Outstanding Black stories are Canadian stories. To think that such a simple truth can hold so much weight.
By Ann Marie Collymore | Published on Saturday, July 9, 2022
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.
Young emerging Black filmmakers Christian Anderson and Ajahnis Charley are thorough about learning their craft.
In their quest for education and insight, they tap into veteran Black filmmakers such as Karen King, Claire Prieto-Fuller, Clement Virgo and more. They find that the challenges their predecessors have been facing in the industry since the 60's are the exact challenges this generation is still facing. It's noted that we still rarely see the credits of Black women in feature films or even many Black folk on film sets, in a city as diverse as Toronto.
Or the challenges of breaking into the industry once you actually have a film made. Director Kelly Fyffe Marshall talks about her film Black Bodies playing at Sundance Film Festival 2021, but got virtually no coverage from Canadian legacy media until Ava DuVernay tweeted about seeing the film.
Reel Black would be a stellar placeholder for a feature-length documentary, it's informative, profound and symbolic.
The doc imparts brutal truths behind the creative path for Black filmmakers in Canada and can act as a guide and source for emerging filmmakers making their way today. It’s definitely worth the watch.
Reel Black is now streaming on CBC Gem.
