Narrative Shift

After a long period as a lawyer, Floyd Kane actualized his true calling to become the writer and producer he'd always wanted to be. In this episode, Floyd, creator of the acclaimed Diggstown series, describes how he overcame the roadblocks that have typically frustrated the careers of Black creatives and the factors and people that helped propel him forward. All too aware of the many people whose careers have been stymied by racism...

Get ready to be inspired by Ella Cooper, award-winning filmmaker, photographer, community builder, and founder of ground-breaking Black Women Film! Canada. In this beautiful conversation with Natasha, Ella reflects on her own journey to filmmaking, the vision behind her photography, why she founded Black Women Film! and how the organization is changing lives. She also shares her creative and healing process, which is both intention...

A trip to the UK in the early 1990s profoundly affected Prem Gill’s understanding of the power of storytelling and how it can shape and change identity. Since then, through her past work creating and launching Telus’ Storyhive Program and as CEO of Creative BC, she’s championed the development of pathways for many filmmakers from diverse communities to tell their own stories and build their careers. 

In this thoughtful and ...

Ten years ago, Indigenous activist Palexelsiya (Lorelei) Williams felt a deep calling to create a dance to honour Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirited people. That one-off dance sparked a partnership between Palexelsiya’s dance troupe Butterflies in Spirit and Julia Taffe’s Aeriosa Dance Society. This collaboration continues to heal and inspire — they describe their dances as more ceremonies than ...

Natasha’s conversation with legendary Assistant Director Donald L. Sparks is a masterclass on how to be an inclusive leader. Don is a filmmaker who understands the value of respect, building trust, excellent communication and collaboration, and the importance of power sharing. Don, who has the perfect left and right brain mix to be a consummate AD, also shares the importance of pursuing every new learning opportunity – even after 3...

From an early age, Emmy-nominated Lillian E. Benson has been an acute observer of people and her surroundings. She brings that quality, and many others, to her remarkable work as an acclaimed film editor. Lillian was the first African-American female editor selected for membership in the American Cinema Editors. Her life’s mission has been to contribute to the world through telling authentic stories. In this episode, she shares her...