Picture this. I finished my first film—a feature documentary on double Dutch jump rope—and was invited to a then 20-year old film festival in Nova Scotia. I had never been to Nova Scotia and thought this was an incredible feat for a film I had decided if nothing happened for it, I’d just sell it out of the back of my car. I was a brand new documentary filmmaker. How do I navigate this?
There in Canada, I sat in the back of the theatre where the public came to watch. I remember a lot of families. I remember a lot of attendees who did not look like me. I remember standing outside the theatre at the end of the screening and shaking hands with people who had a lot of smiles for a film that brought them smiles. Then the biggest smile of all came from a Black Canadian woman named Sylvia D. Hamilton. She took me along with her to the after party and from that moment on, we were sisters.
After returning to New York and looking her up her impressive resume, I knew I struck gold. Sylvia is the big sister I didn’t know I needed. As a debut documentarian who was to suddenly receive some recognition (my film sold to The Sundance Channel a few weeks later), Sylvia became my go-to for advice, direction and support. My life in academia, my work as an author…Sylvia’s passion, interests and her own work were already leading the way. Because of Sylvia and hundreds of colleagues who offer a helping hand on the regular, I feel safe.
In our inaugural Indie Fuxion Film Showcase, we have two docs from the slate of Maroon Films Inc. You’ll be impressed. And you’ll want to research Sylvia and know more. Essays, poetry…her storytelling abilities are bountiful and endless. For those who want to dissect her process, she offers a write-up from a lecture she gave at the University of New Brunswick titled “When and Where I Enter: History, Film, and Memory.” Want to learn about the ancestors who arrived as “freedom runners” in Canada through beautiful and gripping poetry? Be sure to get a copy of the poignant And I Alone Escaped To Tell You.
For the month of Nov 15 – Dec 15, 2020 on GFNTV we’re streaming Sylvia’s The Little Black School House and Portia White: Think On Me. You’re in for some fantastic storytelling, and I knew I couldn’t begin this journey as a curator without Sylvia leading the way.
For the FREE Indie Fuxion Film Showcase, please click here to RSVP. Happy Streaming!
The Films of Sylvia D. Hamilton