By Neil Armstrong
 |
| Photo credit: #gerardphotoYYZ Towa Beer, Founder & Marketing Director of My Mentor Said |
They died one week apart from each other which has members of Toronto’s Black community profoundly saddened that two of its dynamic creatives — marketing expert Towa Beer and acclaimed filmmaker Charles Officer — are no longer around to animate conversations and life. They are being remembered with fond memories.
Beer, who created and produced several events and festivals in Canada and internationally, passed away on November 25 due to diabetes-related complications, and Officer, a prolific film director, died on December 1 after a long illness. Their families and friends will gather on Sunday, December 10, 2023, in Toronto at separate events and different times to bid them a final goodbye.
Born on April 28, 1971, in Zambia, Beer was a marketer, event producer and travel tv host who produced campaigns to raise a client’s profile and attract media and corporate partners while deepening ties with customers and the community, notes her LinkedIn profile.
Describing herself as a revolutionary’s daughter on her Tumblr page, Beer said she “grew up globally, playing in airports, learning manners and racial politics at the dining table and all the while, I’m lusting for the MTV life.”
She said she is the daughter of two NGO globe-trotters, mother of a daughter and mentor to many young social entrepreneurs. “I’m always going to find a way to help artists create, causes to be heard and young people to be engaged in change,” wrote Beer.
“Towa’s career has taken her along for a very interesting ride, from radio stations to record labels to PR, to owning her own agency to Parks Canada to the Heart & Stroke Foundation – there’s not much this voracious yet diligent woman cannot do,” notes her Tumblr profile.
Beer worked at EMI Music Publishing Canada – one of the world’s top record labels – which equipped her to become head of the promotions department at Flow 93.5 where she built the brand from the ground up.
She eventually founded her own agency, Transl8tor Marketing Inc., which generated over $500,000 through concerts, sports events, sponsorship, marketing and public relations for non-profits and charities.
In 2006, she closed Transl8tor and accepted an offer to become the Head of Sponsorship at Cable & Wireless Jamaica. In her new role, Beer designed the engagement strategy behind 2 of the largest events in the world (Reggae Sunsplash, ICC Cricket World Cup) while being responsible for sponsorship budgets over $10MM, notes her page.
She also joined the largest health charity in Canada, The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, where she created a new national sponsorship and sampling model for the Chinese community and introduced Ride for Heart, The Heart Truth and Big Bike to Canada’s leading corporations.
Beer created www.pitchyourtech.ca, GTHA's 1st Tech Conference for Diverse Youth; CULTIV8TOR: Creative Coworking spaces with Childcare; www.mymentorsaid.ca, a digital marketing agency fueled by entrepreneurs and mentors; and www.eighteentwelve.ca, a multi-media solution for Parks Canada, Canadian Geographic and The Historica Dominion Institute for every high school student in Canada. She also created and produced UrbanAIDS, HIV awareness concert with Alicia Keys and Stephen Lewis Foundation, and created and produced the inaugural NBA Steve Nash Charity Classic, raising $280,000 in one day.
Alain P. Arthur, co-founder, host and executive producer of Caribbean Vibrations TV. Ltd., where Beer was a tv host, said the company has lost a family member.
“We’ve known Towa since the inception of Caribbean Vibrations 20 years ago and within that time she became an ally, confidant, consultant, colleague and most importantly, friend,” wrote Arthur on his LinkedIn profile.
He said Beer worked alongside the company in various capacities from the Black Film and Video Network (BFVN) to Flow 93.5FM, the Steve Nash All-Star game, and ultimately, Caribbean Vibrations for the last nine years.
“We travelled with Towa to Curacao, Barbados and Aruba. She was a producer, writer, creative soul and even stepped in to host one of our episodes. This is a devastating loss to our company as Towa was actively involved in our rebrand strategy and the future of Caribbean Vibrations TV,” said Arthur.
Arthur, who had a business meeting with Beer one day before she died, expressed his condolences to Beer’s daughter Siena, parents, two brothers, relatives, friends and colleagues. “You may not be here, but your voice will always be in our hearts and heads. Sleep well, my friend.”
