Alison Duke

Alison Duke

 

SELECTED WORKS:  
Title: For the Culture with Amanda Parris (2025)
Role: Director/Producer
Description: Doc Series
Production: CBC

Title: Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story (2024)
Role: Writer/Director/Producer
Description: Feature Documentary
Production: Bell/Crave; Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival

Title: Paid in Full: The Battle for Payback (2024)
Role: Director
Description: 3-part Doc Series
Production: Green Door Pictures; Supercollider; Catalyst
Platform: BBC, CBC

Title: Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (2024)
Role: Creative Consultant
Description: Feature Doc
Production: Banger Films

Title: Black Community Mixtapes (2023)
Role: Writer/Director/Producer
Description: 5 x 22 min Doc Series

Title: Evil By Design (2022)
Role: Executive Producer
Description: Doc Series
Production: Blue Ant Media
Platform: CBC, Starz

Title: The Prescription (2021)
Role: Director
Descriptions: Short Film
Production: Obsidian Theatre’s ‘21 
Black Futures’ series for CBC Gem
•https://www.cbc.ca/artsprojects/21blackfutures/the-prescription

Title: Promise Me (2020)
Role: Writer/Director
Description: 1⁄2 hour drama
Production: Oya Media Group

Title: Mr Jane and Finch (2019)
Role: Co- Writer/Co-Producer Description: TV hour independent documentary 
Production: Oya Media Group/CBCDocs POV
Platform: CBC Gem, Facebook, YouTube
•https://gem.cbc.ca/media/cbc-docs-pov/season-2/episode-13/38e815a-010710e4462

Title: Cool Black North (2019)
Role: Director
Description: 2-hour TV special
Production: Maple Rock Media/Rogers/City TV
Platform: CityTV / ROD
https://www.citytv.com/toronto/shows/cool-black-north/

Title: Changing Seasons (2016)
Role: Director/writer/producer
Description: 1⁄2 hr documentary
Production: Goldelox

Title: The Akua Benjamin Legacy Film Project (2016)
Role: Executive Producer/Researcher
Description: short documentary series (5 films)
Production: Goldelox Production/Ryerson University
Platform: Online Ed Portal, Vimeo
https://www.oyamediagroup.com/commissioned-work/akua-benjamin-legacy-project

Title: Consent (2015)
Role: Director/Producer
Description: 1⁄2-hour documentary
Production: The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network/Ontario Gov.

Title: Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photography and the emergence of a people (2014)
Role: Canadian Producer
Description: Feature Arts and Culture Documentary
Production: Chimpanzee Production/PBS/ITVS
Platform: Kanopy
https://www.kanopy.com/product/through-lens-darkly-black-photographers-an

Title: Sex, Criminalization, HIV and the Law (2013)
Role: Producer/Director/Editor/Graphic Artist
Description/genre of artistic work: 4 X 5mins PSAs (version French & English)
Production: The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network/Goldelox

Title: Women on the Move (2013)
Role: Writer/Director/Producer
Description: 35 min Doc & 3 x 5mins web docs
Production Company: The Redwood: safe haven for abused women and their children

Title: The Reel West Side Story (2013)
Role: Writer (Treatment)
Description: 6 X 1 hour scripted reality series
Production: Marble Media/ Valerie Connelly

Title: Positive Women: exposing violence (2012)
Role: Producer/Director
Description of work: 45 min Documentary
Production: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network/Goldelox

Title: A Love Supreme (2011)
Role: Producer
Description of work: 20 min Short
Production: Bruce McDonald/Shadow Shows

Title: My Joan of Arc aka Ma Jeanne d’Arc (2011)
Role: Associate Producer
Description: Feature Documentary
Production: Bruce McDonald/Dany Chiasson/Shadow Shows

Title: The Batty Boy’s Revenge (2010)
Role: Director/Writer/Editor
Description: Music Video
Production: Human Positive Records/Goldelox

