#TIFF: HENRI LARDO RECEIVES CHARLES OFFICER LEGACY AWARD

Earlier this evening, as part of TIFF’s opening ceremony for the 25th annual Canada’s Top Ten, Henri Pardo was announced as this year’s recipient of the Charles Officer Legacy Award, presented by TIFF and CBC. This award, now in its second year, recognizes a Canadian Black director and/or writer whose body of work exemplifies the late award-winning filmmaker’s creative excellence, strong point of view, and community-mindedness. Pardo is a Montreal-based filmmaker whose debut film Kanaval premiered at TIFF ’23 in the Centrepiece programme.

“Charles Officer understood that making films is not enough — we must also build the infrastructure for the next generation,” said Pardo. “This award is a commitment to continue that work: making the films, opening the doors, and staying present for those coming after us.”

The jury stated: “Henri Pardo’s films combine craft, cultural specificity, and emotional depth while remaining visually striking and rooted in authenticity. Blending Haitian cultural narratives with contemporary techniques and magical realism, his work is perfectly balanced by his role as a mentor and leader, amplifying marginalized voices and reshaping the Canadian film industry into a more inclusive and equitable place. A founding member of both Black Wealth Media and Black on Black Films, his work is just as impactful on screen as it is to the many he holds up with his mentorship, guidance, and high professional standards. It is for these reasons and more that we are proud to award Henri Pardo the Charles Officer Legacy Award.”

This year’s jury members were CBC’s Lea Marin; CFC’s Kathryn Emslie; TIFF’s Jane Kim; and filmmaker Miryam Charles, the inaugural recipient of the Charles Officer Legacy Award.

Henri Pardo will receive $25,000 CAD, a TIFF Industry Membership for one year, and a pass to TIFF: The Market in September 2026.

About Henri Pardo

Henri Pardo is a Montreal-based filmmaker whose work centres Afro-Canadian and Haitian diasporic experiences through documentary and narrative fiction. His feature debut Kanaval (2023) premiered at TIFF, winning the Amplify Voices Award for Best BIPOC Canadian Feature and selection to Canada’s Top Ten. His documentary Dear Jackie (2021) won the Magnus Isacsson Award at RIDM and earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination.

Born in New Brunswick to Haitian parents who fled the Duvalier regime, Pardo works across English, French, and Haitian Creole. His documentary series Afro-Canada (2022) traces 400 years of Black presence in Canada. Beyond his own films, Pardo builds infrastructure for Afrocentric cinema. He founded Black Wealth Media (2016) and the non-profit Encre Noire/Black Ink (2024), which trains emerging Afro-descendant filmmakers while archiving and developing ancestral narrative structures. He is a founding member of Black on Black Films.