Frances-Anne Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and producer. Born in England of Trinidadian parents, she was raised and educated in Trinidad, lived and worked in the UK for several years, and has been based in Toronto, Canada since 1999. She is the artistic director and president of the two companies she founded, Leda Serene Films, her film and television production vehicle, and CaribbeanTales, a not for profit multimedia company producing educational resources based on Caribbean-heritage storytelling, including audio books, documentaries, websites, and an annual Caribbean-themed film festival.

From 1989 to 1998 she was also a radio, film and television drama producer for the BBC in England.

Filmography

• A Winter Tale, 2007, Feature Film - as Writer/Director, Producer.
• LiteratureAlive, 2005-6, TV Series - as Creator, Producer, Director.
• Lord Have Mercy!, 2001-3, sitcom - as Director, Producer, Co-Creator, Co-writer.
• Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon, 1998, Feature Film - as Executive Producer

... aka Love Is the Devil (France) (UK: short title) ... aka Ai no akuma (Japan)

• Speak Like a Child, 1998, Feature Film - as Executive Producer
• Peggy Su!, 1997, Feature Film, as Director
• Sixth Happiness, 1997, Feature Film - as Executive Producer
• Flight, 1995, Television Movie, as Executive Producer
• What My Mother Told Me, 1996, Feature - as Writer/Director, Producer
• Siren Spirits, 1995, Mini-Series - as Creator, Series Producer.
• Bideshi, 1995, Short Film - as Director
• Reunion: West Indian Women at War, 1993, Documentary - as Writer/Director, Producer
• I Is a Long Memoried Woman, 1990, Documentary Feature - as Writer/Director.

Selected Awards & Recognition

"A Winter Tale" launched the "ReelWorld Film Festival 2007", and won the Tonya Lee Williams Award for Outstanding Canadian Feature, as well as Special Mention in the Outstanding Screenplay category.

It also won the following awards at diverse festivals: 2007 Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival, 2008 Award for Best Foreign Film at the San Diego Black Film Festival, 2008 Remi Award - Best Editing Worldfest Houston Int Film Festival, 2008 Zuma Film Festival, Nigeria: Award for Best Editor, Award for Best Cinematographer & Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Foreign Film, and the 2008 Festival of Black International Cinema Berlin - Best Film.

It screened at the following festivals among others: Montreal World Film Festival (Pick of The Fest, Montreal Gazette), Atlantic Film Festival, Trinidad & Tobago Film festival (Opening Gala), Bite The Mango Film Festival (Closing Night Gala), Abuja Film Festival, 15th New York African Diaspora Film Festival (Opening Night Gala), Best of The New York African Diaspora Film Festival, Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival, Atlanta Women of Color Arts and Film Festival (Opening Night),Kasserian Ingera (Opening Night).

Lead actor Leonie Forbes was honored at the ReelWorld Film Festival with an Award of Excellence, and both Forbes & actor Peter Williams were honored by the Jamaican Consulate, New York and City of New York for their roles in the film. The film opened had a limited Canadian release in February 2008; and opened on general release in Jamaica on April 9 2008, in Trinidad on May 15th, in Antigua on May 22nd - all to very positive critical reception.

"What My Mother Told Me" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1996, where it was a Toronto Star Best of The Festival, and has won awards at The Festival of Black International Cinema in Berlin, St Louis & Paris, ("Best Film Depicting The Black Experience"), Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival 2006, (HBO Best Feature Award), Through Her Eyes Film Festival 2005 (Producer's Choice Award).

The Literature Alive Documentary Series won a Special Recognition Award for "Memory Places" at The Festival of Black International Cinema, and the Audience Award for "Blood Dub and The Matriarch" at the San Diego Women's Film Festival.

"Lord Have Mercy!", was nominated for 2 Gemini Awards - for Best Comedy Series (Producers Frances-Anne Solomon, Claire Prieto, Vanz Chapman) and Best Individual Performance (for Leonie Forbes). "Peggy Su!" won the BAFTA/Royal Television Society Award, for Best Costume Design 1998 (Joey Attawia). "Bideshi", won Best Short Feature, at the Bombay International Film Festival in 1996.

"I Is A Long Memoried Woman" won the Gold Award for Television Performing Arts, at the New York International Film & Television Festival 1991. The BBC Radio version won Best Feature Documentary, at the Sony Radio Awards 1991, and was nominated for a Prix Futura for most Innovative Radio Feature.

External links

• Frances-Anne Solomon's IMDb entry
• Leda Serene Films
• CaribbeanTales
• Website for A Winter Tale
• Blog: Newz From CaribbeanTales
• Leda Serene Films YouTube Channel
• Website for Lord Have Mercy! the sitcom series
• LiteratureAliveOnline - Educational website
• CaribbeanTales.ca - Online Newsletter

Articles

• Caribbean Beat: Beating The System - Article by Bruce Paddington on Frances-Anne Solomon
• Jamaicans.com - Lord Have Mercy! - Interview with Frances-Anne Solomon
• Global Voices A Winter Tale - Talking With Frances-Anne Solomon
• Caribbean Beat A Winter Tale - Profile of Frances-Anne Solomon
• Montreal Gazette A Winter Tale - Stepping Up In A Time Of Sorrow by John Griffin (Montreal Gazette)
• AfroToronto A Winter Tale - Interview with Frances-Anne Solomon
• Inside Toronto A Winter Tale - Film Examines Poverty, Gun Crime. An Interview with Frances-Anne Solomon

See also

• List of Black Canadians