Keeping with last months blog on Konvo’s Top Campaigns, we continue to share stories about incredibly talented clients taking up space in the Canadian entertainment industry; from TV series, to short documentaries to riveting art installations, these phenomenal creatives continue to produce impactful work while inspiring a new generation of multidisciplinary creatives.
Revenge of the Black Best Friend
Created by award-winning writer and CBC personality, Amanda Parris, Revenge of the Black Best Friend (RBBF) is an episodic series that follows Dr. Toni Shakur (Olunike Adeliyi, The Porter, CBC), a self-help guru whose singular mission is to cancel the entertainment industry's reliance on token Black characters....before she gets cancelled herself. Both hilarious and hard hitting, RBBF deftly captures how Black actors continue to navigate years old challenges across the film and television industry while also questioning the activism that calls these issues out. The series was covered in Hollywood Reporter, Refinery 29, The Star and Toned Magazine and is now streaming on CBC Gem.
Next up is the talented and prolific team at OYA Media Group who have released a range of notable projects in the TV, film and XR space. From its Emerging Filmmaker Program nurturing Black creatives, to its Our Home And Haunted Land ArtWorx TO installation in collaboration with Nadine Valcin and Priam Givor Artworx TO, to the Chloe Cooley Canadian Heritage Minute - the first Heritage Minute directed by a Black woman - and most recently Reel Black: Our Film Stories documentary now streaming on CBC Gem. The award-winning creative team at OYA is taking up space to amplify underknown Black and diasporic stories, and are bringing up a new generation in the process. OYA’s projects have garnered coverage on Breakfast Television, CHML Good Morning Hamilton, POV Magazine, and XR Today. With multiple projects underway, OYA’s productions doesn’t stop there, Bam Bam: The Story of Sister Nancy, is a feature music documentary in development slated for a 2023 release and explores the Jamaican dancehall artist’s hit “Bam Bam” which gained global recognition and solidified Sister Nancy as reggae icon. The song is a popular anthem that received a resurgence in the entertainment scene as a featured soundtrack for Netflix series Ozark and Maid.
As we continue to celebrate the successes of our clients, the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE) is another impactful organization to watch as they continue making significant strides in the Canadian business landscape, driving systemic change through its Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund. FACE celebrated its one year anniversary in May 2022 with notable organizational milestones from hosting inaugural Masterclasses, back to back cross-Canada tours, and the recent opening of a Contact Centre, and continues to provide business solutions for Black Canadian owners. We look forward to sharing FACE’s impressive milestones in our upcoming post, stay tuned to learn more!