Title: Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home (2008)
Role: Producer
Description: Feature Documentary
Production: Take Action Films/TVO/CBC
Platform: YouTube, Google Play (Pay Per View)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDg0q462tq8

Title: The Vent (2008)
Role: Director
Description: Variety/Comedy Series, 6 X 30mins
Production: A Sweet little Production/Out TV

Title: The Woman I Have Become (2007)
Role: Director /Writer
Description: 45 minute Documentary
Production Partners: Women’s Health in Women’s Hand CHC

Title: Traditions and Transitions (2007)
Role: Director/Writer
Description: 1⁄2 hr Documentary
Production: Women’s Intercultural Network/Status of Women/Goldelox

Title: Skin Deep (2003-2005)
Role: Field Director
Description: 1⁄2 hour weekly Reality TV program
Production: Inner City Films/Life Network

Title: A Deathly Silence (2003)
Role: Director
Description: 1-hour documentary for public television network
Production: YAP/Elliot Halpern/ Nataline Rodrigues/CBC Witness and Newsworld

Title: Sex TV: the series, (2001-2003)
Role: Segment Producer
Description 1⁄2 -hour weekly Documentary series
Production: CHUM Television

SELECTED SCREENINGS & EXHIBITIONS:  
2024
Tribeca Film Festival – Bam Bam: The Story of Sister Nancy

2020 

Festival du Nouveux Cinema, QB, Canada – Promise Me DC Black Film Festival, DC, USA – Cool Black North 

International PanAfrican Black Film Festival du Cannes, Cannes, France selected –Promise Me 

Short Film Factory – Promise Me 

Columbus Black Film Festival Columbus USA – Promise Me BronzeLens Film Festival Atlanta, GA selected–Promise Me 

Las Vegas Black Film Festival Las Vegas, USA, Aug.t 6 – Promise Me Charlotte Black Film Festival Charlotte, NC June 23 (Cool Black North) Morehouse College Human Rights Film Fest., Atlanta, GA, Feb 26 (MJNF) Afro Prairie Film Festival Winnipeg, MB, Feb. 23 –Promise Me Nunavut Black Historical Society Nunavut (MJNF)

 

2019 

Montreal Black Film Festival, Montreal, QC, Aug 29, Being Black in Toronto (BBIT)

Rogers Inclusive Film Festival Ottawa, ON Rogers Network – Sept. 19 – Cool Black North (CBN)

Bronze Lens Atlanta Film Festival Atlanta, GA Aug 24 (MrJnF) Black Star Philadelphia, PA – Aug. 2 (MJNF) 

Yorkton Film Festival Yorkton, SA May 25, (MrJnF)

CBCDocs POV – Television Premiere – Feb. 23 (MJNF) 

Toronto Black Film Festival Toronto, ON Feb. 23 – Mr. Jane and Finch (MrJnF)

 

2016 

Caribbean Tales Film Festival – Royal Cinema, Toronto, ON Sept. 19 The Akua Benjamin Legacy Project: celebrating 50 years of black activism in Canada (TABLP) Winner – Best Canadian Presentation Eastern Edge Gallery, New-Found-Land Group exhibition St. John’s, NFLD Reflections of Wata (RAW) 

Ryerson University (Toronto, ON) Feb. 9 (TABLP) 

Cooper Union Frederick P. Rose Auditorium. (New York, NYC) June 6 (Consent) 

Artspace (Peterborough, ON) June 1(Consent) 

University of Alabama HIV is not a Crime Conference (Huntsville, AB) May 17(Consent) 

Dreamland Art Studio (Buffalo, NY) March 25 (Consent) 

Cinema de Sève Concordia University (Montréal, QC) Feb 18,(Consent) 

St Paul’s University (Ottawa, ON) Feb 17 (Consent) 

