MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

It was a busy and enriching year for us at the CFC. As a team, we were focused on connecting with our community of CFC alumni and residents, and meeting the goals we set out in our organizational blueprint, in pursuit of our mission to drive and shape the future of Canadian storytelling.

We worked towards diversifying and increasing our revenue streams. One of the ways we did this was by bringing back our annual fundraising BBQ in September - now called CFC Homecoming - for the first time since 2019, to help us achieve critical fundraising targets to fund our programs

We also focused on staying relevant. Part of that involved launching a new website in August - a site where users can better understand the CFC story, discover and support the magic that happens on our campus and beyond, and understand our vital place in the ever-changing screen-based industry.

The new site has accessibility top of mind, and is completely compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Our focus on removing barriers was present in many of our activities throughout the year. In July, we introduced a new entrance scholarship to entirely offset tuition fees for all incoming residents of our screen-based programs in order to reduce barriers and increase access.

This year, we provided 39 full entrance scholarships to residents in our film, TV and acting programs, as well as monthly bursaries to help offset additional costs associated with participating in said programs. We also increased the pipeline of systemically marginalized and underrepresented talent across our programs.

We continued to expand and evolve our program offerings to help fill training gaps in the industry and ensure that we are meeting the most pressing needs of creators:

− We partnered with CBC and BIPOC TV & Film on a Showrunner Catalyst program to support the career advancement of senior writers who identify as Indigenous, Black or People of Colour.

− We introduced our first-ever comedy cohort of the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program, which was an offering for Black, Indigenous and/or racialized creators in Canada.

− Our partnership with OYA Black Arts Coalition (OBAC) continued on cohort 2 of Scale Up Immersive, an accelerator lab aimed at increasing the capacity of Black content creators and/or producers working in the immersive media space.

We also introduced new public programming, like CFC Conversations, a series of free in conversations events with celebrated Canadian creators and storytellers, with the goal of increasing access, sharing knowledge, and discussing important industry trends and topics.

We hosted three CFC Conversations events this past year, one with Emmy Award-winning actor Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, Travelers) in May, and two in February as part of our Black Excellence Speaker Series, presented by TD, one with award-winning actress Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale, Infinity Pool), and the other with Clement Virgo (Brother), one of Canada’s foremost film and TV directors.

We’re making strides in the goals we’ve set as an organization, but there is still much work to be done. We will continue to evolve as the industry evolves, and as the needs of Canadian storytellers change.

On behalf of the entire team at the CFC, thank you to our Board, to all of our partners and funders, friends and supporters for your commitment to the CFC. We are grateful for your generosity and for investing in the next generation of Canadian storytellers. Your support empowers CFC residents and alumni to build successful content, careers and collaborations in the screen industry.

And, it continues to help us drive the future of Canadian storytelling.

maxine bailey Executive Director, CFC