Project Feature: Solidarity Film Camp
2020 Solidarity Film Camp participants. Photo by Nanc Price Photography.Ā
Writer, director, producer, and editor Andrea BeƧa is passionate about changing the world through film. With a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Alberta, and a M.Litt in Playwriting and Dramaturgy from the University of Glasgow, Andrea operatesĀ abeƧa productionsĀ and is constantly working to break down barriers and make the film industry a more inclusive space. Ā
In 2019, Andreaās project, Solidarity Film Camp (SFC), received funding through a Cultural Diversity in the Arts project grant. Created and produced by Andrea, SFC is a multi-weekend film camp that aims to educate, empower, and inspire marginalized youth in Edmonton to share their stories. SFC is grounded in the belief that it is crucial to empower those who are often voiceless to speak up, to move towards a goal of equality and diverse representation in film and TV. In this context, āmarginalized youthā refers to female, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA2S+ identifying youth, as well as disabledĀ youth, between the ages of 14-24.
We caught up with Andrea to learn more about her experiences of working on this iteration of Solidarity Film Camp, and where she hopes the project and the industry will go in the future. Ā
Solidarity Film Camp participants. Photo by Nanc Price Photography.
Q: What motivated you to start this project and focus on working with marginalized youth? Ā
A: I have been in leadership roles in theatre and film for the last 15 years, and as a fat queer woman, I have always experienced major pushback. Unfortunately, these industries are most highly populated ā and often gate kept ā by cishet white men, and that lack of diversity and representation creates so many barriers to entry for anyone who doesnāt fit into that same demographic. As a result of years of facing blatant sexism (among other things), I decided to use the privileges I do have as a white woman to open as many doors as I can for others, and work actively to improve representation in the film industry starting right here in Edmonton. Iāve always focused the stories I tell on creating social change and on hiring as many women, IBPOC folks, queer folks, and disabled folks as I can, but I wanted to go further than just what I can do myself by empowering others with the skills and confidence to tell their own stories, too. We need under-represented voices telling stories in film and TV and all other media.
Q: What was one of your biggest learnings/takeaways from this project? Ā
A: I learned so much, itās difficult to pick just one. January 2020 was the first iteration of Solidarity Film Camp. It was very much a grassroots project, created by just me. While it was amazing and I am incredibly proud of it, I am also very aware of the limitations of the camp being created and run by just me, as a cis white woman. The conversations I had throughout the camp with the participants, who represented so many different intersections, were priceless, and I learned so much about how to make future iterations of the camp even more inclusive, even more diverse, and even more accessible. Thatās what Iāve been processing and working on as I start to envision and dream of future years.
Photos by Nanc Price Photography.Ā
Q: What was the best part of the camp for you? Ā
A: Watching the participants beam with excitement and confidence as their projects started to come together is a feeling I donāt know if I can even put words to. Watching them listen to actors rehearse lines they wrote and being able to feel the energy in the room was unreal. What they accomplished in two weekends was no small feat. The fact that they all showed up for one another, focused, and worked long days for one another ā it still makes me tear up just writing about it! And now I get to see them on social media, staying in touch, collaborating and supporting one another. Itās just beautiful.
Q: What are changes within the film industry that you think would make it more accessible for marginalized youth? Ā
A: There are a lot of changes that need to happen in the film industry to make it accessible for anyone who isnāt a cishet white male. This isnāt just about youth! The fact that in Canada, only 27% of TV directors are women ā with 5% of those being women of colour and a staggering 0% being Indigenous women ā is just one small piece of a giant, disturbing picture of representation both on and off screen. The quickest way to start making change is simple: start funding women, IBPOC folks, LGBTQIA2S+ folks, and disabled folks to tell their own stories.
Q: Do you think youāll do the camp again? If yes, what are your dreams and aspirations for future of Solidarity Film Camp? Ā
A: Yes, I sure hope so! Right now, with the pandemic changing everything, itās hard to say when the next Solidarity Film Camp will happen, but it will happen at some point. My dreams are to make it much bigger, to have a whole team of folks from all intersections developing the camp curriculum, to have an even more diverse group of workshop leaders, and so on. I want the camp to feel like home to all intersections of people who are completely left out of the film & TV industry. It's my dream that we can all learn, feel confident, and work together to change the world.
To celebrate the Cultural Diversity in the Arts project grant recipients, Cineflair produced short videos profiling the recipients and their projects. You can watch Andreaās video here, and watch more recipient videos on the Edmonton Arts Councilās YouTube page.Ā