlangu was convicted of murder and hung in 1979. Mahlangu’s fight for his rights inspired the MIBFF’s theme—Speak Up! This year’s films explore social and racial injustice, police brutality and racial segregation throughout history.

Featuring 66 films from 25 countries, the MIBFF will also facilitate a variety of events including discussions, “masterclasses” and workshops. According to the festival’s founder, Fabienne Colas, these events are aimed at young filmmakers to encourage them to get involved in the industry by providing them with the opportunity to do so.

Events include:

  • “Black Market” conferences on Sept. 28 and 29 at 5:30 p.m., and on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at 11 a.m., at L’institut national de l’image et du son, or L’Inis (301 Maisonneuve Blvd. E.).
  • “Movie-talks” about Mariannes Noires on Sept. 30 at 1 p.m., and Marvin Brooker was Murdered  on Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. at Cinéma du Parc (3575 Park Ave).

The festival aims to support independent films and filmmakers, professionals and students alike, Colas said. When the actress first came to Montreal, she was disappointed by the lack of diversity in the city’s film industry. She said she created the festival to help support Haitian films and actors, but it later grew to include all black cultures. Today, anyone can submit their film to the festival. To do so, the only requirement is that the work include people of colour.

This year, to celebrate Montreal’s 375th anniversary, the festival will highlight the diverse cultures and peoples living in Montreal. Colas said she hopes to inspire and educate audiences while creating a cultural, social and socio-economic dialogue among viewers.

Among the 66 films, 12 are Canadian-made, with several based in Quebec and Montreal. Colas said she is very excited to feature Poussière (Dust), a silent film directed by a Concordia communications student, Evangéline Kabuya. The film will be screened at Ancien ONF (1564 St-Denis St.) at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1.

At the same event, two other Montreal-made films, D’encre et de Sang by Alexis Fortier Gauthier, Francis Fortin and Maxim Rheault, and C’est Moi by Howard J. Davis, will be screened.

Other must-see Canadian films include:

  • Oliver Jones: Mind, Hands & Heart by Montrealer Rosey Edeh, on Sept. 30 at Cinéma du Parc at 3 p.m. General admission is $20.
  • Reaching for Zion by Concordia alumna Irene Angelico, on Sept 30 at Ancien ONF at 3 p.m.
  • Black Lives Matter by Joseph Oesi, on Sept. 30 at Cinéma du Parc at 7 p.m.
  • Color Blind by Vladimir Philogène, on Oct. 1 at Ancien ONF at 3 p.m.

Most of the events at the Montreal International Black Film Festival are general admission, which costs $10. Stay tuned for reviews of some of the films in next week’s issue of The Concordian.

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Lights, camera, take action

Photo caption: Spike Lee received MIBFF inaugural Pioneer Award in recognition of his body of work. Photo by Sofia Misenheimer.

Black Film Festival gives new meaning to the term “moving picture” for its 10th anniversary

The 2014 Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) wrapped up over the weekend, leaving patrons and aspiring filmmakers in anticipation of next year’s program.  The festival screened nearly 100 independent films from around the world, many of which exposed festivalgoers to unfamiliar, and often uncomfortable, social commentaries. But the chilling themes of racial exploitation and gender violence that pervaded these MIBFF films were meant to move viewers, and inspire them to combat social injustice.

“The role of this festival is to educate audiences on black realities all over the world,” said Fabienne Colas, MIBFF founder and president.  “The films we screen are meant to make you think.”


Photo caption: Spike Lee received MIBFF inaugural Pioneer Award in recognition of his body of work. Photo by Sofia Misenheimer.

The Festival opened with Hope, a gripping narrative feature by French writer-director Boris Lojkine. Though Hope starts as a seemingly expectant tale of characters in pursuit of new beginnings, viewers must quickly adjust to the realism of harsh migrant life. The film follows the arduous journey of Cameroonian man, Léonard, and Nigerian woman, Hope, in their pursuit of an idealized European future. They meet while crossing the Sahara Desert, when Léonard instinctively defends Hope from the unwanted attentions of an aggressive fellow migrant.  Following her later rape and abandonment by another traveler, the two form a pragmatic bond. They slowly fall in love, but their relationship is violently tested in each ruthless underworlds they encounter over the course of the film.

