When intergenerational conversations happen between Black Canadian established and emerging filmmakers what results are pearls of wisdom about the film industry, the gatekeepers, challenges, strategies and victories.

These moments are captured in “Reel Black: Our Film Stories,” produced by OYA Media Group’s award-winning creative team, in which emerging Black filmmakers Christian Anderson and Ajahnis Charley learn what it takes to fulfill their filmmaking dreams through the insight of legendary filmmaker Claire Prieto-Fuller and seasoned filmmakers Karen King, Christene Browne, Karen Chapman, and Kelly Fyffe-Marshall.

In 2022, it still continues to be a topic of discussion even while we’re slowly starting to see some progress.

There’s still so much work to be done and this is where Oya Media Group comes in.

Its award-winning creative team produced an exceptional short doc Reel Black: Our Film Stories premiering on CBC Gem on Friday, July 8.

The short documentary Reel Black ends with a simple but large question: what is the future of Canadian film? The answers range from emerging filmmakers like Christian Anderson saying that she thinks the future of Canadian film is “gonna be radical as hell.” A director like Karen Chapman, meanwhile, is direct. “I see people getting paid,” she says.

A visionary, pioneer, and mentor, Alison Duke (MFA '20) is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and a Black queer-woman who uses her craft to produce distinctive entertainment content, and most importantly to talk about social issues and ways to overcome them. Alison co-founded OYA Media Group in 2018 to continue producing unconventional content and support other emerging filmmakers. She has worked on some ground-breaking documentaries, feature films, and short films – all to give a voice to underrepresented communities.

Posted on 30 June 2022

The latest Heritage Minute highlights Canada's history of slavery and the path that led to its eventual demise — a story that "needed to be told," according the head of the organization behind the series.

Alison and Ngardy founded OYA Media Group to bring an authentic perspective to media through socially relevant, life-changing stories that amplify Black experiences. Their documentary Mr. Jane & Finch, which they co-produced and Ngardy directed, premiered on CBC Docs POV in 2019 and won two Canadian Screen Awards.

Alison and Ngardy founded OYA Media Group to bring an authentic perspective to media through socially relevant, life-changing stories that amplify Black experiences. Their documentary Mr. Jane & Finch, which they co-produced and Ngardy directed, premiered on CBC Docs POV in 2019 and won two Canadian Screen Awards.