College of the Canyons film instructor Bavand Karim will attend Marche du Film, one of the largest film markets in the world, at the Cannes Film Festival in May to promote the launch of a new film slate by CINE & Lost Winds Entertainment.

Karim, who is the founder and chairperson of CINE, recently secured a new multi-year partnership with We Belong—an EU-based non-profit organization led by Executive Director Yasmine Ouirhrane—to raise up to $15 million to produce original films focused on diverse characters and stories.

“Our film slate is comprised exclusively of non-traditional stories told by unique auteurs,” said Karim. “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.”

The funding will serve to launch a diverse slate of original films by directors Maryam Keshavarz (“The Persian Version”), Rashad Frett (“Ricky”), Daphne Di Cinto (“Il Moro”), Cameron Fay (“Maybe It’s You”), and David Liu (“Santa Anita”).

We Belong and CINE are partnering to host the We Cannes Collective at L’Hotel Particulier on May 18, during Marche du Film to foster dialogue, promote inclusivity, and showcase the diverse talent attached to CINE’s slate.

Karim, who joined COC’s Media Entertainment Arts (MEA) program in August 2023 as a full-time filmmaking instructor, hopes to use his Cannes experience to broaden his knowledge of the business aspects of the film industry, such as dealmaking.

“Our MEA 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,” said Karim.

Karim says what he enjoys the most about teaching at COC is the open-mindedness of his students.

“Cinema should be about the journey of discovery, so it’s refreshing to find students who are so full of curiosity and wonder about the world around them,” said Karim.

During his tenure at COC, Karim has been impressed with the college’s funding of the MEA program and believes the college provides an excellent value relative to the actual cost of a student’s education.

“Our technology—the cameras, labs, studios, and facilities—are all cutting edge and designed to deliver industry-standard training to prepare students for whatever is next on their journey, whether that is going on to another institution or seeking a position in the film industry,” said Karim.

For more information about the college’s MEA program, please click here.