Financial support elusive for underrepresented filmmakers

By OKSANA SHTOHRYN

Vancouver creative Omari Newton says in an already tough filmmaking industry, creators from underrepresented communities face extra barriers to accessing funding.

Newton, head of acting for film and television at Vancouver Film School, said funding programs for Black, Indigenous and other filmmakers of colour are becoming more common but access remains difficult for those unfamiliar with the system.

“Navigating those funding systems … learning how to write a budget, learning how to write a grant, just finding the right people who know where to look … that’s the biggest challenge,” Newton said.

Newton said the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 led to an increase in funding for Black-led projects, but that support was temporary.

“After the tragic death of George Floyd … there was all types of funding that I think was driven by a lot of guilt,” Newton said. “Things have settled back to the norm now.”

Newton said the small size of Vancouver’s Black community limits mentorship opportunities, making it harder for emerging filmmakers to secure funding.

According to Statistics Canada, Black people made up 4.3 per cent of Canada’s population in 2021 and only 1.2 per cent of those people lived in B.C.

Newton said hiring a professional grant writer can help new filmmakers increase their chances of securing funding.

“Try to find the money to pay a professional who understands how to apply for funding,” he said.

A win for Black and queer representation

Amidst difficulties securing funding for under-represented creators and stories, one web series has succeeded.  Novelette is Trying was created by Giselle Miller and stars Studio 58 graduate Ivy Charles. The series, which premiered Feb. 10, broke ground as Vancouver’s first Black queer web series.

Charles said she tends to pursue supporting character roles because she rarely sees people like her in leading roles, but things have changed since Novelette is Trying.

“Why can’t I be the main character, essentially? …it [the series] did open my eyes to let me understand that it is a possibility if I connect with them. And I really connected with Novelette,” said Charles.

The series received support from various sources, including the Independent Production Fund and Canada Media Fund.

Giselle Miller, the series creator, said the show was created to bring Black queer women to the forefront in Vancouver, across Canada and globally.

While the series secured financial backing, Miller said the process required extensive preparation. She spent a year developing the series, writing story outlines and building relationships with potential funders before submitting applications.

“These things take time, but if you build relationships, it can really work,” Miller said.

Challenges persist

Despite Miller’s success, many filmmakers struggle to secure funding due to limited grants and high demand.

Rachel Kwan, a queer director who worked as a production designer on Novelette is Trying, said competition for funding remains fierce among underrepresented filmmakers.

“The gateway to get in is tough because there are so many different intersections of minorities here that are all kind of fighting for the same funding,” Kwan said.

Some filmmakers turn to alternative ways to finance their projects. Kwan reinvests their earnings from production design into personal projects.

“My way of writing and directing is by production designing full-time, making my money that way, and then using that money to go directly into the films I write and direct,” they said.