TORONTO — The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television made several announcements Friday, including the appointment of five new board members, several new initiatives and a new development program designed to bring equity to the organization and the Canadian screen-based industry as a whole.
The new board members include: Shamier Anderson (Invasion, Bruised); Andréa Grau, founder and owner of Touchwood PR; Jennifer Hollyer, president of the Jennifer Hollyer Agency; Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk, Selma); and Tina Keeper (North of 60, Through Black Spruce). The new board appointees join 15 members in current standing, including board chair John Young, CEO of Boat Rocker Media, and vice-chair Anne Marie La Traverse, president of Pink Sky Entertainment. Following maximum 10-year terms, both Martin Katz, president of Prospero Pictures, and Anne Fitzgerald, chief legal officer of Cineplex Inc., are stepping down from the board.
The Canadian Academy announced it has been selected as the Global Access Programs partner for WarnerMedia. This partnership begins with the WarnerMedia x Canadian Academy Global Access Writers Program, a talent development initiative focused on experienced but underrepresented Canadian writers, equipping them with connections and exposure to WarnerMedia executives, creators and opportunities, says the Canadian Academy’s press release. The multi-year initiative is supported by WarnerMedia and administered by the Canadian Academy in collaboration with TeleFilm Canada.
“I’m thrilled about our partnership with the Canadian Academy,” said Deanna Cadette, recently appointed executive director of WarnerMedia’s Global Access Programs, in the news release. “Canada has some of the finest seasoned writers in the business from underrepresented communities. There’s no time like the present to amplify their voices and showcase their talents to a global audience that’s hungry for new stories and unique perspectives.”
As part of its commitment to promoting equity and inclusion, the Canadian Academy also announced support for the efforts of the Indigenous Screen Office in seeking “narrative sovereignty” for First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. This support consists of a new Canadian Screen Awards rule which puts new eligibility requirements in place for Indigenous content:
- When the work being submitted tells an Indigenous story and/or is from an Indigenous perspective, entrants must affirm that a minimum of two thirds above the line talent identify as Indigenous, or that the production company is majority Indigenous-owned.
- When the work being submitted tells a story from a non-Indigenous perspective but includes Indigenous content, entrants must declare that they have read the Indigenous Screen Office’s On-Screen Protocols & Pathways Media Production Guide and provide written documentation of how the production a) respectfully engaged Indigenous community leadership; b) followed community protocols around permissions and consent; and c) employed and maintained a respectful work environment for Indigenous crew members.
The Canadian Academy also restated its commitment to addressing systemic racism in the media industry and announced the following new anti-racism initiatives:
- The board of directors has established an equity committee to help develop and monitor anti-racism and equity policies, consisting of members from the board as well as staff members of the Canadian Academy. The committee has already begun meeting and providing valuable feedback on upcoming programs and initiatives.
- An Equity and Inclusion Fund has been established to ensure cost is not a barrier for any underrepresented industry professional to fully participate in Canadian Academy events. This fund will provide need-based assistance for submission fees, gala tickets and membership dues to those who require it. The board of directors has provided seed funding for this initiative so that applicants will be able to take advantage of it for the 2021 Canadian Screen Awards.
- The Equity and Inclusion Fund will also underwrite online professional development training around diversity at no-cost to Canadian Academy members; potential workshop topics include how to create an inclusive atmosphere on set, how to work with the Indigenous Screen Office’s On-Screen Protocols & Pathways Media Production Guide, the impact of unconscious bias on content development, and skills for increasing industry professionals’ own cultural competency.
- Beginning this year, the Canadian Academy will report annually on the diversity of the board of directors and membership, as well as all panellists and guest speakers at Canadian Academy events. The board is currently 50% female, and cumulatively 38% of board members identify as Indigenous (10%), Black (14%) or a person of colour (14%). In the Canadian Academy’s latest fiscal year, 51% of panellists and guest speakers at Canadian Academy events identified as people of colour (34%), Black (12%) or Indigenous (5%).
“In the midst of a tumultuous year, the Canadian Academy has undergone an important period of reflection to determine the organization we currently are, and who we want to be in the future,” said Beth Janson, CEO of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, in the press release. “These programs, committees and new appointments to our board of directors mark an increased commitment to equity and meaningful change, and we are only getting started.”
