OYA Media Group

07/16/2025

07/15/2025

Thanks so much and a big congratulations to our team and crew!

Today we introduced the 1st ever entry to the Video Archives of Black Lives, which is an amazing production from OYA Media Group (NgardyContehGeorge & Alison Duke) It is a Historica Canada production about Chloe Cooley, which was brilliantly portrayed by Olivia Barrett We made this annoucement today because on July 9th, 1793, The Act to Limit Slavery (also known as An Act to Prevent the further Introduction of Slaves and to limit the Term of Contracts for Servitude) was passed in Upper Canada. This act was the first piece of legislation in the British Empire to limit slavery, and it paved the way for gradual abolition. It prohibited the importation of enslaved people into Upper Canada and stipulated that children born to enslaved women after 1793 would be freed at age 25. We can thank Chloe Cooley, for this piece of legislation, and her life deserves to be archived.

07/13/2025

Bam Bam, the sister nancy story. iN Nairobi Reviews; iN REVIEW. Voice of the Free: Bam Bam and the Revolutionary Echo of Sister NancyThere are voices that change music, and then there are voices that change memory. Sister Nancy’s is both. In Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story, director Suzanne Andrew...

06/01/2025

Congratulations to the very talented Sonia Godding Togobo, on your Canadian Screen Awards nomination for Best Editing in a Feature Length Documentary on our feature film, 'A Mother Apart' directed by Laurie Townshend. You are a fierce editor, and we are so thrilled to celebrate this moment with you.

05/30/2025

Great News. The award-winning OYA Media Group and NFB co-production, 'A Mother Apart', directed by Laurie Townshend and produced by Alison Duke, Gaddy Conteh George and Justine Pimlott, will have its US TV premiere on PBS POV. We are grateful to the talented individuals associated with this film, as well as to Staceyann Chin and her family, for allowing us to tell this powerful story. In Canada, you can continue to watch the movie on CBC Gem. https://lnkd.in/e9HGJfEm

03/27/2025

Thank you Sonia Godding Togobo for all your amazing work on A Mother Apart! Your editing was sublime!

Thank so much to the team for creating this beautiful film

Director: Laurie Townshend
Producers: Alison Duke, Ngardy Gaddy Conteh George & Justine Pimlott
Editor: Sonia Godding Togobo 💫
Cinematography: Mrinal Desai, Ashley Iris Gill & Gabriela Osio Vanden
Motion Graphics & Animation: Charles
Story Editor: Ricardo Acosta
Composer: Tom Third
Co-Production: NFB

And our deepest gratitude goes to Staceyann Chin and her daughter Zuri for being a beacon for us to follow in our personal journeys of healing and forgiveness!

03/19/2025

Coming back to Toronto!!

Sister Nancy’s iconic “Bam Bam” shaped music for 40 years—discover her story in Alison Duke’s inspiring doc.

03/11/2025

Our film, 'A Mother Apart,' directed by Laurie Townshend, can now be streamed on CBC Gem and NFB! Click the link to watch, share and follow the conversation.

How do you raise a child when your own mother left you behind? Best known for the spoken word series Def Poetry Jam and her acclaimed solo show …

03/04/2025

Join us for the exclusive screening of our documentary film VeraCity: Answering the Call (2024) directed by Sonia Godding Togobo. A powerful documentary highlighting the transformative impact of the Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS). This film captures the resilience of Black communities and the essential role of mental health workers in creating a more compassionate, community-led approach to crisis response.

Event Details
📅 Wednesday, March 5, 2025
⏰ 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
📍 Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, 2 Sussex Ave, Toronto, ON

Following the screening, a panel featuring mental health professionals, the film’s director, and advocates for crisis response reform will engage in a discussion on the challenges and successes of reimagining mental health care for Black communities.

🎟️ RSVP Now! blackmentalhealthweek.ca

Space is limited, dinner included!


More Events During Black Mental Health Week 2025:

Panel Discussion: Black Mental Health & the Legacies of Slavery
📅 Thursday, March 6, 2025 | ⏰ 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 North York Toronto Public Library
A thought-provoking conversation on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade’s lasting impacts and paths to healing.

Panel Discussion: Black Men and Mental Health
📅 Friday, March 7, 2025 | ⏰ 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM
📍 North York Toronto Public Library
A thought-provoking conversation on various topics surrounding Black men and their mental health.

BMHW Closing Event – Culture & Comedy for Black Mental Wellness
📅 Sunday, March 9, 2025 | ⏰ 12:30 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Comedy Bar East
A blend of storytelling, laughter, and community to end BMHW with joy and connection.

02/13/2025

Canada Media Fund article spotlights the career of co-founder Alison Duke. "Through perseverance, talent, and a commitment to telling stories that matter, Alison Duke has established herself as one of the country’s most important documentary filmmakers and producers. The native of Scarborough, Ontario, Duke threw herself into filmmaking beginning her career as a music video and TV producer. She made her directorial debut with Raisin’ Kane: a rapumentary (2001), about her hip-hop artist brother. In 2018 she joined forces with filmmaker Ngardy Conteh George to form OYA Media Group, with the focus on telling socially relevant, life-changing stories that amplify Black experiences."

Through perseverance, talent, and a commitment to telling stories that matter, Alison Duke has established herself as one of the…