The Toronto Black Film Festival presented Spike Lee, Cannes Film Festival’s first Black Jury President, with the Toronto Black Film Festival’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award during an intimate evening, where festival-goers watched a restored version of his film Bamboozled and heard the Academy Award-winning director discuss his journey as a filmmaker as well as his views on today’s socio-economic environment.
#TBFF20 presented 9 World Premieres, 5 International Premieres, 1 North-American premiere, 20 Canadian Premieres and 34 Ontario Premieres. #TBFF20, Canada’s largest celebration of Black History Month through films and more, showcased over 75 films from 20 countries, including Jamaica, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Canada, USA, Kenya, UK, Trinidad & Tobago, France, Namibia, Italy and more.
“Welcoming and paying tribute to the legendary Spike Lee at the 2020 Toronto Black Film Festival was a true privilege for us all and quite a coup for Toronto and the Festival. His commitment to independent cinema, his strength, determination, and activism in achieving social justice really make a difference in a world that, too often, tends to silence us. Today, our focus at TBFF is to go beyond ‘awareness’ with concrete ‘actions’ to foster the inclusion of diversity off and on camera!”States Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the TBFF.
“Through the TD Ready Commitment, we were delighted to be co-presenting the Toronto Black Film Festival, for the 5th year, as part of our 2020 Black History Month series. We are thrilled with this year’s amazing film festival screenings that celebrate our diversities, amplify underrepresented voices, and will help shape our country’s history for today and tomorrow,”said Naki Osutei, Associate Vice President, Social Impact, TD Bank Group.
Created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, the Toronto Black Film Festival promotes diversity off and on screen and gives minorities a voice. Part of TD’s 2020 Black History Month Series, #TBFF20 kicked off with Maximilian Carlson’s Princess Of The Row and will close with Bernard Attal’s Restless (Sem Descanso). One of the highlights is an initiative from The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Youth & Diversity Program: Being Black in Canada. Fifteen emerging Black Canadian filmmakers (18-30 years old), from Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, screened their 15 short documentary films produced through the program – as Ontario Premieres. This edition’s Centrepiece films include Angus Gibson’s Back Of The Moon and Paxton Winters’ Pacified (Pacificado).
The TBFF Kids Film Festival returned on Family Day with a variety of films, storytelling and workshops. TBFF was thrilled to host a Movie-Talk with two-time NFL Super Bowl Champion Malcolm Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles following the screening of Sandra Lowman’s documentary feature Black Boys. Industry events took place as part of TBFF Black Market, which includes a Panel Discussion and Masterclass with filmmakers. Finally, festival-goers capped off their day with the #TBFF20 late night live performances.