Audience members seemed widely shocked by the film’s tragic progression and heartbreaking conclusion. This is understandable considering most Western blockbusters condition viewers to expect a happy ending. “Writing this story was not easy for me,” Lojkine said at a Q&A session after the premiere. The director described the years he spent researching African migration through Northern Africa to lend authenticity to his film. “I learned that hope is what pushes these people,” he said. That certainly comes across throughout the film, thanks to exceptional performances by an entirely non-professional cast.  In fact, Lojkine chose real-life African migrants, who survived many of the same experiences as their fictional counterparts, to play the film’s protagonists.

Of course, hope and social commentary were ongoing MIBFF themes. At a press conference last Wednesday, writer-director Spike Lee expressed hope for the future of the film industry. “When we have more people of colour in the room deciding what gets made and what doesn’t get made, [we’ll] have more diversity [of] subject matter,” he said.

This year marks the 25-year anniversary of Lee’s hallmark film, Do the Right Thing, 20 years since Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa, and five years since Barack Obama became the first black American president.  But the world has not changed enough for the better, according to Lee. “25 years ago I never would have thought there would be a black president… but there are more African Americans who are in poverty…  [and] there’s a greater divide between the have and have-nots,” he said.

With that in mind, it seems clear that Canada’s largest black film festival has every reason to expose viewers to eye-opening realities that may inspire them to change the status quo.

“Each film we play is relevant, has a purpose… [and] will touch people’s souls,” Colas said.  After all, knowledge and empathy, whether acquired from personal experience or from a moving film, is the only catalyst for widespread social activism and eventual change.

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Black film festival back for its 10th anniversary

Montreal International Black Film Festival Brings Black Reality to the Big Screen

This Tuesday, the 10th annual Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) will once again challenge perspectives and promote diversity in cinemas across the city. The festival will showcase an array of local and independent films, feature an industry conference, and pay tribute to attending filmmaker Spike Lee.

“Black films are hot right now, and we bring the best from around the world,” said Fabienne Colas, MIBFF president and founder. Colas attributed increased awareness of black film to powerful features like 12 Years a Slave and The Butler, which both received widespread acclaim and won countless awards last year. Still, the MIBFF has been promoting black film for a decade.

Colas created the festival in 2005, to fill what she perceived as a void in Montreal’s film festival scene.  As an experienced actress, director and producer, Colas was shocked to find that no local cinema or festival would screen her latest film at the time, which presented a deep social reality in Haiti and was widely popular in her home country.  “For the first time in my life I felt disappointed” Colas said of the experience. She wondered if a lack of diversity in Montreal cinema was similarly discouraging other filmmakers.

In response, Colas developed the Montreal Haitian Film Festival. The festival ran for three years, before its scope expanded to become the MIBFF. “The role of the festival has always been to provide audiences with access to [black] films…and offer a platform for filmmakers, who would otherwise not be seen or heard,” she said.

The festival will present films from over 30 countries that portray elements of black reality from around the world. This encompasses community portraits, comedy and cultural celebration, as well as historical themes of slavery, racism and freedom.  “I hope some viewers will be shocked,” said Colas. “The festival is meant to reveal things that are going on in the world.”

Hope, the festival’s opening film, may do just that. Interweaving themes of exile and immigration, it tells the story of Léonard, a young man from Cameroon, who rescues Hope, a young Nigerian woman, while traversing the Sahara desert. Impacted by violence and severe economic hardship, the two must engage in desperate measures to enable a new life in Europe. The powerful film won the Société des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques Screenwriting Award at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Colas believes that the festival’s line-up will educate, empower and inspire attendees. “Everyone will get something out of the MIBFF.  You can’t leave the festival without learning, or feeling something,” she said.  Colas is especially excited about the Spike Lee extravaganza, in which the innovative filmmaker will internationally premiere his latest film, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, and receive a Pioneer Award.

“Spike Lee is coming to town!  It should be everyone’s mission to come and meet him,” Colas said. “This festival should appeal to anyone who has considered filmmaking, is an independent film enthusiast, or is a die-hard Spike Lee fan. I look forward to seeing a diverse crowd there.”

The Montreal International Black Film Festival runs from Sept. 23 to Sept. 28. For more information, visit montrealblackfilm.com/.

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