TORONTO, ON (September 11, 2024) – Anthony Q. Farrell and Reelworld Film Festival and Screen Institute were celebrated Monday, September 9, 2024, at It’s OK* Studios in Toronto as the 8th annual Sandi Ross Award recipients. During the presentation, Farrell and Reelworld Founder, Executive & Artistic Director Tonya Williams accepted their honours. The awards were presented by ACTRA Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee co-chairs Krystle Ferdinand, Dorly Jean-Louis and Roy Urbanozo.
ACTRA Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee co-chairs: “We are thrilled to celebrate the 8th annual Sandi Ross Awards back in person this year. The awards honour Sandi’s legacy as a leader, changemaker and outspoken advocate of diversity and inclusion within ACTRA and the broader artist community. Like Sandi, this year’s recipients, Anthony Q. Farrell and Reelworld Film Festival and Screen Institute, have exemplified their unwavering commitment to create positive change within the film and television industry by uplifting BIPOC artists and filmmakers.”
“Anthony Q. Farrell’s commitment to mentoring and uplifting the next generation of performers and filmmakers is truly inspiring to watch,” says ACTRA Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee co-chair Krystle Ferdinand. “He has empowered upcoming BIPOC writers and showrunners to tell stories that are diverse and authentic, and shown decision-makers in the industry the importance of inclusion, both in front of and behind the camera. By doing this difficult work, Anthony has created lasting change within the industry and enriched our society with stories that are resonant, universal and representative of our diverse cultural landscape.”
“Sandi Ross was a boss, plain and simple,” says Farrell. “It’s an incredible honour to be given an award with her name on it. I’ll continue to push for diversity in every corner of our industry. Not just because diversity is important, but because it leads to better and more interesting content. Thank you to the ACTRA Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee for your leadership and vision.”
“Reelworld Film Festival and Screen Institute has been instrumental in fostering diversity both on and off screen, paving the way for a more inclusive industry. Their contributions embody the spirit of Sandi Ross, and we are proud to celebrate their achievements,” says ACTRA Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee co-chair Roy Urbanozo.
“Reelworld is proud to be one of the first organizations to focus on the issue of racial disparity and inequity in our industry, back in 2000, and to see the amazing transformation of the industry over the last 24 years,” says Tonya Williams. “At that time the word ‘race’ was taboo and no one wanted to address or even acknowledge the systemic problems in our industry. We have a long way to go but today we’re happy to celebrate how far we’ve come.”
“We are thrilled to acknowledge and celebrate Anthony Q. Farrell and Reelworld Film Festival and Screen Institute, who, like Sandi, are championing diverse filmmakers and helping to make a more inclusive industry for all,” says ACTRA Toronto President David Gale.
The Sandi Ross Awards celebrate one individual and one company/organization each year whose work demonstrates a commitment to inclusion on screen.
Past recipients of the Sandi Ross Awards include Amanda Parris and Jesse Griffiths Casting Inc. (2022), Winnifred Jong and Working the Scene in Colour founders Jessica Meya and Louis Taylor (2020), and Tracey Deer and TallBoyz II Men (2021). Please visit actratoronto.com/sandi-ross-awards/ for the full list of past recipients.
About Anthony Q. Farrell
Anthony Q. Farrell (he/him) is a BAFTA-winning, Emmy-nominated writer/producer who has worked in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. for over 20 years. He is the creator, showrunner and executive producer of CTV’s half-hour comedy Shelved. He has served as executive producer and showrunner of CBC’s Run the Burbs, Overlord and the Underwoods, The Parker Andersons/Amelia Parker, and the BAFTA-winning Secret Life of Boys. Anthony’s writing credits also include NBC’s The Office, Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans, and Little Mosque on the Prairie. Anthony was honoured as Showrunner of the Year at the Writers Guild of Canada Awards in 2022, after receiving the same title from Playback in 2021.
About Reelworld Film Festival and Screen Institute
Reelworld was founded in 2000 by award-winning actress and producer Tonya Williams to advance opportunities for Canadians who are Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, and People of Colour in the screen industries by providing professional development and advocating for racial equity in Canadian content and production. Reelworld Screen Institute, a non-profit, provides training programs and presents the acclaimed Reelworld Film Festival, which celebrates stories by racialized Canadians. The festival has now expanded to include a two-day summit to shine a spotlight on issues around diversity, inclusion and equity in the Canadian screen landscape. Providing access to opportunities is core to Reelworld, and Access Reelworld is Canada’s leading hiring platform for racialized crews and talent. Reelworld Foundation, a registered charity, is transforming the industry by creating mechanisms that hold systems accountable for greater equity.
The 8th annual Sandi Ross Awards would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of:
AFBS (platinum sponsor)
Honey’s Ice Cream (gold sponsor)
Enchanted Booth (gold sponsor)
About the Sandi Ross Awards
The awards originally were conceived as the #SharetheScreen Awards by past ACTRA Toronto Diversity & Inclusion Committee co-chairs Sedina Fiati and Farah Merani, but were renamed in honour of ACTRA Toronto past president Sandi Ross who passed away just before the inaugural presentation in 2016. Sandi Ross was the first woman and Person of Colour to be president of ACTRA Toronto and was the founder of ACTRA Toronto’s first diverse talent directory, Into the Mainstream. In its current online form, Diversity.ACTRAonline.ca, the directory continues to be a useful tool for producers and casting directors looking for better representation when casting in Canada.
ACTRA Toronto’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee advocates on behalf of ACTRA Toronto’s self-identified physically and culturally diverse performers and calls for a more inclusive screen-based media industry.
ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing over 15,000 of Canada’s 30,000 professional performers working in recorded media in Canada. An advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven union that continues to secure rights and respect for the work of professional performers.
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Media Contact: Jennifer McGibbon, Public Relations Officer, 416-642-6710, jmcgibbon@actratoronto.com