Innis College and the Cinema Studies Institute remember late Toronto filmmaker Charles Officer (1975-2023) with a special screening of his first feature, Nurse.Fighter.Boy, which was inspired by his sister’s struggle with sickle cell anemia and nominated for 10 Genie Awards. Co-writer and producer Ingrid Veninger and friends will join to reflect on Charles’ impactful life and career.

Charles Officer was born and raised in Toronto. He was a fashion model, hockey player and began his film career as an actor appearing on stage, film, and television productions, before making his directorial debut at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with his short film When Morning Comes. Soon after, he continued to amaze audiences through the release of his short films, Short Hymn, Silent War (2002), Pop Song and Urda/Bone (2003), and a music video for K’naan’s “Strugglin.” Throughout his career, Charles always displayed great versatility, and was often regarded as a leader in Black Canadian independent film, a title that will remain as part of his legacy. His 2008 feature, Nurse.Fighter.Boy, which was produced while he was a resident at the CFC, premiered at TIFF and was nominated for 10 Genie Awards, sparking world renowned interest and intrigue in the then upcoming filmmaker.

In the span of his career, Charles continued to deliver on his promising talent with features including The Skin We’re In, Unarmed Verses, and his latest, crime-noir, Akilla’s Escape. Charles also directed four episodes of the CBC/BET+ drama, The Porter, which follows railway workers from both Canada and the United States who come together to create the world’s first Black union. The Porter went on to win 12 awards at the 2023 Canadian Screen Awards, which earned Charles awards for Best Direction, Drama Series and Best Dramatic Series. The Porter is Canada’s largest Black-led television series, and demonstrates Charles’ commitments to nurturing Black talent and contributing to the increased representation of Black creators. Charles served as a trailblazer for Black creators by championing stories through his roles as the co-founder of Black Screen Office, an organization that supports Black Canadians working throughout the screen industries to build their careers, networks, and more. Additionally, he was the Founder of the award-winning independent production company, Canesugar Filmworks.