Fabienne Colas

An award-winning entrepreneur, actress, director and producer, she has founded 12 international festivals – including the Festival Haïti en Folie and the Montréal International Black Film Festival – which have brought together 10,000 artists and two million spectators in four countries. Under the aegis of the Fabienne Colas Foundation's Festwave Institute, and Zaza Production, she is developing training programs for young racialized creators. Her documentary series Being Black in Canada, broadcast on CBC, won several Canadian Screen Awards. Recipient of the Order of Canada, an honorary doctorate from Concordia University's Faculty of Fine Arts, a medal from the Québec National Assembly and numerous other distinctions, Fabienne Colas transforms diversity issues into levers of innovation. Her tangible impact helps make Montréal a more inclusive, equitable and vibrant city.