In this episode, host Marriska Fernandes sits down with two Toronto-made filmmakers, Clement Virgo and Thyrone Tommy. Clement moved to Toronto from Jamaica as a young man and in 2015, he directed and co-wrote a six-part miniseries adaptation of The Book of Negroes, which captivated audiences across Canada and the US, winning a grand total of 12 Canadian Screen Awards. Clement is also behind the foundation of the Black Screen Office, created to expand the reach of stories and works by Black filmmakers in Canada. Thyrone Tommy has seen his films celebrated internationally at over 30 festivals. His 2016 short film Mariner was named one of the TIFF Canada’s Top Ten shorts of the year and saw him awarded the Lindalee Tracey Award at Hot Docs the same year, In 2017, Mariner won him the Audience Award at the Scenic City Film Festival. Tune in to this episode to hear the duo discuss what drives them to make movies, the importance of Black representation in the film industry -- both in front and behind the camera -- and how they view the future of Canadian cinema.
A podcast hosted by Marriska Fernandes, produced by The Brand is Female and powered by Telefilm Canada.