The Fabienne Colas Foundation
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is a non-profit cultural organization operating 12 film and arts festivals across Canada, the USA, Haiti, and Brazil, plus training programs (Being Black in Canada incubator and Festwave Institute) that provide free mentorship, equipment, and distribution support to emerging Black filmmakers aged 18-35 and diverse festival audiences.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Fabienne Colas Foundation does
The Fabienne Colas Foundation (Fondation Fabienne Colas) is a non-profit cultural organization founded in 2005 and headquartered at 465 St-Jean Street, Montreal. It is described as the largest organization for Black culture in Canada, operating a network of 12 annual film and multidisciplinary arts festivals across Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver), the United States (New York), Haiti (Port-au-Prince), and Brazil (Salvador). Festivals are the foundation's primary product and the main vehicle for community engagement, complemented by ticketed access (e.g., $29 online all-access passes at the Ottawa Black Film Festival) and partnerships with NATIONAL Public Relations for media relations.
The foundation runs three flagship non-event programs. The Being Black in Canada program, launched in 2012 with the first cohort in 2014, is described as Canada's largest incubator for Black filmmakers, providing free training, mentorship, professional equipment, editing studios, and crews to 35 emerging filmmakers annually across six Canadian cities. Films are produced with Zaza Production and distributed via partnerships with Netflix (presenting sponsor), National Bank (co-presenting partner), CBC, Télé-Québec, and TFO, and the 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction in a Documentary Series validated program quality. The Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec program (2021) extends this to intersectional representation. The Festwave Institute, created in February 2022 with a $3 million CAD grant from the Government of Canada's Ecosystem Fund (Black Entrepreneurship Program), is a national full-spectrum training institute for underserved Black entrepreneurs in film and television, including a January 2024 dubbing workshop.
Revenue is generated from four primary streams: government grants (CED, Canadian Heritage, Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, Quebec Ministry of Justice, SODEC, CALQ), corporate sponsorships (Netflix, National Bank, TD Bank, Desjardins), individual donations (via PayPal; no charitable receipts), and modest festival ticket sales. Operations are run by a team of close to 100 employees and freelancers. Since 2005, the foundation reports supporting 5,000+ artists and attracting millions of festivalgoers.
The Fabienne Colas Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Fabienne Colas Foundation
- Legal name
- Fondation Fabienne Colas
- Website
- https://fondationfabiennecolas.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Fabienne Colas Foundation is a non-profit cultural organization operating 12 film and arts festivals across Canada, the USA, Haiti, and Brazil, plus training programs (Being Black in Canada incubator and Festwave Institute) that provide free mentorship, equipment, and distribution support to emerging Black filmmakers aged 18-35 and diverse festival audiences.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Fabienne Colas Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts and Cultural Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Professional Organizations (81392)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)
Keywords
Where The Fabienne Colas Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Fabienne Colas Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government Grants: Primary revenue stream from government funding including $3 million from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) for the Festwave Institute, plus ongoing support from Canadian Heritage, Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Canada Media Fund, and Quebec ministries.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Major corporate sponsors including Netflix (presenting sponsor for Being Black in Canada), National Bank (co-presenting partner), TD Bank, and others provide significant funding and in-kind support.
- Donations: Individual donations through PayPal and other channels. While charitable receipts cannot be issued, the foundation actively solicits public support for its programs.
- Festival Ticket Sales: Revenue from festival passes and tickets. For example, Ottawa Black Film Festival All Access passes priced at $29.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free programs for filmmakers |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Festival All Access Passes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Fabienne Colas Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is a non-profit cultural organization that organizes a network of 12 film and multidisciplinary festivals across Canada, the United States, Haiti, and Brazil, and operates free training, mentorship, and creation programs (Being Black in Canada, Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec, and the Festwave Institute) that provide emerging Black filmmakers with professional equipment, editing studios, crews, and distribution access. Its mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in cinema, art, and culture.
Product overview
The Fabienne Colas Foundation operates a portfolio of 12 film festivals and arts festivals across Canada, the United States, Haiti, and Brazil, celebrating Black and Haitian cultures. The organization runs two major incubator programs: Being Black in Canada (Canada's largest incubator for Black filmmakers, presented by Netflix) and the Festwave Institute (a national training institute for film and TV entrepreneurs). The foundation also offers specialized programs like Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec. Together, these programs provide free training, mentoring, professional equipment, and festival showcase opportunities for emerging Black filmmakers and artists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Festwave Institute: A national full-spectrum institute created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation to support underserved Black entrepreneurs in the Canadian film and television industry through business training, skill building, workshops, masterclasses, mentorships, and networking opportunities.
