I recently checked out my Instagram feed and came across a movie premiering on Lifetime TV starring Toni Braxton in association with Bishop TD Jakes. Immediately I got excited and remembered the time it would be airing. But sadly I didn’t get a chance to see it. Not because I don’t have the channel (I pay a pretty penny for cable- thanks Rogers), but because this movie didn’t air in Canada. Disappointed again by certain content being unavailable to me in Canada. The following weekend, the same thing. A movie about Simone Biles, a Black American gymnast, produced by How to Get Away…
Author: Koliah Bourne
I recently attended a panel discussion on fatherlessness put on by The Reach Centre led by R.J. and Loretta McEwan. The panel included CFL legend Gerry Organ, rapper Patrick “Prosper” Laguerre, Pastor Joseph Kiirya, actor Dwayne Allen and youth worker Jason Mousseau. What was unique about this panel was that there was also a screening of The Son, a short film about fatherlessness written and directed by award-winning Toronto filmmaker Cheryl Nembhard. She believes that art used properly can change the world. She facilitated the discussion asking about how grave the issue is and why mentorship is important. “The film…
This past weekend I had the opportunity to take in a panel discussion on women in the industry at the Eve Film Festival held at the Arts Court in Ottawa. The panelists included Wiebke Von Carolsfeld (filmmaker), Lisa Meuser (talent agent), MJ Mulligan (screenwriter), Morgana McKenzie (filmmaker) and Christine Mao (actress). They were each sharing their experiences and observations in the industry as women and I have to say I left a bit disappointed. Not because of who these women were but because behind the glitz and glamour there’s some ugly truths. Just when you think women are on the…
This past Sunday was the Canadian Screen Awards, the event where Hollywood North celebrates its on-screen talent. It was hosted by Howie Mandel who did a great job. He was funny and engaged the crowd delivering a smooth performance throughout the night. Individual winners included Tatiana Maslany (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and Best Performance in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role), Paul Sun Hyung Lee (Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Comedic Role), Stephan James (Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role) and Home Alone star Catherine O’Hara (Best Performance by an…
Today marks an increasingly important day on the annual media calendar- Bell Let’s Talk Day. Bell Let’s Talk is an initiative by Bell Media to get people talking about mental illness and remove the stigma of silence. So many suffer in silence with various forms of mental illness and it’s time we started talking so people can feel more comfortable coming forward. In the creative world, mental illness is prevalent. In fact, some of the greatest creative minds and cultural influencers who were at the top of their field have battled or are still battling with mental health disorders- Ludvig…
