Veteran actress Grier to headline Film Training Manitoba event

An actress known for her pioneering work in U.S cinema will speak at a Winnipeg event promoting women in film careers.

Pam Grier is slated to talk about breaking barriers and building a lasting career during the Supporting Women in Film Trades (SWIFT) conference.

Grier received a Golden Globe nomination in 1998 for her lead role in Jackie Brown, a Quentin Tarantino movie. Her breakout roles came starring in blaxploitation films Coffy and Foxy Brown — released in 1973 and 1974, respectively.

“Pam Grier was such a huge get for us,” Adam Smoluk, executive director of Film Training Manitoba, said Thursday.

The organization launched its first SWIFT conference in 2021. It had found, through its own labour market research, that less than 30 per cent of Manitoba film trades workers identified as women.

Meantime, the industry has struggled to fill jobs. Lighting, camera work, accounting — there are gaps across the board, Smoluk said.

Film production value in Manitoba hit $310.1 million in 2024-25. It’s a sharp increase from the $96.5 million Manitoba Film and Music reported for 2009-10.

“We have to continually offer this event,” Smoluk said, noting it’s one of several initiatives Film Training Manitoba holds to draw workers.

The conference is booked for Oct. 24 at the University of Winnipeg’s Riddell Hall, at 411 Spence St.

Grier, 77, has a decades-long career, with 111 acting credits, according to internet resource IMDB.

“People that are kind of fourth quarter of their careers often feel left behind,” Smoluk said. “Particularly an industry where it’s project based, we can attract and add a lot of value.”

Retaining workers in the contract-based industry can be difficult, Smoluk noted. Still, Film Training Manitoba reports increasing demand for its SWIFT conference.

It expects 200 attendees this year. It counted 132 participants last year and 80 in 2021.

“Its popularity led to last year’s move to … Riddell Hall to accommodate SWIFT’s larger audiences,” said Terence Fuller, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 856.

The conference includes panels on job options and networking roundtables. Tickets are $70 and available on Film Training Manitoba’s website.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com