The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is offering several online activities to celebrate Black History Month. With a focus this year on “Black Health and Wellness,” Black History Month begins in February and goes beyond as we celebrate today and every day throughout the year. The series of activities starts on February 1 with the NFB.ca premiere of a powerful new feature doc and will include filmmakers’ panel discussions, a new playlist and a new study guide.

For the NFB, Black History Month is an important time to celebrate Black filmmakers and honour the contributions that Black people have made and continue to make in all areas of Canadian society, from fighting for social justice to championing representation in film and television—to the power and beauty of Black artistic expression. Our activities during this annual commemoration are part of our commitment to amplify the rich culture, experiences and perspectives of Black communities across Canada through stories that enrich our collective understanding as Canadians.

Born in Haiti, Stephenson is a co-founding member of Rada Studio who draws from her Panamanian and Haitian roots and international experience as a human-rights attorney to tell

provocative stories that speak to personal and systemic liberation.

Honours include the PUMA BritDoc Impact Award for a Film with the Greatest Impact on Society and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for her book Promises Kept, co-written with Joe Brewster and Hilary Beard.

Stephenson, Brewster and Yasmin Elayat also received the Best Immersive Narrative Competition Award at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival for their VR production The Changing Same: Episode 1 – The Dilemma.

Michèle Stephenson will also be taking part in our filmmakers’ panel discussions.