Dianne Webley, the Associate Director of the Caribbean Tales Film Festival (CTFF) for the past two years, has been  promoted Director.

Earlier this week, Frances Anne Solomon, Founder of the annual festival, announced that Webley has taken over the day-to-day operation of the 15 annual events.

.“Dianne is a long-time member of CaribbeanTales family, who has worked at Harbourfront Centre for 15-years,” said Solomon.

“Recently Solomon has been deeply involved with her own feature film, Hero and has had to step away from the actual running of the festival,” explained Webley. 

“And now, with her decision (through the Festival’s film production arm CaribbeanTales Flex) to produce a movie about Denham Jolly (founder of Flow Radio), she is letting go and I am happy to take it all on.”

Solomon also announced the appointment of three new CTFF board members: Dr. Dori Tunstall, Shawn Cuffie and Peter Lyman.

Dori Tunstall is the Dean of Design at Toronto’s Ontario College of Art and Design University and is the first Black female  in that position. . She taught in Australia and the United States before coming to Canada.

Shawn Cuffie is active in the arts and entertainment industry, working in dance, fashion, music and television. At the end of this year’s Black History Month, he produced the Black Diamond Ball.

Peter Lyman is a Toronto business executive and is an internationally recognized expert in the arts, media and communications.

Leaving the Board are Toronto lawyer Leroy Crosse, Film composer John Welsman and  Trinidad documentary maker Christopher Laird.

Before the Pandemic arrived, the CTFF was planning a gala  to be held in July at the TIFF Bell Lightbox building in downtown Toronto. The gala was to be part media launch for the 2020 festival and part fundraiser.

“It still could happen in July, but if it not,” explained Webley, “well we are looking at early September.”

The film festival itself is set to run September 9^th to 25 with programming and films taking place at the College Street Royal Theatre, the Carlton Cinemas and TIFF.

The CTFF is  currently in the process of choosing which movies will be shown this fall.

Webley says it is  close to having its final list and movie goers can expect to watch full length movies and shorts from the Caribbean, the United  States. Canada, the United Kingdom and Africa.