Free online panel discussion of 'Planet Africa 25: Origin Stories' held at TIFF 2020

In this online panel in which Cameron Bailey,  TIFF Co-Head and Artistic Director, and Founder, Planet Africa was joined by his team that built Planet Africa to look at what the program’s legacy means today.

The panel was joined by June Givanni, Gaylene Gould, Maxine Bailey, Hayet Benkara, Karen Carter, Grecia Mayers, Orla Garriques, and Clement Virgo for a conversation about its origin, obstacles, successes, and what Planet Africa means in this age of Black Lives Matter.

This conversation was about the origin of Planet Africa, obstacles faced, successes, and what Planet Africa means to our age of Black Lives Matter.

Planet Africa was made by a stellar group of creative people, most of them Black women, and the section was programmed by Cameron Bailey TIFF Co-Head and Artistic Director for the first three years.

Planet Africa’s approach to the film was initially defined by June Givanni, and then by Gaylene Gould, both UK curators.

The spirit was brought to the program by Toronto arts maven and former TIFF VP Maxine Bailey, current AGO curator Julie Crooks, and international film industry expert Hayet Benkara who then matched with the engaged curation.

Orla Garriques, who worked on the section for years, had put together this commemorative site. 

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)