Speaking out against Anti-Black and Indigenous Racism

Over the past week we’ve been reflecting on the recurring acts of violence against Black and Indigenous peoples in our home country and beyond. We have also been listening to those speaking out about systemic racism in the Canadian film and TV industry, and considering how we, as part of this industry, share in the responsibility and must take action.

While we showcase films made by Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, we recognize our content and choices are limited and shaped by inherent and systemic biases within ourselves, in Canada’s and Hollywood’s film industries, and in our society. This deprives Canadians of the myriad of voices and ideas that exist in our diverse country.

We can and must do better. We must take a more active, conscious, and forceful role in supporting BIPOC creators and their works in all facets of our business.

• We will more aggressively seek out and support projects from Black creators.
• We will improve BIPOC representation, both within our organization and in the content we produce and commission.
• We will sponsor BIPOC TV & Film and work together to increase the representation in front of and behind the camera.
• We will further engage with the BIPOC community through partnerships and sponsorships.
• We will encourage our subscribers to discover films made by BIPOC creators. You’ll see more of them on our channels in the months ahead, and we’ll point you to some other places to find them too.
• We recognize the power of film in starting necessary discussions, inspiring and empowering individuals, and driving change, and we will use our channels to help kickstart that.

Lastly and most importantly, we’ll continue to listen to our viewers and the creative community. Our door is always open.

Sincerely,

The team at Hollywood Suite