Eckhardt Gramatte Hall (Winnipeg. MB) Jan 28 (Consent) 2015 Pavillon Judith Jasmin Annexe (JE), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) (Montréal, QC): Dec 1(Consent) 

Contemporary Visual Culture (Edmonton, AB) Dec (Consent) HIV Outrage Justice Film Festival (Melbourne, Australia) Nov 28 (Consent) 

Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto, ON) Nov 26 Fletcher Challenge Theatre (Vancouver, Canada) Oct 22 (Consent) Open House African Canadian artist group exhibition (Toronto, ON) Sept 6-13th, (Fisha-man – photographic installation)

 

2014 

Doris McCarthy Gallery Scarborough, ON Oct 28 (PWEI) International AIDS Conference Sydney, Australia, July Positive Women: Exposing Injustice (PWEI) 

Inside Out (Toronto, ON) June Through a Lens Darkly (TALD) Museum of Modern Art (NYC, USA) Feb 28 (TALD) 

PBS (USA) Television Premiere Feb 16 (TALD) 

Santa Barbara Film Festival (Santa Barbara, CA) Feb 4 (TALD) Berlin Film Festival (Berlin, Germany) Feb (TALD) 

Sundance (Park City, USA) Jan 17 Digital Diaspora TALD digital platform)

2013 

Landmark EC Street Cinema, (Washington, USA) Dec(PWEI) ETR TV (Greece) Dec (PWEI) 

PWN Co, (Denver, CO) Oct (PWEI) 

PWN New Orleans (New Orleans, USA) Sept (PWEI) 

Roxie Theatre, (San Francisco, CA) Sept (PWEI) 

Broadway Cares, (NYC,New York) March (PWEI) 

Isabel Bader Theatre, World Premiere (Toronto, ON )March – Women on the Move (WOTM) 

York University, “Social Action for Social Change” School of Social Work (Toronto, ON) Jan (PWEI) 

College Boreal, (Toronto, ON) Jan (PWEI) 

Alberta Community Council on HIV/AIDS, “Social Action for Social Change” School of Social Work (Toronto, ON) Jan 2013 (PWEI)

 

2012 

World AIDS Day, AIDS Network Kootenay, (Vancouver, BC) Dec (PWEI) CANAC Western Canadian HIV Nursing Symposium ACIIS, Hosted by 3rd All Nations Hope AIDS (PWEI) 

Network and HIV/HCV Nursing Education (Regina, AB) Nov (PWEI) University of Concordia, COCQ-SIDA (Montreal, QC) Nov (PWEI) 

University of New Brunswick St. Johns, Institute of Urban Studies Co-sponsored with OAHAS and the HIV/AIDS Regional Services (St. John, NFLD) Nov (PWEI) 

OHTN Research Conference, (Toronto ON) Nov (PWEI) 

Queen’s University, Feminist Law Students’ Ass, (Kingston, ON) Oct (PWEI) Tiff Bell Lightbox, (Toronto, ON) Sept My Joan of Arc (MJOA) XIX International AIDS Conference, Canada Exhibit (Washington, DC, July (PWEI) 

Signy & Cléophée Eaton Theatre, ROM (Toronto. Canada) (PWEI) Annual CANAC Conference, (Victoria BC), May (PWEI) 

Université de Montréal, Les femmes, le VIH et l’injustice du droit” Salon des professeurs, Pavillon Maximilien-Caron, Faculté de droit (Montreal, QC) March (PWEI) 

Canadian AIDS Institute, (Ottawa, ON) Feb (PWEI) 

Rainbow Health Ontario National Conference, (Ottawa, ON) March In Search of a Word (ISOFAW) 

Ryerson University, “Centre for Research in Critical Social in Action” (Toronto, ON) Oct (ISOFAW) 

Jackman Hall, AGO, LIFT 30th Anniversary (Toronto, ON) Jan (ISOFAW) Caribbean Tales Film Festival (Toronto, ON) Batty Boys Revenge (BBR)

 

