Bavand Karim, a film instructor at College of the Canyons, is attending the Marche du Film at the Cannes Film Festival this month.

Karim is representing the Santa Clarita-based school in France to promote the launch of a new film slate by Cine and Lost Winds Entertainment. Karim is the founder and chair of Cine, a Hollywood-based consultancy specializing in the financing, development and production of films, TV programs and brand campaigns dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in visual media and the arts.

Karim also announced that Cine recently secured a multiyear partnership with We Belong, a European nonprofit, to produce original films focused on diverse characters and stories.

“Our film slate is comprised exclusively of non-traditional stories told by unique auteurs,” Karim said. “Each of our writer-directors is a minority or a woman, or both. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our mission, and we hope to create new opportunities for artists who haven’t previously had a high level of access in the entertainment industry.”

We Belong and Cine are partnering to host the We Cannes Collective at L’Hotel Particulier during Marche du Film to foster dialogue, promote inclusivity and showcase the diverse talent attached to Cine’s slate. 

The Marche du Film began on May 14 and runs through May 22 during the festival. Karim, who joined the college’s Media Entertainment Arts program in August as a full-time filmmaking instructor, hopes to use the Cannes experience to broaden his knowledge of the business aspects of the film industry, such as dealmaking.

“Our department has discussed the possibility of expanding in a few different directions, and I believe that teaching the business of entertainment would be extremely valuable to our students in helping them prepare for careers as independent filmmakers,” Karim said.