Bell Media Teams Up with All-Black Executive Production Team to Develop Canada’s First, Black-focused, Bilingual Anthology Series, FESTIVALE

TORONTO, March 29, 2022 /CNW/ – Bell Media and francophone executive producers Marie Ka and Richard Jean-Baptiste, and anglophone executive producers, Damon D’Oliveira and Clement Virgo, have teamed up to develop FESTIVALE, Canada’s first bilingual anthology series, by and about, Black Canadians. Produced for Bell Media’s Crave, FESTIVALE is a collaboration between Crave’s French and English development teams, and an answer to the lack of Black francophone stories on mainstream television.

This breakthrough series also serves as a pre-development incubator administered by the BSO, supporting creative teams who have not had the opportunity to produce content for a large network. This initiative aligns with BSO’s talent development mandate to build bridges between broadcasters and content creators; connect participants with resources; and foster relationships to cultivate strong pipelines of talent.

“FESTIVALE is a groundbreaking experience where Black Canadian writers, both French and English, get the chance to finally work together on the same project,” said executive producers, Marie Ka, Richard Jean-Baptiste, Damon D’Oliveira and Clement Virgo. “We can’t thank Bell Media enough for bridging the language gap, and lending their support to this timely creative journey. Our hope is that this project will be the starting point for future collaborations with Bell Media, for all our participants.”

To view the full press release, click here.

SOURCE Bell Media