Experiencing Interruptions?

Reel Black: Our Film Stories

In an exploration of Black Canadian filmmaking, emerging filmmakers Christian Anderson and Ajahnis Charley quickly discover the realities of the industry. Through insights from veteran filmmakers such as Claire Prieto-Fuller, the young filmmakers learn that sometimes if you aren’t given a seat at the table, you have to make your own.

  • Ayan Tani
    Director
  • Emeraude Domingos-Mbuku
    Director
  • Tristen Sutherland
    Director
  • Tristen Sutherland
    Writer
  • Ayan Tani
    Writer
  • Emeraude Domingos-Mbuku
    Writer
  • Alexx Bryant
    Producer
  • Tristen Sutherland
    Producer
  • Ngardy Conteh George
    Executive Producer
  • Alison Duke
    Executive Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    21 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 8, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • BronzeLens Film Festival
    Atlanta
    United States
    August 26, 2022
    International Premiere
  • CaribbeanTales Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    September 15, 2022
    Canadian Festival Premiere
    Best Short Documentary
  • WIFT - Women In Film & Televison Toronto Showcase
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada
    May 9, 2023
    Best Writing, Audience Award
  • Breathroughs Film Festival
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada
    June 8, 2023
  • Regent Park Film Festival
    Toronto, Ontario
    Canada
    December 9, 2022
  • St. John's International Women's Film Festival
    St. John's, Newfoundland
    Canada
    October 20, 2022
    East Coast Canada
  • Gary International Black Film Festival
    Gary, Indiana
    United States
    October 7, 2022
Director Biography - Ayan Tani, Emeraude Domingos-Mbuku, Tristen Sutherland

AYAN TANI is passionate about storytelling in all its forms as a creative engine for transforming our world. She has a particular interest in film and the power inherent in directing an image and gaze. For her, connecting with and centering those on the margins is essential to building and maintaining communities of care, and as an emerging filmmaker she has made a point to do just that. Her first film project, a short documentary titled "My Community is Here" on gentrification in one of the most diverse and affordable neighbourhoods in Ottawa, is one example of this ethic. Most recently, she completed OYA Media Group’s Emerging Filmmaker’s Programme where she served as co-director and co-writer of the short documentary “REEL BLACK: Our Film Stories”.

M. ÉMERAUDE DOMINGOS-MBUKU is a documentary filmmaker whose research-based practice threads together her identity as a daughter of Congolese refugees and a first generation Canadian. She uses film as a medium to discuss womanhood in the North American visual and popular culture as well as feminism in the age of social media. She is a CineFam Feature Film Incubator fellow and an OYA Media Group Emerging Filmmakers fellow. Émeraude has also presented her work at festivals such as the Black Femme Supremacy Film Festival, FlickFair Film Festival, and DocNow Festival.

TRISTEN SUTHERLAND is a writer/director/producer whose stories highlight BIPOC members of the LGBT+ community. Their debut short film “Owen'' follows the relationship change between a mother and her trans-son during his coming out and has gone to screen internationally. Sutherland is an alumni of the Black Women in Film Canada mentorship program, the BIPOC TV & FILM Kid’s TV Writing Bootcamp, Oya Media’s Mentorship Program, one of Reelworld Film Festival’s Emerging 20 for 2020 and was shortlisted for the BIPOC TV & Film’s Reel Work Initiative. They are in post-production for their upcoming web series “Bloom Room” made in tandem with Oya Media and are developing their upcoming TV series “Halfway Boy'' with Snail Mail Media in the EAVE/NSI On Demand Access Program. Currently, they work as a director’s assistant to Cheryl Dunye (CEO) at Jingle Town Films.

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Director Statement

Our team met in the Oya Emerging Filmmakers Program – young, hungry and ready to make our mark in the industry. As we dove deep into the program, we began to question what a Black film future in Canada would look like.

One night, our program facilitator asked: “Who is your favourite Black Canadian filmmaker?”

It seemed like an innocuous question, but we really had to wrack our brains to answer. This dumbfounded us, how come nobody knew of Canadian Black filmmakers? We asked this same question to our filmmaking peers and got the same response, even those who went to film school here in Canada!

Once we learned the first Black Canadian directed narrative feature film to come out of Canada was in 1995, we were determined to understand the legacy of Black filmmaking in Canada. As we interviewed filmmaking veterans and scoured archives, it became clear to us that we needed to understand our filmmaking past in order to create a better filmmaking future. And at that moment, “Reel Black: Our Film Stories” was born. This film is an exploration of the diverse experiences of Black filmmakers in Canada and a look into a vibrant Black film future!

- Ayan, Em & Tristen