REELWORLD FILM FESTIVAL: One-on-One with Clement Virgo and Tonya Lewis

Since 2001, Tonya Williams has guided the annual Reelworld Film Festival in her hometown of Toronto, and spearheaded the development of this creative movement in support of Canadian filmmakers who are Black, Indigenous, and racialized. Even before it was hip and trendy to highlight diverse voices in the mainstream, Reelworld provided a consistent platform to allow Canadians to tell their stories and celebrate their truths on screen.

Running this year from October 14th through the 29th, the Festival features a range of presentations, webinars, panels, short- and feature- films, and allows for the heightened profile of dedicated artists and programs in support of the film industry. 

Moderated by Festival CEO/Founder Tonya Williams, a "One-on-One Conversation with Clement Virgo," took place on October 16 providing viewers with an hour-long glimpse into the director's inspiration and insights.

This year--the Festival's 20th--Clement is being presented with the "Award of Excellence" at Monday's live awards ceremony. Also being celebrated, awards for feature and short films, audience choice, direction, producing, acting, writing, and cinematography.

An esteemed member of Toronto's film community, Virgo has recently directed for television programs like Empire, The Wire, and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) series Greenleaf. He was also directed the 2015 production of The Book of Negroes based on the novel by Lawrence Hill--recognized with 12 Canadian Screen Awards, and nominations for NAACP Image Awards and U.S. Critics Choice Television Awards.

Fluent in a variety of creative mediums, Clement's life passion is movies. Surrounded by a deep collection of DVDs and Blu-Rays during the conversation, Clement said he was obsessed with watching movies, collecting movies, and of course, making movies. His films have premiered worldwide at Cannes (with his debut Rude in 1995), Berlinale, and the Toronto International Film Festival. 

In what felt like a cherished conversation between friends, Tonya had Clement reflect on the experiences that developed his career, as he progressed in Toronto.

"We were all in our early-mid twenties and starting out," Clement said, reminiscing about how Tonya would even host a number of young Canadian Black artists at her home in Los Angeles occasionally, as they ventured to the U.S. to take meetings, investigate opportunities, and follow up on career leads.

"I was always looking to sharpen my skills, and sharpen the craft. I still have that same hunger for cinema, and film making," said Clement.

As a director, Clement stressed that each actor is different, and he takes the time to figure out what each individual needs, rather than expect them to adjust to him while on set. His direction style: to always be open to "allow the muse to come through, and inspire, and allow whatever alchemy that's going to occur on a set to happen. Get out of the way of it, and not try to control it."

He expressed his optimism for the future of film, and how "democratic" the process was for young creatives to utilize technology in innovative ways, referencing the youth in his home country of Jamaica, and those in Lagos, Nigeria, who he has witnessed making amazing films and videos on cell phones, and uploading them to platforms like YouTube to gain millions of hits. "It's a very, very exciting time to be a young filmmaker."

Clement's advice for young up-and-comers:

*Protect your confidence.

*Be resilient. Stay prepared!

*If you're a writer: write.

*If you're a film maker: make films.

"It's a passion. I've never thought of my love of films and filmmaking as a job. I've been doing it for twenty-five years, and I still think of it as my passion, and think about how can I develop that passion, and add value," said Clement. "Keep practicing. Keep working. Keep developing you craft. That opportunity is going to come. It will come. It's not a matter of if, it's a  matter of when. When it does come, be ready to step through."

Details and scheduling for the Reelworld Film Festival: https://www.reelworld.ca/.

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Written by Stacey Marie Robinson for Kya Publishing's "Reflection & Reason" blog.