Meet OYA

A powerful African goddess and the namesake of a woman-led, award-winning production company based in Toronto. In 2018, celebrated veteran filmmakers Alison Duke of Goldelox Productions and Ngardy Conteh George of Mattru Media joined forces to create OYA Media Group. OYA brings an authentic perspective to media platforms, from film and TV to virtual reality through socially relevant, life-changing stories that amplify Black experiences.

Notable accolades include -

2024 Canadian Screen Awards - 5 nominations and 3 wins for Black Community Mixtapes - Best Photography, Documentary or Factual, Best Sound, Documentary or Factual, Best Original Music, Documentary

2024 Top 3 Audience Favourite - Hot Docs Film Festival for A Mother Apart

2024 Anthem Award - Education, Art & Culture - Silver Award for series Black Community Mixtapes

2021 RBC Women of Influence Ones to Watch Awards recipients

Winner - 2021 Canadian Screen Awards - Best Direction, Documentary Series - Being Black in Toronto

Winner - 2020 Canadian Screen Awards - Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary - Mr. Jane and Finch

Winner - 2020 Canadian Screen Awards - Best Writing, Documentary - Mr. Jane and Finch

Meet OYA

A powerful African goddess and the namesake of a woman-led, award-winning production company based in Toronto. In 2018, celebrated veteran filmmakers Alison Duke of Goldelox Productions and Ngardy Conteh George of Mattru Media joined forces to create OYA Media Group. OYA brings an authentic perspective to media platforms, from film and TV to virtual reality through socially relevant, life-changing stories that amplify Black experiences.

2021 RBC Women of Influence Ones to Watch Awards recipients

Winner - 2021 Canadian Screen Awards - Best Direction, Documentary Series - Being Black in Toronto

Winner - 2020 Canadian Screen Awards - Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary - Mr. Jane and Finch

Winner - 2020 Canadian Screen Awards - Best Writing, Documentary - Mr. Jane and Finch

Our Team

Meet the Founders


For individual booking of Alison Duke and Ngardy Conteh George, please contact meaghan@ggagency.ca.

Nina Beveridge >
Business Affairs Consultant/Line Producer

Janeece Niles >
Research & Development Support

Matt Crispo >
Post Production Supervisor

Silvana Rose Miller >
Development Producer


Becoming One

Alongside a strong work ethic, business savvy, and practiced storytelling, our core values contributed to a steady creative and business rapport, forcing us to question why we hadn’t merged companies yet.

After 20+ years focused on social issues documentaries, we are now taking the issues and themes that we've discovered and applying them to a variety of original scripted and unscripted content with global reach. Our Emerging Filmmaker programs give us unparalleled access to new talent and fresh ideas.

Welcome to the new landscape of cinema.

Becoming One

Alongside a strong work ethic, business savvy, and practiced storytelling, our core values contributed to a steady creative and business rapport, forcing us to question why we hadn’t merged companies yet.

After 20+ years focused on social issues documentaries, we are now taking the issues and themes that we've discovered and applying them to a variety of original scripted and unscripted content with global reach. Our Emerging Filmmaker programs give us unparalleled access to new talent and fresh ideas.

Welcome to the new landscape of cinema.

Our Mission

Boldly Telling Our Stories

Here at Oya Media Group we are committed to telling authentic, impactful and entertaining stories.

Every day, we strive for the highest caliber of quality and professionalism. Our business continually pushes the boundaries to deliver an outstanding product.

We aim to create high-impact global-reaching productions through international co-production.

We also collaborate with emerging artists and creatives with unique voices and are on the pulse of fresh ideas and groundbreaking stories. 

Join us in celebrating the power of Black experiences through stories. We are deeply connected and inspired by our community and recognize that their stories must be told.


AWARDS

2024

Black Community Mixtapes

  • Canadian Screen Awards -

    5 Nominations and 3 wins:

    • Best Photography, Documentary or Factual

    • Best Sound, Documentary or Factual

    • Best Original Music, Documentary

  • Anthem Award - Education, Art & Culture - Silver Award for series

A Mother Apart

  • Top 3 Audience Favourite at Hot Docs Film Festival

  • Hot Docs honours Alison Duke with the Don Haig Award

  • CMPA honours Ngardy Conteh George with the Indiescreen Awards - Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award

This Land of Ours

  • CMF-Hot Docs Best Canadian Pitch Prize

2021

OYA Media Group - Alison Duke & Ngardy Conteh George

  • 2021 RBC Women of Influence Ones to Watch Awards recipient

Being Black In Toronto

  • Canadian Screen Awards *winner - Best Direction, Documentary Series  

Promise Me 

  • Yorkton Film Festival - Golden Sheaf Awards *winner - Best Direction - Fiction and Best Scripted

2020

Being Black In Toronto 

  • Gary International Black Film Festival *winner - Best Youth Film - Judges Award  

Mr. Jane & Finch 

  • Canadian Screen Awards *winner - Best Writing in a Documentary 

  • Canadian Screen Awards *winner -  Donald Brittain Award for Best Social/Political Documentary

  • Yorkton Film Festival *nominated for a Golden Sheaf award

Promise Me 

  • Reelworld Film Festival *winner - Standout Writing Award Short Drama

  • Columbus International Black Film Festival *winner - Best Short Drama Award

  • Afro Prairie Film Fest - Winston M Moxam Award *winner -  Best Canadian Short

  • The Legacy Project 

    Caribbean Tales Film Festival  *winner - Best Canadian Presentation

  • Through the Lens Darkly 

    African Movie Academy Awards - Winner - Best Diaspora Doc

    Berlin Int'l Film Festival *nominated - Best Essay Film

    Black Reel Awards *nominated -Outstanding Indie Doc

    Image Awards *winner Outstanding Documentary

    Pan African Film Festival *winner - Festival Prgs Award

    The Flying Stars 

    Bronze Lens Film Festival *winner - Best Documentary

  • Batty Boyz Revenge

    Kingston LGBT Film Festival *nominated - Best Short

    IMAGE+Nation Film Festival *nominated - Best Short

    Rightout Film Festival *winner - Fan Fav short

    My Joan of Arc 

    IDFA *nominated - Best Documentary

    The Flying Stars 

    Telefilm TIFF Pitch This! *winner (formally called ‘Leone Stars’)

  • Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home

    Goteborg Int'l Film Festival *winner - Best Documentary Award

    VII Urban-TV Int'l Tel Festival *special mention award

  • Raisin' Kane: a rapumentary

    Urbanworld Film Festival *winner - HBO Award for Best Documentary

    Reel World Film Festival *winner - Best Canadian Documentary


PROGRAMS

OYA Media Group has participated in the following programs: