On November 25 and 26 2023, Film Training Manitoba (FTM) and thirty organizations total came together to conduct Canada’s Supporting Women in Film Trades (SWIFT) 2023 Conference.
FTM is a member of the Province of Manitoba’s Sector Council Program through the Department of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources. Gold and Silver partners of the SWIFT Conference 2023 included RBC, The Government of Manitoba, IATSE-856, Gender Equity Manitoba, Warner Bros Discovery Access Canada, and the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology.
Carried out as a division within FTM, SWIFT is a program which conducts women-led skills development for women-identifying workers in the film industry. In 2022, FTM held its first SWIFT conference and had 85 participants attend over three days. Held this year as a two-day conference, the SWIFT Conference had over 140 participants register, and it sold out nearly a month prior to the event dates.
FTM gathered labour market information in 2021 and noted less than 30 percent of Manitobans working in trades positions in the film industry are women and women-identifying individuals. In an effort to increase the number of women, women-identifying, and non-binary individuals working on film sets, FTM’s SWIFT conference consisted of industry panels and speaker sessions with senior-level executives, managers, crew members, and performers.
The 2022 SWIFT conference was the first major event held at Red River College Polytechnic’s Manitou a bi Bii daziigae. In 2023, the event was held again at the same location.
Given that the conference had women attending from multiple regions in Canada, the event was rebranded to Canada’s SWIFT. This year’s SWIFT conference also features the former Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean, as the keynote speaker. Prior to her appointment as Canada’s vice-regal, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean worked as an on-air media host, reporter and as a producer, and filmmaker.
“Canada’s SWIFT conference is a highly productive and innovative program to develop workers’ careers and skills.” Said SWIFT’s Programming Manager, Allison Bile. She added, “The work our group is pushing forward with will only help build our industry for everyone.”
The SWIFT conference was modelled after the Manitoba Construction Sector Council (MSCS)’s Women in Trades Conference which was first launched in 2019. In addition, the MSCS’s Executive Director Carol Paul also served on FTM’s SWIFT committee with a group of other women professionals. Paul also served as a speaker on The Power Panel: Women Executives in Action alongside long-serving industry members and executives, including: Jamie Carnegie (Executive Director of Gender Equity Manitoba), Sarah Spring (Executive Director of DOC National) and Cathie Edgar (President of DGC-MDC). This panel was moderated by Bev Stuart (Vice President, Business and Organizational Development of MITT) and was introduced by Carole Vivier, C.M., O.M. (Former CEO & Film Commissioner of MB Film and Music), who also served as a last minute keynote speaker at the SWIFT Conference.
“This year’s SWIFT Conference programming targeted learning sessions for both new and existing women workers to connect, network and learn from seasoned professionals.” Said FTM’s Executive Director Adam Smoluk.
Both conference days consisted of a total of seven panels with two speaker sessions and one keynote speaker. The keynote session with the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean was rescheduled to January 6th due to illness.
Day one of SWIFT consisted of the following educational sessions:
- Championing Yourself and Your Career
- The Art of Film Trades
- Transformative Leadership
- Women’s Role in a Changing Film and Media Landscape
- Reel Inclusion
Canada’s SWIFT Conference started with a land acknowledgment and opening remarks from the SWIFT committee executive, Ellen Rutter, Tanya Mazur and Carrie Wilkins. Followed by a smudge and opening prayer from Elder Geraldine Shingoose. This served to provide attendees with the clear and open mindset to begin the conference.
Day two of SWIFT inspired attendees with the following educational sessions:
- The Power of Mentorship and Investing in You!
- Self-Perception of Women in Film and Media
- Entrepreneurship for Film and Media
- The Power Panel: Women Executives in Action
- Women’s Important Role within Canada’s Media and Film Industry
The opening of day two featured a speakers session from Manitoba Crown Attorney Chantal Boutin, who alongside moderator, Rebecca Gibson (Partner of Eagle Vision, Member of CMPA, Member of ACTRA). Both spoke passionately about the power of mentorship for women and the importance of investing in yourself. This session was sponsored by Warner Bros Discovery Access Canada and was introduced by Kim Derko (An award-winning Director of Photography and Director, a full member of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers, IATSE 667 & 669, The ICFC, ARRAY Crew and the Directors Guild of Canada).
All the educational sessions conducted during the SWIFT conference were evaluated with strong approval ratings including over 90% of the attendees strongly agreeing that the skills they learned at the conference helped them in their job or career.
During the conference all participants were given the opportunity to ask questions in a group dynamic at the end of every panel. The panelists and participants also utilized networking breaks between each educational session to develop new working connections and have their questions answered in an open environment.
The second day of the conference was brought to a close with two honours being presented to film industry veterans Heather Neale and Vonnie Von Helmolt. Neale was received the SWIFT award, and Vonnie Von Helmolt was appointed as an honorary SWIFT committee member.
The previous SWIFT award winner and film industry veteran Ellen Rutter was the presenter of the honour and said, “This year’s recipient (Neale) has decades of experience supporting and mentoring women and other underrepresented workers. Heather Neale is not only a highly accomplished costume designer with an exceptional body of work but also a model of professionalism and grace.”
Emmy award-winning producer Vonnie Von Helmolt was also selected to be the first honorary SWIFT committee member. This honour was to recognize her role in being the founding chair of FTM and her years of service to the film industry in Canada.
“We are very fortunate today to have the founding chairperson Vonnie Von Helmolt with us. Over ten thousand individuals have taken FTM programs, and we now have the capacity to carry out Canada’s Supporting Women in Film Trades (SWIFT) Conference, which is the first and only women’s conference for women film workers in Canada. And that is because of Vonnie. None of this would exist without you.” Said FTM’s Executive Director Adam Smoluk.
SWIFT’s committee designed a special one-of-a-kind coat with Von Helmolt’s name embordered on it.
Both Neale and Von Helmolt shared their thanks and remarked on the growth and development of Manitoba and Canada’s film industry during their years working within the film industry.
The SWIFT conference had a closing reception, sponsored by Centre Culturel Franco Manitobain with Francophone artist/singer-songwriter Andrina Turenne performing as well as offering an additional opportunity for speakers and participants to come together and connect before departing the conference.
In November 2023, Film Training Manitoba rescheduled the Supporting Women in Film Trades (SWIFT) Conference’s keynote speaker, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean due to illness. The new date of this session was January 6, 2024.
This session was moderated by Manitoba-based filmmaker Danielle Sturk who also serves on the SWIFT Conference organizing committee. This session was sponsored directly by RBC.
A total of thirty organizations came together to conduct the SWIFT 2023 Conference, and with over 140 participants at the conference in November. Much like the conference held in November 2023, this SWIFT speaker session was held at Red River College Polytechnic’s Manitou a bi Bii daziigae.
Canada’s SWIFT Keynote Speaker Session started with a land acknowledgment and opening remarks from the SWIFT committee executives, Carrie Wilkins and Ellen Rutter.
Bringing greetings on behalf of the Province of Manitoba was the Honourable Jamie Moses, Minister of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources. Minister Moses spoke positively about women’s important role working jobs and careers in Manitoba and congratulated the SWIFT committee members, conference attendees and the organizers on the success of the SWIFT conference.
FTM was also joined by film industry veteran Cathie Edger who serves the President of the Director’s Guild of Canada’s Manitoba District Council (DGC-MDC). Cathie provided a greeting on behalf of the DGC-MDC and shared advice about entering the industry. The DGC-MDC was instrumental in founding both FTM and SWIFT. Multiple DGC-MDC members served on the SWIFT conference planning committee, and the guild also sponsored the SWIFT Conference.
SWIFT was also honoured to have Deputy Premier of Manitoba the Honourable Uzoma Asagwara attend the conference. Minister Asagwara met with Madame Jean and Cathie Edgar and spoke about the success of the conference.
