From music to film & TV, Canada’s Black talent drain shows no signs of stopping says SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne.
In recent years, Canada has seen an increase in the number of Black filmmakers and producers bringing films and TV shows to screen.
The 2024 edition of TIFF screened 40 Acres and Village Keeper by RT Thorne and Karen Chapman who showed the kind of brilliant storytelling Black Canadian filmmakers are capable of. Directors like Dawn Wilkinson, Sharon Lewis and Sudz Sutherland have been directing episodes of major American TV series. Amanda Parris also created a Canadian Screen Awards-winning series for CBC Gem called Revenge of the Black Best Friend . Aden Abebe also brought her series virgins! to the platform.
More recently, Brampton natives and long-time content creators, Jae and Trey Richards, premiered their new TV series Office Movers on October 11th on Crave. Not only does the show provide a window into the lives of young Black Torontonians, but it features some of the city’s rising Black comedic talent, including Hassan Phills and Jaykaykenny. But despite the quality of the product, given recent events, it’s unclear how the series will fare.
In 2023, Sasha Leigh Henry, New Metric Media, and Crave released what I consider a groundbreaking series in Bria Mack Gets A Life. The show is unlike anything we’ve seen on Canadian television before. It’s flat out hilarious and fuses Canadian and Caribbean culture, providing representation to first generation Canadians who grew up in Caribbean homes in the Greater Toronto Area. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled before winning the Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy. Likewise, The Porter, which won 12 Canadian Screen Awards, was also cancelled after only one season for business reasons. Puzzling, right?
In fact, there’s a graveyard full of TV series created by Black producers. Christian “Director X” Lutz’s Robyn Hood? Cancelled. Anthony Q. Farrell’s Shelved, which was well-received and drew comparisons to Abbott Elementary? Cancelled for business reasons as well. You can even go back to 2003 with the series Lord Have Mercy! which only lasted one season. Yes, the powers that be should be commended for even taking risks in green lighting these projects in the first place, but there are a few factors which are leading to a Black talent drain in Canada.
Lack of domestic audience
First, as Canadians, including Black Canadians, we’ve been conditioned to favour American films and TV shows over Canadian films and TV shows. Ask someone if they watched the latest Canadian film or TV show and you will most likely be met with a look of confusion. I’d wager to say it’s even worse in the Black community. Black Canadians simply don’t consume Black Canadian stuff. Bill C-11, which provides support for Canadian content and producers, is supposed to help with that, but legislation alone can’t fix what’s going on.
Lack of a star system and infrastructure
This brings me to the next issue—the lack of a proper star system in Canada, especially for Black/BIPOC talent. I mean, how many Black talent can really make a living in Canada through their craft? Also, how much Black talent has Canada successfully developed and exported?
And it’s bigger than film and television; it extends to music and fashion as well. I sometimes question whether Canada is the right place for Black creative talent at all. While there are some who are doing well and being recognized for their work, across Black arts & entertainment, Canada fails to produce its own stars. Those who did become a household name had to leave and become a star elsewhere—Drake, Shan Boodram, and comedian Trixx, who left Canada and moved to Las Vegas, are a few examples. It’s only after they become stars elsewhere that they receive praise here at home. Add to this the lack of international demand and audience for Black Canadian content and things look even more grim. If you were to take a survey, you would find that it’s not uncommon for Black creators to have more recognition and support outside of Canada.
The lack of a star system is partly due to Canadians not consuming Black Canadian content, as mentioned before, and a lack of a infrastructure. There aren’t a lot of opportunities and platforms for Black talent in Canada, and with CBC Gem, once the go-to platform for Black producers, no longer accepting original web series, things are looking kind of grim.
While there are many Black professionals in film, TV, music, and fashion who are passionate about staying in Canada and contributing towards change, there are others who are looking to leave. In fact, “Who’s your immigration lawyer?” has become a common topic of conversation among the circles I’m in. If only I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say they were planning to leave Canada in the next few years.
Lack of Black staff at Canadian entertainment companies
This brings me to the final issue—the lack of Black representation among staff at Canadian entertainment companies. As an entertainment journalist, I often interview Black actors and musicians ahead of their latest releases. I’m always confused when I interview Black talent at a big media company or record label and see predominantly, and in some cases only, white faces in the room. Like, really? You can’t find qualified Black people to promote the work of Black creators?
So I approach the recent release of the new Crave series Office Movers with a sense of optimism because of the quality of the product, but also with skepticism at a system and climate that doesn’t seem to be conducive to the success of Black creators; at least not yet. And at the same time, I look at places like the United Kingdom who, despite having far less Black people than the United States, not only produces Black stars domestically, but appears to have platforms to showcase their work, and the ability to export their Black talent abroad.
Now, it’s not all doom and gloom. Advocacy organizations like the Black Screen Office, ADVANCE, and Black Designers of Canada have arisen in recent years and are doing great work. The 2024 BSO Summit gathered hundreds of Black media professionals, showing that progress is being made. But despite the improvements, with a lack of opportunity, infrastructure, star system, and domestic and global audience, Canada is still in the middle of a Black talent drain that doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon.
Now that we’ve taken a look at Canada’s black talent drain, in Part 2 of this article, Kevin Bourne will took a look at key opportunities and how Black creators can move forward.
Kevin Bourne is a Toronto-based film & TV producer and SHIFTER’s editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 300 international voters for the 81st and 82nd Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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