Claire Prieto (born 1945) is a Canadian film director and producer, known as one of the first black filmmakers in Canada.
Along with Roger McTair, Prieto was a partner in the Toronto-based production company, Prieto-McTair Productions, which operated from 1982 to 2007.
Early life
Prieto was born in Trinidad in 1945. She immigrated to
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
with Roger McTair in 1970.
Work
Prieto's films explore Canadian black history, culture and experience
and were groundbreaking as works produced by Canadian women and people of colour. Her film ''Some Black Women'' (1977) was the first film made by independent black filmmakers in Canada and her 2003 series ''
Lord Have Mercy!
''Lord Have Mercy!'' is a Canadian television sitcom, produced by Leda Serene Films, first shown on Vision TV in 2003. It received further showings in Canada on Toronto One, APTN and Showcase later the same year.
The series, one of the first t ...
'' was the first Caribbean-Canadian sitcom.
Meanwhile, ''Black Mother Black Daughter'' (1989), produced by Prieto and Sylvia Hamilton for the Canadian National Film Board Atlantic Branch, was the first film created by this branch to employ an all-female crew.
In addition to producing her own work, Prieto has mentored and supported other black filmmakers and film industry members over the course of her career.
In 1988, Prieto co-founded the Black Film & Video Network (BFVN), which served as a resource for black producers, directors, and writers.
Filmography
* ''Some Black Women'' (1977)
* ''It's Not an Illness'' (1979)
* ''Home to Buxton'' (1987)
* ''Black Mother Black Daughter'' (1988)
* ''Older, Stronger, Wiser'' (1989)
* ''Jennifer Hodge: The Glory and the Pain'' (1991)
* ''Love Songs'' (1999)
* ''
Lord Have Mercy!
''Lord Have Mercy!'' is a Canadian television sitcom, produced by Leda Serene Films, first shown on Vision TV in 2003. It received further showings in Canada on Toronto One, APTN and Showcase later the same year.
The series, one of the first t ...
'' (2003)
* ''How She Move'' (2007)
Awards and nominations
Prieto's 2003 TV series ''
Lord Have Mercy!
''Lord Have Mercy!'' is a Canadian television sitcom, produced by Leda Serene Films, first shown on Vision TV in 2003. It received further showings in Canada on Toronto One, APTN and Showcase later the same year.
The series, one of the first t ...
'' was nominated for a Gemini award and an
. Her 1992 short film ''Survivors'' was nominated for a Gemini award and her 1979 documentary ''It's Not an Illness'' was nominated for a Genie award.
In 2010, Prieto was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award by the Caribbean Tales Film Festival.
References
External links
* https://www.nfb.ca/explore-all-directors/claire-prieto/
* https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697397/
* http://femfilm.ca/director_search.php?director=claire-prieto&lang=e
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prieto, Claire
1945 births
Canadian women film directors
Black Canadian filmmakers
Film directors from Toronto
People from Port of Spain
Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to Canada
Living people
Canadian television directors
Canadian Film Centre alumni
Canadian women television directors