Festwave Institute Director

Job Description

Festwave InstituteDirector

Summary: The Director of the Institute is responsible for the direction, funding, growth and operation of the Institute. They will bring vision, leadership, experience and direction to the Institute. They will represent the Institute with the staff, the media, partners, community members and stakeholders. The Director will guide the various Institute teams and work closely with Operations, Marketing and Communications, Program Managers and Technology Managers to maximize the Institute’s attendance, prominence, impact and profitability to further the mission of empowering the next generation of Black & underrepresented film & TV professionals in Canada.

Brief Description Of The Fabienne Colas Foundation:

The Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF) is a not-for-profit cultural organization dedicated to building bridges and advancing education through the arts, as well as to supporting the creation, production, promotion and dissemination of cinema, the arts and culture in Canada and elsewhere. To fulfill its mission, the Foundation put together12 festivals and programs to break barriers, celebrate diversity, and foster togetherness, understanding and inclusion. Since FCF’s inception in 2005, its initiatives/festivals have showcased and supported over 5,000 artists and attracted millions of festivalgoersin Canada, the U.S., Haiti, and Brazil. The Foundation mostly promotes Black culture in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, New York City, and Salvador de Bahia (Brazil); and Quebec culture in Port-au-Prince. The Foundation is also the creator of theFCF’s Being Black in Canada program, Canada’s largest incubator dedicated to Black filmmakers.

Brief Description Of The Festwave Institute:

The Festwave Institute, created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, and financially supported by theCanada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, is dedicated to removing the barriers that stand in the way of film and television entrepreneurs and supporting them in building successful, sustainable careers. The Institute will do this by giving Black film professionals and other underrepresented creators the tools, skills, and resources required to be successful and independent within a predominantly White-run industry: tailored workshops, panel discussions, masterclasses, hands-on learning, mentorships, networking opportunities, pitching opportunities, equipment access, business skills, match-up programs – all that the Black professional needs to learn, grow, connect and further a career in film and television, both online and on the ground.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Determine and Uphold a Vision:

Determine, develop, direct, implement and uphold a vision and a strategic plan for the Institute as a whole

Ensure that the Institute achieve its ambitious goals and deadlines

Continuously communicate, amplify, promote and readjust the vision to the staff, public, media and stakeholders

Oversee Operations, Administrative and HR Operations:

Analyze Budgets and Finances and make recommendations for growth

Lead budgeting, feasibility studies and development, pricing, documentation of best practices and SOPs, reporting and overall effective management

In conjunction with HR, lead recruitment, training and evaluation of cross Canadian fulltime and contract staff

Provide motivation, support and guidance to all Institute team members and collaborators

Foster inter-departmental collaboration to ensure smooth operations of the Institute and a quality level of service

Develop budgets/policies/procedures to support the functional infrastructure

Oversee the development and implementation of the fee structure of the Institute

Oversee and support Educational Programs and Program Managers

In conjunction with Program managers, define the angle and limits of the Institute’s programs

Oversee and support the IT department, website and production crew

Oversee and support Communications, Media, Philanthropy & Funding Efforts:

Facilitate the development of skills of staff to achieve fundraising goals

Act as the main point of contact for various communications with partners and sponsors

Identify, develop and ensure resources to achieve organization strategic direction

Identify and develop business cases for new funding and granting sources

Appear on media to represent the institute in support of philanthropy and partnership and sponsorship efforts

Meet with government representatives, stakeholders, etc to represent and push the Institute

Oversee the coordination of government grants and funding reporting requirements to meet funder deadlines


Establish and maintain strategic relationships with governmentrepresentatives, stakeholders, media, members of the educational industry, funders, partners, granting organizations, sponsors, donors, community partners and networks

Promote the Institute on all media andact as a spokesperson for the agency with media representatives, at public functions, conferences, television appearances and at other venues

Participate in systems advocacy with groups that focus locally, nationally and internationally in the promotion of Black Entrepreneurship

Qualifications:

Previous directorial experience

Previous experience in Film/TV industry, festivals and events, entertainment, arts and/or non-profit sectors

Background in finance or business administration and/or related fields

Excellent oral and written communication skills


Strong attention to detail

Ability to work under pressure, with tight deadlines

Awareness and sensitivity towards various ethnic, cultural and other diverse backgrounds, and a demonstrated passion for the mission of the Institute

Flexible and agile in terms of working in a fast-paced job with tight deadlines


Ability to multitask, work on several projects simultaneously

Google Suite and Microsoft Expert

Ability and patience to prepare documents and make strong policies

First-class organizational skills

Ability to use tact and diplomacy in interactions

Ability to maintain a high level of professionalism and integrity

Possess good people skills, strong team-management skills, a good communicator, and be comfortable engaging people from different backgrounds and disciplines

Analytical Skills: to gather information from different sources and analyze the data to arrive at logical conclusions

Leadership Skills: to positively influence other people and lead others to achieve greater goals more than can be achieved individually

Creativity: to encourage innovation and fresh ideas in solving problems so that the organization is not stuck in old patterns of solving problems

Bilingual (French and English) an asset

Other particulars:

Reports directly to the President of the Foundation

Some travel may be required

Start date: Immediate

Contract Term: Full Time. Due to the nature of the Institute, some evenings and weekends are required

Salary: TBD

Email Resume and Cover Letter to Sophie at sophie@festwave.com

Subject Line: Festwave Institute Director

Location: Remote within Canada

We strongly encourage applications from BIPOC professionals

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rjx1b0-3-142-12-240-42 in your application.