New Documentary Explores the Experiences of Black Canadian Filmmakers

By Neil Armstrong

Photo credit: OYA Media Group           Legendary filmmaker Claire Prieto-Fuller in Reel Black: Our Film Stories, a new documentary premiering on CBC Gem and CBC Television's Absolutely Canadian 

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.

The new documentary premieres on CBC Gem on July 8, followed by a debut on CBC Television’s Absolutely Canadian, province-wide in Ontario on July 9 at 8pm EST. 

Reel Black: Our Film Stories highlights the urgent need and demand for Black Canadian stories, and critically examines the barriers unique to Black filmmakers in Canada’s film and entertainment industry, while exploring the power of Black narratives. 

It also addresses the common and prohibitive challenges that Black Canadian filmmakers contend with in Canada’s film scene. Due to systemic barriers and inequities surrounding what stories get disseminated in mainstream media, Black narratives have been marginalized, deemed less appealing for Canadian audiences, or are under-marketed once produced.

“I have a passion for filmmaking. This is what I want to do, however there are barriers in the film industry that are unique to Black filmmakers that we can't ignore. I can't help but wonder, do things get easier with time,” asks Anderson.

 

Prieto-Fuller advises the emerging filmmakers to start with their own story because they will be more passionate about it and it will show.  She told them that when they are on the other side of the camera as producer and director they have more power than the person — like her in this documentary — being interviewed on camera.

Karen Chapman recounts pitching her film to gatekeepers in the film industry and being asked if it would relate to someone in the prairies — which smacked of racism because Black people live in the prairies too. Karen King remembered approaching the National Film Board with a film idea and being told that they made a black film the previous year. 

Photo credit: OYA Media Group      Karen King, veteran producer and production manager

“It’s been like there is some kind of entitlement that nobody else is allowed to work in the industry,” notes King, citing examples of driving by film shoots in Toronto and seeing only white people.

Browne highlights that those in power put rules in place that help them to maintain their power. 

Prieto-Fuller shared the history and mission of the Black Film and Video Network, founded in 1988, to encourage and promote the development, production and distribution of the work of Black film and video-makers in Canada. Browne recounts that her first job in film was provided by Prieto-Fuller.

 

“Once power structure changes then we will have more opportunities for more diverse stories that are representative of the reality of Canadian society,” says Browne. Charley wants to see that change soon — “The representation on screen is nice, but I also want to see more Black crew, I want to see Black writers, Black producers, and Black managers.” 

 

The documentary follows two burgeoning, contemporary Black Canadian filmmakers, Ahjanis Charley and Christian Anderson who are mentees in OYA’s Emerging Filmmaker Program. Their journeys are juxtaposed alongside key Black forerunners in Black Canadian film, including Claire Prieto-Fuller, producer of Some Black Women (1977), one of the first Canadian films to be produced by a Black filmmaker, Clement Virgo and Karen King (producers of Rude, 1995 featured in Cannes film festival), Christene Browne, director of Another Planet (1999) the first feature film created by a Black woman, Karen Chapman, director of Measure (2019) and Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, director, Black Bodies (2020).

Photo credit: OYA Media Group      Christene Browne, director and writer

 

“As Black filmmakers in Canada, we are met with many obstacles in telling our own stories. We want to demystify the notion that Black stories are separate from Canadian stories, and authentically share our lived experiences through our lens. Our stories shape the history and reality of Canadian society, they are meaningful and nuanced, deserving of the same platform to have our voices heard,” says Alison Duke, co-founder of OYA Media Group.

OYA aims to create space through their non-profit organization, OYA Black Arts Coalition (OBAC), which promotes more diverse stories and uplifts emerging Black Canadian creators through mentorship, training programs, and other key resources to empower and equip the next generation of filmmakers and increase visibility on screen and behind the scenes. This film project was created by participants from OYA’s Emerging Filmmaker Program, they are: Tristen Sutherland, Alexx Bryant, Ayan Tani, Émeraude Domingos Mbuku, Leilah Dhoré, and Enni Balo. 

Photo credit: OYA Media Group     Emerging filmmakers Christian Anderson, left, and Ajahnis Charley

“Reel Black: Our Film Stories acknowledges some legendary Black Canadian filmmakers who have contributed seminal Black stories to the Canadian film landscape. Kudos to their work while navigating systemic and other barriers.  As OYA alumni, we recognize the importance of Black filmmakers having capacity to share Black stories, and are grateful to Alison, Ngardy and team for the opportunity to learn inside this very special industry ecosystem,” says Tristen Sutherland, director/producer of Reel Black.