BANFF announces 2024 Diversity of Voices participants
Kelly Townsend · Playback.ca Posted: March 14th, 2024
The initiative is held in partnership with Netflix and with the support of the Black Screen Office, the Indigenous Screen Office and the Reelworld Screen Institute.
This year’s 100-person cohort for the Banff World Media Festival’s (BANFF) Diversity of Voices (DOV) initiative has been announced ahead of the June event.
The 7th annual networking program gives underrepresented professionals access to industry execs and potential strategic partners, with 25 selected as Diversity of Voices Pitch participants.
The initiative is held in partnership with Netflix and with the support of the Black Screen Office (BSO), the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), and the Reelworld Screen Institute.
Those selected for the DOV Pitch Program receive one-on-one meetings at the festival and a travel stipend.
The 25 DOV Pitch Program participants include Brishkay Ahmed (Digital Warriors Productions), Tope Babalola (Tope Babalola Productions), Tristan Barrocks (Mid-Career Productions), Jessica Brown (Ujarak Media), Vanessa Caceres (Righteous Pictures), Kanja Chen (Chensational Productions), Joan Digba (JODR Creative), Daniel Foreman (Treaty 6 Productions), Eva Grant (Tooth and Nail Pictures) and Aretha Greatrix (Ready Up Productions).
The cohort also includes Debra Kouri (Poutine Studios), Panta Mosleh (PK Studio Productions), Adrian Neblett (EbonySky Productions), Alexander Nunez (Border2Border Entertainment), Murry Peeters (Mugaliyombo Media), Skye R. Regan (Play All Day Productions), Sean Smith (Stingray Pictures), Dallas Soonias (Soonias Industries), Stefan Supplice (Niya Productions) and Carmen Thompson (Moon Productions).
Rounding out the list are participants Alice Wang (It’s a Secret Productions), Rua Wani (Adani Pictures), Jordan Waunch (Hammer & Sash Digital Media), Shirley Yip (Rice Paper Pictures) and Alain Zaloum (Slingshot Productions).
The full list of 100 participants is available on the BANFF website.
“This vital program continues to generate opportunities for underrepresented creators and producers by providing a major platform for the development, financing and distribution of their projects,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, executive director of BANFF and VP, publisher of Playback, in a statement. “We thank our program partners for sharing our commitment to strengthen equity, diversity and inclusion in our industry.”
Stéphane Cardin, Netflix’s director of public policy in Canada, added that DoV “has provided invaluable connections and opportunities to hundreds of creatives from across Canada over the last seven years.”
Tonya Williams, founder and executive director of new DOV partner org Reelworld Screen Institute, said the initiative “gives access to many equity deserving communities who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to attend” the event, noting that 29 of the 100 participants are Reelworld alumni.
BSO executive director Joan Jenkinson said DOV “underscores our commitment to an inclusive industry where every voice has the power to inspire change,” while ISO CEO Kerry Swanson said the program “is a unique opportunity for Indigenous storytellers to pitch their projects, initiate conversations and develop new business relationships.”
The Banff World Media Festival runs from June 9 to 12.