2011 

North Carolina LGBT Film Festival, (Durham, NC) (BBR) 

International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, (Amsterdam, Holland) Nov (MJOA) 

Tiff Bell Lightbox, Wedge Gallery Presents (Toronto, ON)(BBR) Cinefranco Film Festival World Premiere, (Toronto, ON) April (MJOA)2010

Kingston LGBT Film Festival, (Toronto, ON) (BBR) 

Regent Park Film Festival, (Toronto, ON)(BBR) IMAGE+ nation, (Montreal, QC) (BBR) 

Inside OUT Film Festival, (Toronto, ON) (BBR) AGO, (Toronto, ON)(BBR)

 

2009 

UNAIDS Conference, (Geneva, Switzerland) The Woman I Have Become (TWIHB) 

CINEMAMBIENTE Environment Fest, (Italy) Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home (GTRSAH) 

DOCSDF International Documentary Film Festival, (Mexico(GTRSAH) Pepena Film Festival, (Mexico) (GTRSAH) 

Guangzhou GZ Doc Film Festival, (China) (GTRSAH) 

EcoKnights Environmental Film Festival, (Malaysia)(GTRSAH) Gimli Film Festival, (AB, MB) (GTRSAH) 

New Kingston Film Festival, (Kingston, ON) (GTRSAH) 

United Nations Association Film Festival, (Palo Alto, USA) (GTRSAH)

 

   
AWARDS & HONOURS:

Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story
2026 CSA  Nominee

 

Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon

2026 CSA  Nominee

Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story
2024 CMPA Indiescreen Award Nominee

Black Community Mixtapes
2024 Canadian Screen Award Nominee: Best Direction, Documentary Series; Best Writing, Documentary Series

Evil by Design

2023 Canadian Screen Award Nominee: Best History Documentary or Series

Being Black in Toronto 

2021 Canadian Screen Award: Best Direction in a documentary Series (OYA Emerging Filmmakers Program Participants)

Mr Jane and Finch 

2020 Canadian Screen Award Winner: Donald Brittain best social political documentary award

2020 Canadian Screen Award Winner: best documentary Writing 2020 Canadian Cinema Editors Awards Nomination: Best Short Documentary Editing 2019 Yorkton FIlm Festival Nomination: Golden Sheaf Award

Promise Me 

2021 Yorkton Film Festival – Winner- Directing Fiction 2021 Yorkton Film Festival – Winner – Scripted

2021Yorkton Film Festival – Nomination Golden Sheaf Award 2020 Columbus Black Film Festival – Best Short Film 2020 Int. PanAfrican Black Film Festival du Cannes Finalist 2020 AfroPrairie Winston W. Moxam Award – Best Canadian Short 2020 Short Film Factory – Best Short Winner

Personal recognition 

2019 ByBlacks 2019 People’s Choice Award: Film Director 2019 WIFT-T Crystal Award winner Mentorship

The Akua Benjamin Legacy Project 

2016 Caribbean Tales Film Festival – Series Best Canadian Doc

Through A Lens Darkly 

2016 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Arts and Culture documentary

2015 NAACP Image Award Winner – Outstanding Documentary, 10th Annual African Academy Awards Best Diaspora Documentary,

2015 American Library Association Awards, Notable Videos for Adults,

2014 Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Batty Boyz Revenge 

2013 Right OUT TV Fan Fave

Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home 

2009 CINEMAMBIENTE, Special Mention

2009 Göteborg International Film Fest Best Doc Award VII URBAN-TV International Television Fest Special Award

Sisters in Cinema                             

2004 Denver Pan African Film Fest, Renaissance Award 2004 African Diaspora Film Fest, Audience Award 2004 Philadelphia GLBT Film Fest, Best Doc Award,

Raisin’ Kane: a rapumentary

2001 Urbanworld Film Festival, HBO Award for Best Doc 2001 Reel World Film Festival, Best Canadian Doc

 

