Ep. 43: The Fight For On-Screen Diversity

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with Gaylene Gould, Head of Cinemas and Events at the British Film Institute Southbank. She recently provided consultation on TIFF’s Black Star, a programme celebrating Black excellence on the big screen, which was lifted from the original BFI run and reimagined for Toronto audiences. In this episode, Gould discusses the fine line between programming challenging films and meeting financial expectations, the questions she asks herself when selecting films, and how she tests her audience's unconscious bias. She also speaks to the importance of reexamining revered films through a different lens, and why it is crucial for young, diverse audiences to see the themselves on the big screen.