Building Inclusive Networks in the Film & Television Industry was written while on traditional territories in Alberta of the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries.
This report was prepared with the support of Telefilm Canada, The Canada Media Fund, Alberta Cultural Industries, 1844 Studios, Ontario Creates, The Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation, the National Film Board of Canada, and the National Screen Institute, and with the participation of Women in Film & Television – Alberta.
The objective of this 13-month qualitative research initiative was to identify factors responsible for Black and Indigenous Women and Women of Colour (BIPOC women), as well as non-binary individuals, being excluded from or included in film and television industry networking events. The researchers employed in-depth, semi-structured interviews to gather unstructured data. Forty participants across Canada were identified in a combined purposive and snowball sampling process, via access to community gatekeepers in the film and television industry. Strategies of respondent validation during interviews, as well as triangulation with other sources of literature, were utilized to enhance the quality of data and data analysis. Data analysis consisted of coding to establish a framework of thematic ideas, and a descriptive analysis to distill recurrent and unique themes. The themes, presented as a metanarrative, were supplemented with actual quotations from interviewees. Identifying information was removed from the report to preserve the anonymity of research participants.