Regent Park Film Festival announced as TD Arts Diversity Award recepient
TORONTO -- Toronto Arts Foundation announced Regent Park Film Festival as the recipient of the 2016 TD Arts Diversity Award.
“Our commitment to diversity is grounded in the idea of accessibility,” said Ananya Ohri, Executive Director, Regent Park Film Festival. “We create spaces where good stories, powerful ideas and positive, carefree, experiences are accessible to us all, especially those of us living in public housing and low income communities. We are proud to host some of the most diverse film-going audiences in the city, and inspire a space where diversity is celebrated as a shared value, important to reflect upon and engage with in creating a better society for us all.”
The TD Arts Diversity Award is a $10,000 cash prize that celebrates arts organizations making a significant contribution by working collaboratively with culturally diverse communities, youth and community groups on arts projects or programs in Toronto. The award was established in 2013, in partnership with TD Bank Group.
“TD views community giving as an opportunity to drive positive change in society,” said Alan Convery, Director, Community Relations, TD Bank Group. “TD partnered with Toronto Arts Foundation to recognize arts organizations driving positive change. Congratulations to Regent Park Film Festival for being the recipient of this year’s award.”
The award jury included Toronto artists and arts producers Mahlikah Awe:ri, Domanique Grant, Asad Raza, Sinara Rozo-Perdorno, and Apolonia Velasquez. The jury remarked that “one of the outstanding attributes of Regent Park Film Festival is their reach into new public spaces. This creates an interesting footprint beyond just Regent Park and allows their programming to be interactive.”
This award was initiated in 2013 by Toronto’s DiverseCity Fellows: Melanie Smith and Saumya Gautam, both of whom have served as advisors to Toronto Arts Foundation.
Regent Park Film Festival
Regent Park Film Festival is Toronto’s only free community film festival, dedicated to showcasing works relevant to inner city and inner suburban communities across the city of Toronto. Founded in 2003, RPFF organizes an annual festival along year-round school community screenings and workshops. Their work is based on the idea that everyone deserves safe affordable housing, healthcare, healthy food AND access to stories that open up possibilities.
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Toronto Arts Foundation, a charitable organization, provides the opportunity for individuals, private and public foundations, corporations and government agencies to invest in and strengthen the arts in Toronto. We are powered by a vision: Creative City: Block by Block, a commitment to connect every Toronto neighbourhood to the transformative social and economic benefits of the arts. Through sponsorships, legacy gifts and donations to our Creative City Funds, Toronto Arts Foundation gives voice to the arts, shines the spotlight on Toronto’s exceptional talent, and connects communities to the arts. To learn more about the Toronto Arts Foundation, please visit our website at www.torontoartsfoundation.org
Neigbourhood Arts Network
Neighbourhood Arts Network is a strategic initiative of Toronto Arts Foundation. With over 1,500 members to date, we create online resources, partnerships and professional development events that help community engaged artists and organizations do what they do best: enrich Toronto and transform it into a more vibrant and livable city.
About TD Community Giving
TD Bank Group invests in communities in order to effect positive change in the places where it operates and where its customers and employees live and work. In 2015, TD donated more than $92.5 million to community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, TD focuses on education and financial literacy, creating opportunities for young people and the environment. For further information, please visit www.td.com/corporate-responsibility.
Contact information:
For more information about the Toronto Arts Foundation, please contact:
Francesca Perez, Community Investment Manager, Toronto Arts Foundation, at francesca@torontoarts.org or at 416-392-6802 x 204.