... LONG FORM BIO, kendra black ::

Kendra Black is a national award-winning professional with a deeply rooted, 25-year history in film and television production, broadcasting, corporate public relations, and publicity. 

Recipient of a CANPRO Award for the best magazine and feature television program in Canada, a QSVI Award for innovative thinking and execution, and two Performance Recognitions for work ethic, she is committed to the timely fulfillment of quality projects. During the Silver Wave Film Festival’s 2008 awards gala, she was honoured as a “Person who has Contributed Significantly to Film and Video in New Brunswick”.

After receiving formal schooling and additional training in Saint John, Fredericton, Chicago, Montreal and Toronto, Kendra began her multi-faceted career in private television, as co-host of a live, regional magazine program, after which she was promoted to segment producer and co-host for another live, regional magazine program. 

After several years in television, Kendra then accepted a position as co-host of a flagship current affairs program on local public radio, with the pinnacle achievement of her tenure being the program’s attainment of the highest market share of all public radio morning programs in Canada.

Expanding on her career in audio-visual storytelling, Kendra began focussing on narrative films, both long and short form, working in capacities as varied as co-producer, assistant director, casting director, unit publicist, video camera operator, stills photographer, and assistant to producers. She incorporated 4FRONT film services to aid other filmmakers in the areas of production, publicity, public relations, and more.  She also undertook several advanced training sessions with renowned filmmakers and working professionals such as Albert Maysles (Documentary Filmmaking), Dov Simens (Feature Film Producing), Giles Walker (Directing), Les Kryszan (35mm Camera), Elizabeth Guildford (Production Managing), and Janet Sheridan (Production Accounting).

A full member of WIFT Toronto, Kendra recently relocated from New Brunswick, where she was a full member of the New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Cooperative, regularly donating her time and resources to develop and strengthen film and television opportunities for emerging filmmakers in that province. A founding team member of Saint John’s first-ever film festival, Saint John ONE, Kendra initiated financial awards for top-performing filmmakers, engaging the corporate community as funding bodies. Later, she conceived of and launched Film Pix, a film series and film scholarship program. Aided by a distribution arrangement with the highly respected Toronto International Film Festival (Film Circuit Division), and Canada's film distributors, Film Pix became a highly regarded and well attended alternative to mainstream cinema for Saint John residents. The Film Pix Scholarship for Aspiring Filmmakers continues  to harness revenues from the screening of new-release and second-run films to award its annual film scholarship of significance to Greater Saint John youth.

More recently, Kendra accepted an invitation to participate as a working member of the International Advisory Board for The Friends of Certosa di Capri, in Italy. Working with an international body of individuals representing countries including Spain, England, Italy and the United States, the Board provides a focal point for citizens of all nations who wish to support the development of the 13th century monastery Certosa di San Giacomo as a world class cultural resource. The Certosa is on the island of Capri between the Gulf of Naples and the Tyrrhenian Sea, and is 'demanio statale' (Italian state property), a priceless architectural treasure.

As an emerging producer of film, and with the belief that the best stories serve the human condition on many levels, Kendra is committed to the production of stories which evoke and entertain, enlighten, and enhance our sense of self and the world we occupy, merging uncommonly thoughtful artistic values with time-proven ‘best practices’ of business.