Fabienne Colas

Fabienne Colas, MBA, began her career as a model and was crowned Miss Haiti in 2000. She quickly became one of her native country’s most popular actors, winning the Ticket d’Or for best actress in the 2001 film, Barikad. 

In 2003, Colas moved to Quebec, where she featured in many big- and small-screen productions, including the 2008 film Minuit — also her debut as a director and producer. 

Colas is the CEO of the media- and business-consulting company Zaza Production. Founded in 2005, her Fabienne Colas Foundation supports independent films and artists to promote a diversity of voices. 

Colas has founded and presided over 12 arts and film festivals which have showcased more than 5,000 artists and global celebrities to 2 million-plus festivalgoers. These include the Montreal International Black Film Festival — Canada’s largest Black Film Festival; the Toronto Black Film Festival — Canada’s largest celebration of Black History Month through film; Festival Haiti en Folie, and similar events in Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, New York City, Salvador (Bahia – Brazil) and Haiti. She created and executive produces the Canadian Screen Award-winning documentary series and national film incubator program Being Black in Canada by Festwave Institute.

She has sat on provincial- and national-level awards juries and the board of the Society for the Celebrations of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary.

In 2015, she received a medal from Quebec’s National Assembly for her leadership in fighting racism and discrimination. She has been named to the Top 40 Under 40, Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100, and is the recipient of numerous other awards, including from Quebec’s Federation of Chambers of Commerce (Mercuriades) and the Visionaire Award at the Black Academy’s Legacy Awards broadcast on the CBC. In 2019 she was named La Presse’s Person of the Year (Arts & Culture). 

Thursday, June 6, 2024 - Faculty of Fine Arts (8pm ceremony)