HireBIPOC Launched This Week with the Mandate to Diversify the Canadian Entertainment Industry
The Canadian entertainment industry received a much needed overhaul this week. Over 20 Canadian media organizations have partnered with HireBIPOC, a newly launched Canadian staffing web portal with a current roster of over 500 members, to enable more diversity in the cast and crew members of the Canadian film and television industry. Moving forward Canadian Broadcasters are vowing to only greenlight original shows that hire BIPOC talent and crews.
By the HireBIPOC initiative, the film industry is making a conscious effort to change their hiring practices. “HireBIPOC is one step among many in order to transform the face of our industry. We need measurable commitments to hiring more Black, Indigenous and People of Color. We all have a circle of influence and it is up to each one of us to use it,” stated Nathalie Younglai, founder of BIPOC TV & FILM, a grassroots organization and collective of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour that work in Canada’s film and television industry.
Bell Media president Randy Lennox told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday that using such measures is not about meeting quotas, but rather creating opportunities for marginalized creators in the Canadian entertainment industry. The bold initiative is focused on driving systemic change that will ensure continued diversity and equity in the Canadian media landscape. By dedicating to change their hiring practices and focusing on actively hiring Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, the Canadian TV and film industry is making a strong commitment to telling more diverse stories told by voices that have historically been silenced.
In addition to Bell Media and Corus Entertainment, other industry and community partners include Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, Banff World Media Festival, Canadian Film Centre, City of Toronto, Content Canada, Focus Media Arts Centre, Hot Docs, ImagineNative, Indigenous Filmmakers Association, Inside Out, National Screen Institute, Pride Toronto, Reel Asian International Film Festival, and Racial Equity.
You can find more information about HireBIPOC, here.
Quantum Law Group has extensive experience in Entertainment law. For more information on what we do and how we can assist you, please Contact Us.