6th HALIFAX BLACK FILM FESTIVAL: 73 FILMS from 15 COUNTRIES
+ Opens with Desiree Kahikopo-Meiffret’s WHITE LINE
February 24 – 27, 2022 | ONLINE
#HBFF22 marks African Heritage Month with Thought-Provoking ONLINE Programming that Challenges Conventions and Leaves a Distinctive Mark on our Times
Full Program, All Access Passes & Individual Tickets at www.HalifaxBlackFilm.com
Halifax, February 1, 2022 – The 6th annual Halifax Black Film Festival (#HBFF22) presented by TD Bank Group (TD), in collaboration with Global News, announces its official ONLINE program and event lineup running February 24 – 27, 2022. Created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, #HBFF22 will celebrate African Heritage Month by amplifying Black voices and uplifting Black talent that would otherwise remain invisible. All Access Passes and individual tickets are on sale now on the festival’s website.
#HBFF22 will open on February 24 at 7pm AST with Desiree Kahikopo-Meiffret’s WHITE LINE, a period story of hope borne from love grown in a forbidding time. Then, as of 9pm AST, 73 films will be available entirely online. #HBFF22 will close with Enver Samuel’s documentary feature, MURDER IN PARIS; a political crime thriller that traces the motives for the assassination of anti-Apartheid activist, Dulcie September.
This edition’s highlights include the HBFF Documentary Series, presented by Canada Media Fund; The HBFF Black Market, Presented by Bell Fund and co-presented by the Halifax Regional Library; and Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada, presented by NETFLIX, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and various local partners.
Local Halifax filmmakers are spotlighted this year with Koumbie’s I HATE YOU, a narrative short about Joe and Megan having to go through a rejection before they can move on to breakfast; and Israel Ekanem’s narrative short, KILL YOUR MASTERS, about two black slave girls taking their destiny into their hands to liberate themselves from the shackles of their white slave master.
“We are proud to celebrate African Heritage Month with another impactful and powerful edition of the Halifax Black Film Festival! More than ever, HBFF is an important platform that celebrates Black talent and empowers filmmakers to create meaningful work. It is vital to bring awareness to current struggles so we can get inspired to become agents of change. Our aim is to connect members of all cultural communities through films, allowing us to better understand one another and to see the world through each other’s experiences.” – stated Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the Black Film Festivals in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver
SPECIAL EVENT: Fabienne Colas Foundation’s BEING BLACK IN CANADA
Presented by NETFLIX, in collaboration with the National Bank, and supported by Telefilm Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and various local partners.
BEING BLACK IN HALIFAX
Four filmmakers from Halifax tell their raw and relevant stories about of what it really means to be Black and living in Halifax. A poignant theme develops in this series. One that sadly reflects what is happening in our Black communities today. These films give us hope for the future during a time in our communities when that future feels bleak.
- Guyleigh Johnson – Scratching the Surface
- Deborah Castrilli – Framework
- Tyus MacSween – Washed Up
- Jodell Stundon – Finding a Way Out
Along with the Halifax cohort, the 2021 participants of FCF’s BEING BLACK IN CANADA program from Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver will also present their films. These young filmmakers benefited from mentorship and training by established experts across multiple areas of film production including screenwriting, directing, editing and production. Each documentary short addresses the issue of social integration of people from Black communities in Canada.
HBFF BLACK MARKET
Presented by Bell Fund and co-presented by the Halifax Regional Library
The HBFF Black Market – an industry series where renowned industry professionals share real-world experience on today’s most critical filmmaking and social issues – will present an exciting blend of cutting-edge thinking FREE panel discussions.
- Are We in the Race: Halifax has a plethora of local creative talent but with the resurgence of the business of film, are crews behind the scenes as diverse as they should be?
- Being Black in Halifax – Creative Minds and Brave Filmmakers: Four talented artists discuss their films and give us insight into their creative process, and most importantly give us hope for the future during a time in our communities when that future feels bleak.
- Halifax Meets Hollywood: a conversation with filmmaker Juanita Peters about Directing Film VS Directing TV.
- The Pitch – Get in the Game!: Learning the process of creating pitches that will set you apart and get you noticed.
- It’s Real – The Untold Stories: conversations about Nova Scotia’s authentic Black stories that go beyond what’s being taught.
- Can Media Really Make or Break Us?: Exploring misrepresentation and what the lack of diversity in the media does and it’s negative impacts on marginalised communities.
The #HBFF22 All Access Pass is available for only $49, giving access to the festivals entire programming. Individual film tickets prices range from $9 to $15.
The 6th annual Halifax Black Film Festival, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, is presented by TD Bank Group in collaboration with Global News from February 24 to 27, 2022.
For full #HBFF22 programming and events, visit: www.HalifaxBlackFilm.com
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Film photos available here
About the Halifax Black Film Festival
Created in 2017 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF), the Halifax Black Film Festival (HBFF) is part of a solid affiliated Black Film Festivals’ Network in Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. The Halifax Black Film Festival is dedicated to celebrating the very best in cinematic work dealing with the varied experiences of black people from diverse communities. Their mandate is to provide an opportunity for filmmakers to shine the spotlight on authentic stories that reflect the realities of black experiences. To learn more, visit: HalifaxBlackFilm.com
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For Media Inquiries: Wendy Phillips, Phillips Public Relations | wendy@pprl.ca | (902) 452-6808