Henri Pardo Named 2026 Charles Officer Legacy Award Recipient
Accepting the award, Pardo emphasized the importance of mentorship and long-term support for emerging filmmakers, noting that the recognition represents a responsibility to continue creating opportunities for the next generation.
TIFF and CBC have announced Montreal-based filmmaker Henri Pardo as the 2026 recipient of the Charles Officer Legacy Award. The announcement was made during TIFF’s opening ceremony for the 25th edition of Canada’s Top Ten.
Now in its second year, the Charles Officer Legacy Award honours a Canadian Black director or writer whose work reflects the creative vision, social commitment, and community leadership of the late filmmaker Charles Officer. The award recognizes both artistic achievement and contributions to building a more inclusive film industry.
Pardo is best known for his feature debut Kanaval, which premiered at TIFF in 2023 as part of the Centrepiece programme. His work often explores Afro-Canadian and Haitian diasporic experiences through both narrative and documentary filmmaking.
Accepting the award, Pardo emphasized the importance of mentorship and long-term support for emerging filmmakers, noting that the recognition represents a responsibility to continue creating opportunities for the next generation.
In a joint statement, the jury praised Pardo’s ability to blend cultural specificity, emotional depth, and visual style, highlighting his use of Haitian narratives and elements of magical realism. They also cited his leadership within the Black filmmaking community and his efforts to amplify underrepresented voices both on and off screen.
The 2026 jury included CBC’s Lea Marin, the Canadian Film Centre’s Kathryn Emslie, TIFF’s Jane Kim, and filmmaker Miryam Charles, who was the inaugural recipient of the award.
As part of the honour, Pardo will receive a $25,000 CAD cash prize, a one-year TIFF Industry Membership, and access to TIFF: The Market in September 2026.
Pardo was born in New Brunswick to Haitian parents who fled the Duvalier dictatorship. He works across English, French, and Haitian Creole. His previous projects include the documentary Dear Jackie (2021), which won the Magnus Isacsson Award at RIDM and received a Canadian Screen Award nomination, and the documentary series Afro-Canada (2022), which examines centuries of Black history in Canada.
In addition to his filmmaking career, Pardo has played a significant role in developing Afrocentric film infrastructure. He founded Black Wealth Media in 2016 and launched the non-profit Encre Noire/Black Ink in 2024, which supports and trains emerging Afro-descendant filmmakers. He is also a founding member of Black on Black Films.
