BIPOC Taskforce
The group includes current participants and alumni from EURODOC’s annual and local programs and provides curated on-site and online sessions that foster collaboration and mentorship. These sessions also open opportunities for non-EURODOC members and feature several sessions for non-BIPOC participants. Through these efforts, BIPOC EURODOC strives to build a more equitable and inclusive film industry, empowering filmmakers and producers from justice seeking communities.
Our current 41 active members come from diverse regions and hold various country affiliations, including:
· Africa: Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazaville Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Zimbabwe
·Asia/MENA region: Bangladesh, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates
· Europe: France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK
· North America: Canada, Mexico, the United States of America
· The Caribbean: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago
· South America: Chile, Colombia, French Guiana, Peru
Leonard Cortana (France/Guadeloupe) is the Inclusion Program and Strategic Partnerships Manager at EURODOC. He is a PhD candidate in Cinema Studies, specializing in the transnational circulation of social justice films, and serves as an instructor in Film Studies and Diversity and Inclusion workshops at New York University. He has contributed to social impact campaigns for documentaries such as Murder in Paris (South Africa) and Sementes, Black Women in Power (Brazil). He serves as a consultant for the Anti-Racial Discrimination Section at the United Nations in Geneva. He was a Trainer for European Commission Youth Program projects and designed methodologies in theatre and storytelling for social inclusion for youth workers. As part of his scholarship and curatorial work, Leonard organized post-screening discussions and participated in various social impact campaigns worldwide for advocacy films. He led a "Doc Insights" session at the 2024 Cannes Doc Edition on Post-Screening Q&As: Leading Ethical Interactions to Boost Impactful Conversations.
Every year, BIPOC EURODOC invites a prominent figure from the film industry who champions the promotion of BIPOC filmmaking and producing, and works toward better inclusion of BIPOC voices, to serve as a mentor for the task force. For 2025, Keisha Knight has been named the mentor who succeeds Erika Dilday. Keisha is a researcher and cultural organizer whose work focuses on media infrastructures and marginalized voices. Keisha is committed to shared resources, information equity, and narrative change. Keisha is the Founder and Strategy Lead of Solidarity Media Network (www.solidaritymedianetwork.org).
For any inquiries, partnerships, webinar opportunities, festival accreditations, or delegations, please contact Leonard Cortana at partnership@eurodoc-net.com.
