This Black Women led production company is making a change
The OYA Media Group is making a way for young Black filmmakers
The OYA Media Group, headed by Alison Duke and Ngardy Coneth George is committed to the ongoing support, education and promotion of young Black filmmakers. The OYA Emerging Filmmakers Program (formally known as Black Youth! Pathway to Industry) is a three-year initiative that provides twenty post-secondary graduated Black youth per year networking, mentoring, creative partnerships and essential skills training alongside industry pros.
OYA makes a point of employing emerging Black youth in their original productions and encourages producers to hire Black youth in projects they direct. This mandate is in place to change the widespread anti-Black racism in the industry and unconscious belief that quality is compromised when you make diversity a choice. This year, Canadian Screen Award Winning Director Alicia K. Harris will be the Program’s Filmmaker in Residence. Alicia will be working with Year 3 Participants to create an original Digital Web series produced within the program.
OYA’s program provides opportunities for youth to direct exciting original content with industry professionals. Last year the Fabienne Colas Foundation in collaboration with the Toronto Black Film Festival teamed up with the OYA EMERGING FILMMAKERS PROGRAM to provide production support, training and mentorship to six youths to direct a series of short documentary. The doc program called ‘Being Black in Toronto’ aims to change old narratives and expand beyond one-dimensional portrayals of the Black community. The project, entirely written and directed by the youth and screened at the foundation’s film festivals in Toronto, Halifax and Montreal and festivals throughout North America. The series will premiere on CBC’s Absolutely Canada in late August, or early September.
The participants go through a rigorous selection process every year. OYA will introduce their twenty-one cohorts for year 3 next month as well as a slate of new partnerships including xoTO, Insight Productions, the juggernaut TV production company which produces the Juno Awards, The Amazing Race Canada and Big Brother Canada to name a few. OYA is also teamed up with commercial production companies as well as with WIFT-T for a new paid internship initiative.Learn more about OYA here
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