- Being Black in Canada / Être Noir.e au Canada
- Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec / Être Noir.e et LGBTQ+ au Québec
- Montreal International Black Film Festival / Festival International du Film Black de Montréal
- Toronto Black Film Festival
- Halifax Black Film Festival
- Ottawa Black Film Festival
- Calgary Black Film Festival
- Vancouver Black Film Festival
- Festival Haïti en Folie à Montréal
- Festival Haïti en Folie à New York
- Halifax Black Summer Festival
- Fade to Black / Fondu au Noir
- Salvador Black Film Festival
- Quebec Film Festival in Haiti
Products and services
- Montreal International Black Film Festival A film festival created in 2005 that fosters the development of the independent film industry and highlights films about the realities of Black people around the world, for general audiences in Montreal.
- Toronto Black Film Festival The largest Black History Month celebration in Canada, created in 2013, presenting the most striking and powerful Black films for international audiences.
- Halifax Black Film Festival The third Black Film Festival in Canada, established in 2017, celebrating African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia.
- Ottawa Black Film Festival A film festival created in 2021 dedicated to giving unique voices in cinema the opportunity to present audiences with new ways of looking at the world.
- Calgary Black Film Festival A film festival created in 2021 dedicated to giving unique Black cinema voices the opportunity to present new perspectives to Calgary audiences.
- Vancouver Black Film Festival A film festival showcasing relevant Black films from Canada and abroad while creating space to debate major cultural, social, and socio-economic issues in Vancouver.
- Salvador Black Film Festival The first Black Film Festival in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, created in 2019 in the city with Brazil's largest Black population.
- Festival Haïti en Folie (Montreal) The largest multidisciplinary festival outside Haiti dedicated to Haitian culture, created in 2007, attracting thousands of visitors annually.
- Festival Haïti en Folie (New York) A festival transforming New York City into a meeting place for sharing and intercultural exchange among New Yorkers, Americans, tourists, and the Haitian community.
- Halifax Black Summer Festival A multidisciplinary festival celebrating Black culture and featuring some of Nova Scotia's best Black musicians.
- Fade to Black / Fondu au Noir Festival The largest festival celebrating Black History Month in Quebec, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation to encourage openness to diversity and promote intercultural understanding.
- Being Black in Canada Program Canada's largest training, mentorship, and creation program entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers, providing free professional support to young Black filmmakers in creating short films.
- Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec Program A program providing training, professional support, and visibility platform to emerging or mid-career Black LGBTQ+ filmmakers in Quebec, addressing the intersection of systemic racism and LGBTQphobias through cinema.
- Festwave Institute A national full-spectrum institute dedicated to removing barriers for film and television entrepreneurs and supporting underrepresented creators through workshops, masterclasses, mentorships, networking opportunities, and equipment access.
- Dubbing Training Workshop A free dubbing training program dedicated to Afro-descendant actors, addressing the scarcity of Black voice actors in Quebec, under direction of Manuel Tadros.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100+ films produced through Being Black in Canada program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Fabienne Colas Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Fabienne Colas Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Fabienne Colas Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NATIONAL Public RelationscoreStrategic partnership with Canada's leading public relations firm to support and promote a dozen events and initiatives featuring Black and visible minority communities. Includes media relations and social media management support.
- CBCcoreNational broadcaster streaming Being Black in Canada films on CBC GEM platform. Broadcast partner for program films.
- Zaza ProductioncoreProduction company co-creator of 10+ festivals and the Being Black in Canada program with the foundation. Produces all program films.
- image+nation Film FestivalminorLGBTQ+ film festival in Montreal partnering for distribution of Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec program films.
- Massimadi FestivalminorMontreal's LGBTQ+ Afro Film and Arts Festival partnering for screening and distribution of Black LGBTQ+ filmmaker works.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Fabienne Colas Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Fabienne Colas Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Fabienne Colas Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Fabienne Colas Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Fabienne Colas Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
The Fabienne Colas Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Fabienne Colas Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Fabienne Colas Foundation
What does The Fabienne Colas Foundation do?
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is a non-profit cultural organization that organizes a network of 12 film and multidisciplinary festivals across Canada, the United States, Haiti, and Brazil, and operates free training, mentorship, and creation programs (Being Black in Canada, Being Black and LGBTQ+ in Quebec, and the Festwave Institute) that provide emerging Black filmmakers with professional equipment, editing studios, crews, and distribution access. Its mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in cinema, art, and culture.
Is The Fabienne Colas Foundation a public or private company?
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Fabienne Colas Foundation founded?
The Fabienne Colas Foundation was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Fabienne Colas Foundation based?
The Fabienne Colas Foundation is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Fabienne Colas Foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Grants are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, donations and festival Ticket Sales.
Does The Fabienne Colas Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Fabienne Colas Foundation.
What industry is The Fabienne Colas Foundation in?
The Fabienne Colas Foundation's product category is Arts and Cultural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 81321.