In her tribute posted on Facebook, Toni Anne Thomas, vice president of operations and executive in charge of production at Caribbean Vibrations TV Ltd., said Beer taught her a lot about the Toronto media industry.
Alluding to Beer’s health issues, she said, “Towa was not going to let her body get in the way of her goals, aspirations and what she truly wanted to do.” Thomas described Beer’s ideas as “rapid fire” and therefore she kept “a pad of paper around to keep up with her vast knowledge.”
Beer was an alumna of Bishop’s University in Quebec where she graduated with a BFA, Business Administration Honours Art History, 1989-1993. She was also involved in several activities, including being the manager of Bishop’s University Pub, captain of Bishop’s University Rugby Football Club, and a player of the Province of Quebec Rugby Football Team.
Event planner and manager Joan Pierre wrote in a Facebook post that Beer was a hardworking innovator and creator with “the talent that surpasses many” and that her passing “will be one of the greatest losses in our community and the society as a whole.”
She knew Beer since 1998 and although befuddled by her death, Pierre wrote, “Rest in power my daughter, because that’s what she was to me, and I will miss that ‘Mama Joan’ coming from her voice. Gone much too soon my love, you will be missed by many who have crossed your path.”
Black Diamond Ball Toronto, founded by producer and choreographer, Shawn Cuffie, posted on its Instagram page that Beer was not just a publicist for the event from 2017 to 2020, but was a “cherished mentor, a beacon of wisdom, and an angel who graced our lives.”
“Her teachings, unwavering support, and invaluable guidance have left an indelible mark on us all. Towa’s presence will be deeply missed, but her legacy of kindness and knowledge will continue to inspire us.”
The post encouraged readers to support the GoFundMe set up for her funeral and for her family.
A Celebration of Life for Towa Beer will be held on Sunday, December 10, 2023, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at AMORE, 599 College Street in Toronto.
 |
| Photo credit: Paul Martin © Hiprofile Charles Officer in this photograph captured by KhaRa Martin's father, Paul Martin, and showcased in the Black Community Mixtapes episode, a series produced by OYA Media Group |
Charles Officer was born on October 28, 1975, in Toronto, Ontario, in a Jamaican, British and Jewish household and had three sisters. His mother immigrated to New York from Jamaica and then to Toronto; his father came to Canada from London, England, in the 1960s. He was the founder of Canesugar Filmworks, established in 2008, which he describes on his LinkedIn page as a company that was “from the "bottom-up" instead of "top-down.”
“I like to collect old dub reggae music, images of obscure things, books and books and stories that reveal secrets of the human heart – stories of the Jewish holocaust, the dismantling of Aboriginal culture to the future of human rights movements and education systems – the ongoing social constructs that we perpetuate. I collect stories about broken hearts, love, justice and equality. But what I like to collect most, are intimate moment-to-moment experiences,” reads a quote from Officer on the website of Canesugar Filmworks.
Jake Yanowski, a producer and Officer’s business partner and long-time creative collaborator, described Officer in a CBC interview as a “giant of the Canadian film and television scene who will be missed both by audiences and those in the industry.”
As an independent filmmaker, Officer has been unearthing untold stories and throughout his career worked in various capacities as a graphic designer, art director, creative director, writer, director, producer and actor. At one stage of his life, he was also a professional hockey player.
He was a director and actor, known for the 2020 feature “Akilla’s Escape,” 2017 feature documentary “Unarmed Verses,” 2009 feature “Nurse.Fighter.Boy,” 2019 feature documentary “Invisible Essence,” 2017 TV documentary “The Skin We’re In,” 2011 feature documentary “Mighty Jerome,” and 2012 TV documentary “Stone Thrower.” Officer was also the director of 4 of the 8 episodes of the CBC series, “The Porter,” a CBC/BET drama about The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, North America’s first Black-led union. It won 12 awards at the Canadian Screen Awards earlier this year for best original music, production, costume design, best writing and best drama series.