Madame Jean was introduced by last year’s SWIFT award winner Ellen Rutter. Madame Jean was a Canadian Journalist and documentarian who was Canada’s 27th Governor-General of Canada (2005-2010) and the first person of African heritage to hold that post. She later became the first woman to serve as secretary-general of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (2015–19).
Jean’s family was descended from slaves. Her father suffered imprisonment and torture under the regime of François Duvalier, leading to the family’s flight to Canada when Jean was age eleven. They settled in Montreal. Jean proved to be a brilliant student, studying languages and literature at the University of Montreal, where she earned a master’s degree in comparative literature. She also attended universities in Italy and France.
A social activist, Jean mixed freely in the diverse world of Montreal’s ethnic communities, honing a perfect command of French and English in the process. Embarking on a career in broadcast journalism, she became a popular commentator on the French-language network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and also worked frequently on the English network.
From 2001, Jean worked as an anchor for Radio-Canada’s Le Téléjournal, and in 2004, she began to host her own television interview show, Michaëlle. She won numerous awards for her journalism, including the Amnesty International Journalism Award. With her husband, French-born Canadian filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond, she also made several acclaimed documentaries, most notably Haïti dans tous nos rêves (1995; “Haiti in All Our Dreams”).
For over an hour Madame Jean spoke in a revealing and forthright manner. She provided insights into the barriers women face within jobs and careers. Her speech was highly motivational, with Madame Jean sharing personal experiences of working in public positions and the need to overcome challenges while serving in leadership positions. Throughout her speech there were standing ovations and applause.
Following the speech, Danielle Sturk moderated a question and answer session which at times electrified the energy of the session. This part of the program was an important sharing of thought-provoking ideas and led to deeper discussions with the participants.
Following the SWIFT speaker session DOC Manitoba’s Chair Merit Jensen-Carr, Manitoba Institute of Trade and Technology Beverlie Stuart, Film Training Manitoba’s Executive Director, Adam Smoluk took to the podium to announce the Film Master Series with renowned internationally renowned filmmaker, Rory Kennedy.
FTM annually conducts special masterclasses with highly accomplished film professionals to help develop the skills of Manitoba’s film industry professionals. The Film Master Series allows film industry professionals to get advice and hear about personal experiences from well-known and accomplished film professionals, as well as an opportunity for a select few to have one-on-ones with the renowned speaker.
Rory Kennedy is an Academy Award-nominated, Primetime Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker. She has made over forty films. Her films have appeared on major streamers and broadcast networks including Netflix, HBO, National Geographic and PBS. Her work has been profiled in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times, and she has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Today Show, and CNN.
This Film Training Manitoba Master Series is in partnership with The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, DOC Manitoba, Moxie Films and the Winnipeg Film Group, and will be held February 10 and 11, 2024.
For more information on this Master Series, please follow the link: https://www.filmtraining.mb.ca/film-training-manitoba-announces-internationally-renowned-filmmaker-rory-kennedy-as-the-distinguished-speaker-of-upcoming-film-master-series/
The evening ended with Film Training Manitoba organizing a reception with the support of Centre Culturel Franco Manitobain. Performing was Haitian-Winnipegger musician Wilbert Chancy, who surprised Madame Jean with a performance of traditional Creole songs.
The SWIFT committee is already planning to conduct a meeting to start planning the 2024 Canada’s SWIFT Conference which is taking place on November 23 and 24. The mission of SWIFT is to grow and improve this important conference alongside this ever-changing industry, to help encourage and support the increase of women, women-identifying, and non-binary individuals working on film sets.
FTM is a non-for-profit charity and member of the Province of Manitoba’s sector council program (through the Department of Economic Development and Jobs). FTM conducts workforce development and training to build a highly skilled and adaptable film industry to support the activities of Manitoba production companies. FTM collaborates with members of the film and television industry to identify the training needs within the community.