Episode 235: In The Seats With...Naomi Snieckus, Jo Vannicola, the 'Firecracker Department' and the 2021 Blaze Award

It's important to put in the good work...As we're deep in the heart of Toronto International Film Festival right now, it felt important to remind ourselves that there's more then just movies playing in theatres to be excited about.  There's good work going on as our community comes together to make stories from all walks of life as accessible as humanly possible.That's where the Firecracker Department comes in...Firecracker Department started as a podcast and has grown into an international community of artistic women and non-binary artists igniting each other to take creative action through positivity, education, support and by providing a platform for our voices and stories.  Since its start five years ago, it has grown into several departments including: Comedy Department, Script Department, Writing Department, Wellness Department, Social Justice Department and more are sparking in the future to create space for more women and non-binary artists to be heard. The community of Firecracker Department core members have branched out to Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York, Texas, Nashville, Dubai and the UK.  The core members are running panels, events, workshops to pursue their goal of getting more women and non-binary artists in creative positions.Tomorrow they are having their virtual TIFF brunch and handing out their Blaze award to Jo Vannicola for their work not only in front of but behind the screen for all their continuing efforts in making the entertainment industry a more inclusive place.  Visit the Firecracker Department's Facebook for the Virtual Red Carpet at 1PM before their brunch.We had the distinct pleasure to talk with Naomi and Jo, not only about the origins of the Firecracker Department, but the significance of the Blaze award, highlighting all these issues during something like TIFF, pronouns and remembering to have all our hearts in the right place when it comes to accepting diversity in storytelling.