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June 3, 2026 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
Making its streaming debut tomorrow on YouTube, Anne-Lovely Etienne’s Féminisites delves into a topical issue: how to ensure the safety of women who use dating apps? This National Film Board of Canada (NFB) production, the second project in its ON FILME documentary initiative developed specifically for YouTube, is presented in four distinct yet complementary formats.
Its goal? To spark meaningful dialogue around this timely issue and engage audiences on the platforms they use every day. This second, English-subtitled work in the series will also be available on the NFB’s platform at a later date.
Director's Statement
In 2023, a single post on the Facebook group “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” turned my perception of online dating upside down. Three years later, I care more than ever about raising women’s awareness, awakening people to the issues, and highlighting a new and hugely important social phenomenon: the digital sisterhood.
This project has been supported by the courage of the women who’ve chosen to speak out and talk about their experiences, despite the fear of being judged, to remind us of a fundamental truth: love should never be equated with danger.
My greatest wish is that this notion will reach through the screen and become part of your discussions with co-workers, your girls’ nights out, and your family dinner conversations. Because though women’s safety is an age-old issue, it has become even more precarious in the digital era.
If this project can spark discussions, or even just help one woman feel a little less alone, it will have been a success.
About the four formats — Féminisites
The Real Risks of Online Dating
What risks are women taking when they use dating apps, and are there effective ways to protect them? Anne-Lovely Etienne examines the issue from the perspectives of victims, a female sergeant-detective, and a Crown prosecutor to discuss awareness and liability, the reporting process, citizen initiatives, and recent legal advances.
Marked by a story from the past that resurfaced on the Facebook support group for women AWDTSG (“Are we dating the same guy?”), Anne-Lovely Etienne goes on a mission to start a wide-ranging social discussion about the dark side of online dating.
This video podcast offers a conversation between Anne-Lovely Etienne, Lamia Djemoui (doctoral candidate in sociology and expert in feminist studies), and Vanessa Destiné (journalist and columnist) about violence against women and the emergence of a digital sisterhood in fourth-wave feminism. They discuss the risks of using dating apps and the questions of liability surrounding them.
As someone directly impacted by this subject, Anne-Marie Lefebvre, founder of the online dating community Rencontre sportive, explains the methods she uses to give women a safer and more positive dating experience on her site. In doing so, she talks about the risks, liabilities, proliferation, and declining momentum of online dating platforms like Tinder.
About the filmmaker
Journalist, host, screenwriter, radio producer and television commentator Anne-Lovely Etienne is a versatile communicator. In 2025, she co-created the web series Créateurs d’influence, distributed on Véro.tv and ICI Tou.tv, and since 2022, she’s hosted On est rendu là on Unis TV, which highlights social engagement among Gen Z. Recognized by the Gala Dynastie and the Canadian Newspaper Awards, she has established herself as a strong, engaged voice and is currently developing her own documentary and drama projects.
About the ON FILME initiative
ON FILME is the National Film Board’s documentary initiative for YouTube, where the NFB has maintained its own channel for 20 years. Created for the platform’s conversational ecosystem, this new initiative sets out to engage audiences in discussion and encourage the building of a space for sharing and experimenting.
The NFB invited three influential personalities from Quebec’s digital landscape—Mounir Kaddouri (a.k.a. Maire de Laval), Anne-Lovely Etienne and Simon Coutu—to find a new perspective on a contemporary issue close to their hearts. Each artist has the opportunity to contribute their creativity and unique viewpoint to current public discourse.
All four formats of Mounir Kaddouri’s work Après moi le déluge were launched on May 7; Simon Coutu’s will follow in late August.
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