This is one of three scholarships offered as part of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) program of the Department of Art History, Film, and Audiovisual Media at the Université de Montréal.

Olivier Du Ruisseau

The cinEXmedia partnership has awarded a $5,000 scholarship to doctoral student in film studies Mónica Diaz, as part of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) scholarship program of the Department of Art History, Film, and Audiovisual Media at the Université de Montréal. This program is made possible through contributions from cinEXmedia, faculty members of the department, and the Canada Research Chair in Citizen Museology.

Holding a Master’s degree in Cinema from Université Sorbonne Nouvelle and a Master’s in Cultural Enterprise Management from HEC Montréal, Mónica Diaz brings over 20 years of experience in the cultural sector, including 15 years dedicated to audiovisual work within vulnerable communities. She has notably collaborated with Wapikoni mobile, an organization that promotes filmmaking among Indigenous communities in Quebec.

Deeply attuned to the socioeconomic challenges faced by these communities, Mónica Diaz recently began a PhD in Film Studies at the Université de Montréal under the supervision of Zaira Zarza. Her research aims to develop new distribution models tailored to Indigenous films, in alignment with the needs and practices of organizations involved in the production and dissemination of works by First Nations.

“EDI scholarships, including the one offered by cinEXmedia, demonstrate the university’s commitment to supporting fields of study that have historically been underrepresented—particularly those focused on the representation of First Nations and that contribute to amplifying their voices,” the doctoral student explains.

After several years of hands-on experience, she says she felt “a profound responsibility to give back” to the cultural sector: “This is why I returned to university, with a distinctly collaborative approach, in order to mobilize various organizations and collectively reflect on better ways to support Indigenous audiovisual production.”