What a deeply humbling and great honor to be selected as the “Pay It Forward” Toronto Film Critics Luminary Award by Charles Officer
Three months later - and I, as many, are still trying to find the words, and process your absence.
It is a gift from the ancestors to be a storyteller, a gift you wore so proudly and with love. One can only hope to do so with as much grace and patience as you’ve always shown.
Thank you @torontofilmcritics@company_3
Thank you Jake Yanowski, Cameron Bailey, and James Fraser for presenting me this honor
Thank you Charles for seeing something in me, I rarely see in myself
Till the next one - Rest Easy King
Honoured to have Learn To Swim nominated for Outstanding International Motion Picture at the upcoming 54th NAACP Image Awards! Much love to the entire LTS cast and team, and a big thank you to our Black Women-led distributor at ARRAY 💙
“My belief is that it is most important for an artist to develop an approach and philosophy about life - if he has developed this philosophy, he does not put paint on canvas, he puts himself on canvas.” - Jacob Lawrence
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📷 @shalanandpaul
Thank you TIFF @tiff_net for another incredible filmmaker Christmas. It was an honor to serve on this years Short Cuts Jury alongside the incredibly cool Sally Lee @sallyleeyyz and my all time favourite Maritimer Lisa Haller @theladyberg
Congratulations to all the Short Cut winners, special mentions, and the over 30+ filmmakers who poured their heart and craft into their projects so we can experience them together, wrapped in the darkness of a theatre.
Special shout out to our co ordinator Ameera Siddiqui @ameerasiddiqui who kept us all together. And Jason Anderson and Sonja Baksa for programming such an amazing lineup.
Swipe for our best Designing Women impression. Remake in development.
Shot by Carlyle Routh @carlylerouth in the #TIFFxBVLGARI Portrait Studio at #TIFF22
Taking it back to the Preview of Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 at the Academy Museum @theacademy with this new superstar actor from the Six - Miss @emmapilarferreira
It was in 1891 that industry pioneer William Selig directed the first on camera kiss between two black performers in Saint Suttle and Gertie Brown. I stand in the footprints of so many visionaries before me. Proud to have gotten a glimpse into the incredible work they’ve created. See it as soon as you can!
Courtesy of @arraynow
#generationblackcinema #arrayreleasing
One of my favourite and most fulfilling moments this week was working with our distributor @arraynow and partnering with The Guitar Center Music Foundation @guitarcenterfoundation to donate $10,000 worth of musical instruments to various LAUSD school through their Beyond the Bell program.
It’s incredible to think what could be done in the name of our music laden independent film. We worked with so many talented musicians and sound technicians who can attest to the benefit of what opportunity and exposure to the arts can bring. A former music student myself, there’s so much expression and exploration that can come from learning an instrument, and having a hand in passing along that experience is a blessing.
Thank you to everyone involved.
Our jazzy romantic thriller LEARN TO SWIM is Streaming now on Netflix.
#arrayreleasing
📷 @itsrobinlori
There was an evening back in 2015 when my back was up against a wall. Standing next to a 16ft deep Olympic pool, my brothers Thomas Antony Olajide @olajideta and Nick Haight @nhaight held me down. They supported my vision but most importantly supported my soul. Their unbridled and possibly insane faith in me has nourished me through this incredible 7 year journey. I am filled with gratitude for a friendship that allows us to challenge each other, and bring out our best, sometimes in pain, but always in love.
A result of that can be felt in our film LEARN TO SWIM out today on Netflix in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand
Love you both. 10s and 20s.
📷 @samanthabfalco
“…the only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you'll finish it,....” - The Big Sea, 1940
📷 @samuelengelking
“And now, I feel at 85*, I really feel that I’m just ready to start” - Gordon Parks
Episode 103 & 105
From the set of Revenge of the Best Black Friend @revengebbf on @cbcgem
📷 @duanecolephoto
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