Dear Friends,
Reprinted below from this month's
CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival Ezine, is filmmaker
Nicole Brooks' beautiful tribute to legendary Canadian producer
Claire Prieto.
For anyone who has had the privelege to work with Claire over the past 30 years, Nicole's words echo all of our experience of her as an extraordinary, talented, generous producer and visionary for Black empowerment; a hard hard worker, a trooper, a foot soldier, whose approach to any obstacle has been to move each mountain one stone at a time on each project she undertakes, til the job is done.
I worked with Claire on "
Lord Have Mercy", Canada's first multi-racial sitcom, produced 2001-3 by my company
Leda Serene Films. She was the line producer, production manager, and producer (alongside me). I admired her work ethic, her good humor, her organisational brilliance, and her willingness to do whatever was necessary to get the job done.
One of my favorite memories of working with Claire was of ploughing through a budget line by line over a period of about a week. When we were done constructing it, she held it up like a precious work of art, and said : "I love a good Budget!". In a business full of flakes and pretension, her thoroughness was very refreshing.
She was proud to be working for a Woman of Color, referred to me as "Boss", and introduced me to the industry at large (I was relatively new in Canada at the time) as her "new Boss". I took this with a grain of salt. But one day after a long day's work, she was on her way out the door, when she turned back, grabbed my shoulders from behind, gave me a little hug, and said: "I like the way we work together." It meant alot to me because in reality she does not mince words, and holds us all to a high standard, so it was a great compliment.
After Nicole's article was published last week, I got quite a few calls and comments about it. Here is one from Claire's son, hip hop and spoken word artist,
Ian Kamau:" nicole, thanks for this. i am and have always been very proud of my mother. and i’m glad to see that she is recognized by more than just me as an amazing woman.."
Have you worked with Claire Prieto? Send me your comments and memories of what my friend
Karen King (another protege) once called the "magic of Claire".
Love Frances-Anne.
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A Canadian Pioneer: Ode To Claire by Nicole Brooks.
An Ode to a Front Line Soldier.
This is the road less traveled. The job of a front line soldier in any battle, requires that individual to put him or herself in the gravest of danger. But for those who do take up this call, their courage and fortitude must be honoured and recognized. I salute today a particular soldier in the Canadian black film industry who fought for decades to advance the works and opportunities for filmmakers of colour. This soldier’s name is Claire Prieto.
Read More ...
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The CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival 2010 - Celebrating Black History Month screens Africentric films for audiences of high school and university students and educators.
Dates: Feb 2-15, 2010 at William Doo Auditorium,45 Willcocks St. Toronto
View the The Festival Schedule here!
Tickets are available at UofTtix Box Office
(416) 978-8849 uofttix.ca
or at the University of Toronto's Central Box Office
Open Mon-Fri 11am-5pm in Hart House, UofT.
For all FESTIVAL ENQUIRIES and to get our SPECIAL GROUP RATES Please contact :
Miki Nembhard, Festival Coordinator
416-598-1410,
ctyfilmfestival@gmail.com.
CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival 2010 - Celebrating Black History Month
Produced in association with the Caribbean Studies Program & New College @ U of T, The Multicultural History Society of Ontario, and with assistance from The Department of Canadian Heritage through the Gateway Fund.
Photos: Filmmaker Nicole Brooks, with legendary Canadian Producer Claire Prieto; Claire receiving Aroni Award 2007, and WIFT Chrystal Award same year; and below, Claire Prieto.
Lucky Ejim and Jude Idada's first feature film THE TENANT is making waves everywhere that it has screened - in Canada, the United States, and it will soon open to enthusiastic audiences in Nigeria and across Africa. Self financed, self-produced, and self-distributed the film's success is an inspiration to us all, and a testament to the will, energy and determination of its makers.
