Equity, diversity and inclusion
As a Partner of Choice, Telefilm Canada is committed to an industry that reflects a culture of mutual respect, dignity, and inclusivity.
We acknowledge that Canadian creators of underrepresented identities experience greater challenges in obtaining financing. We are firmly committed to demonstrable action in creating greater access.
Equity and Representation Action Plan
Building upon the framework guided by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI), as well as our ongoing consultations with external stakeholders, collective commitments from staff, and in response to public dialogue calling for increased inclusivity, we have committed to the following actions.
Create a culture of mutual respect, dignity and inclusivity for Canada’s audiovisual industry.
Review and update existing Telefilm policies through a lens of diversity and inclusion in order to abolish systemic racism.
Engage in ongoing dialogue with underrepresented communities.
Launch Equity and Representation Action Committee to align diversity and inclusion efforts across Telefilm, including the external Diversity & Inclusion, Indigenous, Gender Parity Working Groups, and the internal Employee Diversity & Inclusion Working Groups.
Increase dialogue through consultations, programs, and events to strengthen ties with underrepresented communities.
Commit to a diverse workforce that is reflective of society in Canada.
Create four new positions for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour employees: two on the Project Financing team, one in Business Affairs, one in a Senior Management role reporting to the Executive Leadership Team.
Heighten outreach and recruitment efforts to ensure greater diversity and representation in Telefilm staff.
Increased training and education for staff across Telefilm’s four offices.
Ensure all levels of staff at Telefilm are reflective of society in Canada.
Commitment to a minimum 50% representation of new hires across Telefilm from underrepresented identities by 2023 (Black, Indigenous, other Racialized Persons, Persons with disability and 2LGBTQIA+).
Ensure a minimum of 30% representation of new management hires across Telefilm from underrepresented identities by 2023.
Increase dialogue through consultations, programs, and events to strengthen ties with underrepresented communities.
Prioritize data collection.
Capture data as it relates to applications and programs. Check out the Data Collection page for more on our ongoing initiative.
Further develop initiatives to capture data as it relates to underrepresented communities in applications and programs.
Review Telefilm’s decision-making processes.
Review of Telefilm’s evaluation and decision-making processes as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting a greater diversity of talent and recommend action plans.
Expand Telefilm’s financing programs to ensure support for creators from underrepresented identities.
Launch new Development stream for filmmakers from Racialized Persons.
Evaluate our program needs to support creators from 2LGBTQIA+, Persons with Disabilities, and Official Language Minority communities.
Look into initiatives that will broaden access and capacity building to amplify underrepresented voices.
Building a diverse workforce
To help further our commitment, Telefilm completed the hiring for four new roles:
- Content Analyst – Lead, Equity and Representation, English market
- Content Analyst – Equity and Representation, French market (supporting both the Lead, Equity and Representation, and the Lead, Indigenous Initiatives across both markets)
- Business Affairs Analyst (liaising with the Content Analysts, Equity and Representation)
- Project Management Officer, (reporting to members of Telefilm’s Executive Leadership Team)
Beyond these new roles, we are also committed to a minimum of 50% representation within new hires across Telefilm and 30% representation of new management hires of underrepresented identities by 2023, focusing on Black, Indigenous, other Racialized Persons, Persons with disability and 2LGBTQIA+. We will expand our outreach and recruitment efforts, as well as promotion and retention, to achieve this.
In addition, we remain committed to further diversifying our workforce beyond new hires through opportunities such as replacement of maternity leaves or retirements, as well as filling of existing vacant positions, consultants, and service providers.
Diversity and Inclusion Working Group
Telefilm Canada’s Diversity and Inclusion Group Working Group is comprised of industry members of the Black, Indigenous, People of Colour communities, as well as representatives from unions and guilds. Telefilm invited industry stakeholder associations, Talent to Watch partners who work with, and support, underrepresented communities, and diversity and inclusion experts.
The following organizations are represented in the Working Group:
- Accessible Media Inc
- ACTRA
- L’Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada (APFC)
- Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM)
- Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ)
- BIPOC TV & Film
- Black Screen Office
- CaribbeanTales Media Group
- Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI)
- Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
- Coalition M.E.D.I.A.
- Diversité artistique Montréal (DAM)
- Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)
- Independent Media Producers Association of Creative Talent (I.M.P.A.C.T)
- Indigenous Screen Office
- Inside Out LGBT Film Festival
- Montreal International Black Film Festival
- Racial Equity Media Collective (REMC)
- Reelworld Film Festival
- Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC)
- Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
- Union des Artistes (UDA)
- Writers Guild of Canada (WGC)
Telefilm is continually looking to add member organizations to the Working Group as it evolves.
Working Group Meeting – Diversity and Inclusion
Career Development Subcommittee
Data Collection Subcommittee
Diverse Languages Subcommittee
Telefilm has created a Diverse Languages Subcommittee, comprised of representatives from industry organizations, as well as independent filmmakers. The subcommittee collaborates and provides insights with a variety of voices and perspectives to help Telefilm create a framework for supporting diverse language films. There are no formal documents or minutes for these meetings.
Contact us
Toll free: 1-800-567-0890
Email: sr@telefilm.ca