The International Film Festival of Ottawa to feature a one-on-one conversation with acclaimed Canadian director and producer, Clement Virgo, on March 19, 2025, at the Ottawa Art Gallery as a part of the Festival’s 2025 Canadian Masters programming.
OTTAWA, 6 February 2025 - The International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO) announces Canadian director and producer, Clement Virgo, as its 2025 Canadian Masters guest artist. One of Canada’s foremost filmmakers, Virgo will participate in a one-on-one conversation about his career, influences, and lasting impact on Canadian cinema. Following the interview on March 19 at the Ottawa Art Gallery, the Festival will screen Brother (2022) with Virgo in attendance.
“From his impressive debut at Cannes three decades ago, Clement Virgo has developed an accomplished body of work that intelligently and fearlessly explores the experience of Black Canadians and the changing nature of Canadian society,” says IFFO’s Executive Director Tom McSorley. “We are honoured to host this key figure in contemporary Canadian cinema as a guest artist in our Canadian Masters series.”
An annual celebration of excellence in Canadian filmmaking, Canadian Masters features extensive onstage interviews and special screenings with some of the greatest names in Canadian filmmaking. Virgo joins the growing list of artists, including recent guests Deepa Mehta (2024), Mina Shum (2023), Denis Coté (2022) and Patricia Rozema (2021).
In addition to his distinguished, award-winning feature films, Virgo’s TV directing credits include The Madness (Netflix), Empire (Fox), Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix), The Wire (HBO), and the OWN drama series Greenleaf (2017). He directed, produced and co-wrote the 2015 miniseries adaptation of Lawrence Hill’s The Book of Negroes which was nominated for two U.S. Critics Choice Television Awards and four 2015 NAACP Image Award Nominations. Virgo’s first feature film, Rude, premiered at Cannes in 1995 and played festivals around the world including London and Sundance.
The latest feature film from Virgo, Brother is an adaptation of David Chariandy’s award-winning novel of the same name. Brother tells the story of Francis and Michael, two Black Canadian brothers growing up in Scarborough in the early 1990s. Recently immigrated to Canada, the brothers navigate the challenges of growing up as outsiders. Brother will screen after the interview with Virgo on March 19, 2025, at IFFO.
This year’s Canadian Masters programming is presented by Carleton University with the support of the Ottawa Black Film Festival. Tickets to the Canadian Masters interview and screening will be available to order together for $20 through the Festival’s box office starting February 13, 2025. Additional programming will be announced on February 12, 2025.
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