An alumnus of Leaside High School, Canadian Film Centre Directors Lab, Film Directing Program, and the Neighbourhood Playhouse School of Theatre Performing & Dramatic Arts, Acting/Movement/Voice, he volunteered in creative workshops in Arts and Culture and cinematic storytelling sessions for youth for many years.
Officer was also one of the founders of the Black Screen Office whose mission is to help “build a screen industry free of ant-Black racism by working with industry decision makers to change practices and build systems for accountability, directly catalyzing the production of Black-led content and supporting the career advancement of Black professionals.”
Writer, producer, director, and co-founder of OYA Media Group, Alison Duke, says Officer was a beautiful soul who generated a lot of energy around him. “You could see that he was on a mission not just to create the best work he could, but to make sure his work helped to dispel stereotypes around the way Black people tell stories and the way we think about stories. I believe that’s why he was revered so much and why people appreciated him and were inspired by him.”
Duke says his legacy will be a part of that, but also the result of the quiet mentoring he did with so many. “He was very generous with his time and mentored some of our OYA emerging filmmakers,” she said, noting that Officer was very inspirational to her and her work. “It’s just a tremendous loss, and I’m still feeling it emotionally.”
The CaribbeanTales International Film Festival team described Officer as a cherished member of the Toronto film industry.
“His unwavering passion for storytelling touched the lives of many and left an indelible mark on our hearts. Charles Officer's creative journey transcended filmmaking, it was about crafting compelling narratives that deeply resonated with audiences. His remarkable legacy continues to thrive through his profound cinematic contributions.”
In a message, the team said as a special feature at the CaribbeanTales's youth film festival in 2010, Charles shared "Nurse.Fighter.Boy." “In 2021, during our online festival, we had the privilege of previewing "Akilla’s Escape" with a special talkback session featuring Charles. His distinctive perspective enriched our festival, showcasing his exceptional talent and visionary storytelling.
“Today, we unite in a moment of silence to pay homage to a true cinematic star. Charles Officer, your brilliance will forever illuminate the world through your remarkable work,” said CaribbeanTales.
Diana Webley, Director of Festival and Events of CaribbeanTales, says Officer was a humble and wonderful visionary that she had the pleasure to know for over a decade.
She noted that during the festival in 2021, Andria Case of CTV News interviewed Officer at the launch of CaribbeanTales’s “Sweet 16th Year Behind The Lens: Fighting the Odds in Canadian Film” about “Akilla's Escape” — the event was a co-presentation with the Jamaican Canadian Association. “Such a brilliant mind gone too soon,” she said.
“It is during this interview that Charles’s legacy is revealed once again. Charles opens up about many things and what his hopes and aspirations are, but one part, in particular, still sits with me and motivates me to keep pressing on in this industry where we can tell our authentic stories and where we do not need permission to be ourselves. Charles says: "We're building houses for our stories to live in, these old structures that last the test of time that house things. Each step, each story, each day is just trying to build that space where those stories can live and I'm trying to contribute to that",” said Webley.
The Reelworld Screen Institute wrote a tribute to the filmmaker on its Facebook page describing him as “an incredible talent and mentor to many who left a legacy that will endure for generations.” It noted that he was the recipient of the 2002 Reelworld Trailblazer Award and described him as a talented creative.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) said it mourns “the loss of a significant Canadian talent, a beloved member of the film community and a friend.”
“His impactful work in film and storytelling touched many hearts and we were honored to present many of his films and welcomed him in 2023 for our 1st edition of TBFF,” wrote the Toronto Black Film Festival on its Facebook page.
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival said Officer championed the voices of heroes big and small and shared their stories with the world.
“We were honoured to have screened his films MIGHTY JEROME and UNARMED VERSES at our festival — they are a testament to his talent, vision and dedication to compelling and uplifting stories,” wrote Hot Docs on its Facebook page.
Officer leaves behind a 2-year-old son, Selah, with his partner, actor Alice Snaden.
A funeral service for Charles Officer will be held on Sunday, December 10, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at Benjamin’s Park Memorial Chapel, 2401 Steeles Avenue West in North York, Ontario. A Celebration of Life will be held in early 2024.
No comments:
Post a Comment