Press reviews

WHAT THE MEDIA SAYS ABOUT HBFF

Dubbed the Queen of Festivals, (Fabienne) Colas has a track record of creating similar film festivals in cities like Montreal and Toronto. The Montreal International Black Film Festival is now considered Canada’s largest film festival of its kind. Expanding to Halifax seemed like a natural progression for Colas. – The Chronicle Herald

Mayann Francis, former lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia, was present at the festival. She was the first African-Nova Scotian to serve in that position. She said it is important for events like the Black Film Festival to make their way to Halifax. – Josh Healey, The Signal

A large crowd gathered in Spatz Theatre at Citadel High School to watch the documentary. Many attendees also stayed for a discussion about diversity with the film’s co-director, Rita Coburn Whack, and the festival’s founder, Fabienne Colas. – Josh Healey, The Signal

The inaugural Halifax Black Film Festival (HBFF) will feature the Nova Scotia premiere of Maya Angelou And Still I Rise at the Spatz Theatre this Saturday evening at 7 p.m., as the third sister festival to Montreal International Black Film Festival, and the Toronto Black Film Festival. – Haley Ryan, Metro News

(Filmmaker Rita Coburn) Whack said it’s important for people to celebrate diversity in visual stories. Given the long history of Halifax’s black community, she hopes that the festival will thrive. – Josh Healey, The Signal

The event (Halifax Black Film Festival) is part of a series of Black Film Festivals that Montreal entrepreneur Fabienne Colas has mounted in Canadian cities since 2005. – Evelyn C. White, Halifax Examiner

Following the screening, Colas will host a “movie talk” with co-director Rita Coburn Whack, who will be in attendance. She hopes to put a spotlight on the city’s film and arts community. – Allie Graham, The Coast

To honour Desmond, Colas is dedicating the launch of her new festival to the Nova Scotian businesswoman who challenged racial segregation at a theatre in New Glasgow in 1946. Colas wants to highlight the parallels between Desmond’s role as a civil rights icon for Canadians, and Angelou’s significant contributions. – The Chronicle Herald

Like the festivals in Montreal and Toronto, the Halifax Black Film Festival aims to give unique, global voices in filmmaking the opportunity to present audiences with new ways of looking at the world. – The Chronicle Herald

The inaugural Halifax Black Film Festival will premier this Saturday at the Spatz Theatre. Already prevalent in large cities like Toronto and Montreal, the festival is looking to share Canadian films that otherwise wouldn’t make it into theatres. – Josh Healey, The Signal

The inaugural Halifax Black Film Festival (HBFF) will feature the Nova Scotia premiere of Maya Angelou And Still I Rise at the Spatz Theatre this Saturday evening at 7 p.m., as the third sister festival to Montreal International Black Film Festival, and the Toronto Black Film Festival. – Haley Ryan, Truro Daily News