DISTRIBUTION PLATFORMS:

Mr.Jane and Finch (digital extras) Archiving Mr.LaRose – on CBC Gem https://cbcgem.app/j3gpnn8DhMi7Ggi76

https://m.facebook.com/MrJaneandFinch/videos/?ref=m_notif&mt_nav=0 https://youtu.be/L3HePuNERD8

Cool Black North (Rogers on Demand)

https://www.citytv.com/toronto/shows/cool-black-north/

Akua Benjamin Legacy Project (educational portal) Ryerson University https://vimeo.com/showcase/4649895


Through the Lens Darkly: Black photography and the emergence of a people (2014) 

https://www.kanopy.com/product/through-lens-darkly-black-photographers-an

Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home (2007) pay per view – https://www.videoproject.org/Garbage-The-Revolution-Starts-at-Home.html#:~:text=Site%2 0License)%20%2D%20%24249-,Garbage!,environmental%20predators%20of%20our%20ti me.

https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=fyYwBxT9Ip0

 

EDUCATION: 

Masters of Fine Arts, York University Completed Master of Fine Arts in film production in 2020 Thesis film and paper, SSHRC Academic Graduate Scholarship Award Crocker–Hunkin Graduate Scholarship

Nominated for Presidents Faculty of Graduate Studies Award

Masters of Human Kinetics, University of Windsor

Completed a Masters degree in Kinesiology in 1991

Specialized in biomechanics, ergonomic, physiology.

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: 

Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)

Women in Film and Television – Toronto (WIFT-T)

Documentary Organization of Ontario (DOC)

 

 

Alison Duke (aka “Golde”) is an award-winning documentary writer and director celebrated for fearless, socially resonant storytelling. Upcoming works include TV doc, ‘Michelle Ross: Unknown Icon’ and Season 2 of Amanda Parris’ acclaimed series ‘For the Culture.’  Duke broke into the industry with her debut feature, Raisin’ Kane: A Rapumentary (NFB), and has since directed many culturally relevant films, earning a reputation as one of Canada’s top documentarians and often referred to as the “Queen of Music Docs.” Her recent works include ‘Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story’ (Crave Original), which premiered at Tribeca 2024 and continues to tour internationally to acclaim, and ‘Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music’ (CBC/BBC), winner of the 2025 Canadian Screen Award (CSA) for Best History Documentary Program or Series and a Silver Award at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards.

Duke also co-wrote and co-directed the five-part docu-series ‘Black Community Mixtapes,’ which garnered three Canadian Film Awards, and wrote and directed the short film’Promise Me,’ which won eight festival awards, including two Golden Sheafs.

Beyond her films, Duke co-founded the OYA Black Arts Coalition, where she mentors the next generation of Black filmmakers. She is the recipient of the 2024 Hot Docs Don Haig Award and the 2019 WIFT-Toronto Crystal Award for Mentorship.

 

See Press & Links Tab

OYA MEDIA GROUP:
https://www.oyamediagroup.com/

EVIL BY DESIGN: SURVIVING NYGARD (2022)
Executive Producer – Documentary Series
https://gem.cbc.ca/media/evil-by-design/s01?cmp=DM_DOCS_FEED_GEMCARD_evil-by-design_pri

MR. JANE AND FINCH (2019)
Documentary
https://gem.cbc.ca/media/cbc-docs-pov/season-2/episode-13/38e815a-010710e4462

THE AKUA BENJAMIN LEGACY FILM PROJECT (2016)
Documentary Series
https://www.oyamediagroup.com/commissioned-work/akua-benjamin-legacy-project

THROUGH A LENS DARKLY: BLACK PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE EMERGENCE OF A PEOPLE (2014)
Documentary
https://www.kanopy.com/product/through-lens-darkly-black-photographers-an

GARBAGE! THE REVOLUTION STARTS AT HOME (2008)
Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDg0q462tq8