Born from planning sessions that began in the spring of 2019, WIFT Toronto is working toward a more inclusive and diverse membership; increased professional development and mentorship programming; and increased networking opportunities for its members.  

The organization is now committed to ensuring that a minimum 50% of the mentees in its Connect Mentorship programme will be BIPOC women. Further, WIFT Toronto continues to build relationships with like-minded organizations that prioritize equity, inclusion, and diversity including: Black Women Film!, Breakthroughs Film Festival, Female Eye Film Festival, imagineNATIVE, Inside Out, Reelworld, Regent Park Film Festival, and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, among others.

WIFT Toronto’s new logo reflects the organization’s commitment to inclusion.  The plus symbol signifies that all genders are welcome and represented and that the organization is rooted in all screen-based media – no longer just film and television.  Lastly, the plus symbol reflects energy and forward movement.

“The new logo is an extension of the work we have been doing behind the scenes over the last year and a bit,” said Karen Bruce, ExecutiveDirector of WIFT Toronto.  “Our strategic priorities have shifted toward developing programming that meets the needs of all women and those who identify as women or non-binary, throughout the industry.  We have so much amazing programming – from Walk & Talks with industry leaders to intensive management credit courses – but we haven’t done a good enough job in linking that programming to under represented communities.  We’re going to change that. 

“We’re thrilled to be able to support more BIPOC women through our Connect Mentorship programme,” said Linda Stregger, Chair, WIFT Toronto.  “And I’m really hoping to hear from women who want to mentor – the more mentors we have, the more young women we can empower.  I know there are a lot of women in our industry looking for ways to give back.  This is their chance to really make a lasting difference in someone’s career.”

More information and applications for Connect Mentorship can be found here.

The deadline for the Crystal Award submissions has been extended to September 11, 2020. The Crystal Awards takes place on December 1, 2020, and is a virtual event this year.  Members are encouraged to submit in the following categories: Creative Excellence, Digital Trailblazer, Mentorship, and Outstanding Achievement in Business.  Candidates do not need to be members of WIFT.  For more information on how to submit, please click here.

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