The Difference Access Makes: Akhaji’s Experience in BSO’s Accelerator
When you understand the screen industry the way Akhaji Zakiya does, financially, structurally and strategically, you might expect the path to leadership to be straightforward. But for many mid-career Black professionals, expertise alone isn’t what determines advancement. With more than 15 years of experience across broadcasting, festivals and consulting, Akhaji found herself navigating a familiar […]
BSO | Funding, Opportunities & Wins – June 2026
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The 2026 Canadian Screen Awards – Photo Credit: George Pimental Photography
The Hollywood Reporter Women In Entertainment Canada 2026
From Cultural Impact to Influence: Vanessa’s Leadership Journey in Progress
Vanessa Mitchell has spent her career creating opportunities for others. As Producer of Special Programs at the Banff World Media Festival, she leads initiatives that support established and mid-career talent across the industry, championing stories with cultural impact while building the structures that sustain them. But even with over two decades of experience, she reached […]
What’s New at BSO – May 2026
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A Step in the Right Direction: CBC’s Documentary Investment Is Good News for Black Storytellers
By Joan Jenkinson, Co-Founder & CEO, Black Screen Office When CBC announced on May 8, 2026, that it’s increasing its investment in documentaries by $7 million and launching a new FAST channel this fall, my first instinct was to pause and appreciate the significance of the moment, not just for the documentary community broadly, but […]
Being Seen: Québec Report Launch Journée du 29; Photo Credit: Tsikimamy Photographie (2026)
What I Told Final-Year TMU Media Students Before They Walked Out the Door
By Joan Jenkinson, Co-Founder & CEO, Black Screen Office A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak at The Master Class — a course at Toronto Metropolitan University’s RTA School of Media, hosted for students in the final semester of their final year. Writers, producers, technicians. People who are weeks away from becoming my […]
DOC Institute Breakthrough 2.0 Awards Competition 2026
