Frances-Anne Solomon
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Caribbean/international filmmaker, writer, producer, distributor and entrepreneur. Her other directing credits include the feature film Peggy Su!
Frances-Anne Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, producer, curator, and entrepreneur in film, TV, radio, theatre, and new media. Born in England of Trinidadian parents, she was raised and educated in the Caribbean and Canada before moving to Great Britain where she built a successful career with the BBC as a TV Drama Producer and Executive Producer. Productions included Love is the Devil by John Maybury, and Speak Like A Child by John Akomfrah, both of which she Executive produced for the BBC. At the same time she also produced and directed films and television programs through her production company Leda Serene Films. She moved to Toronto in 2000, where she continued to create, write, direct, and produce her own projects. Her most recent film, A Winter Tale, received many prestigious international awards, including most recently at Fespaco 2009 (Africa's Oscars held biannually in Burkina Faso West Africa) where it won in The Paul Robeson Diaspora Category. (BBC Films, 1997); the drama What My Mother Told Me (Channel 4 1995), and Bideshi (British Film Institute 1994); and documentaries Literature Alive (Bravo!/OMNI, 2006), Reunion 2.(BBC,1993), and I Is A Long Memoried Woman (Arts Council of England 1991). She was the Co-creator, Producer and Director of Lord Have Mercy! Canada's hit Caribbean sitcom, that aired on Vision TV, Toronto/one, Showcase and APTN in 2003 and was nominated for two Gemini Awards: Best Comedy series, and Best Individual Performer (Leonie Forbes)
She is the founder and CEO of the CaribbeanTales Media Group, based in Barbados and Toronto, a group of companies that create, produce, market, and monetise Caribbean-themed film and television content for global audiences.It includes CaribbeanTales Inc. (a registered Canadian Charity) ; the CaribbeanTales International Film Festival, -- now in its 12th year -- an annual event that takes place in Toronto; the CaribbeanTales Incubator Program, a development and production hub for original content from the Caribbean and its Diapora; CaribbeanTalesFlix, our production arm; CaribbeanTales-TV, a subscription video on demand platform; and The CaribbeanTales Youth Film festival, a unique screening series that showcases Africentric films for high school and university students. In 2010, together with with Caribbean cultural Industries specialist Dr Keith Nurse, media personality and producer Lisa Wickham, businessman Dr. Terrence Farrell and filmmaker and Mary Wells, Frances-Anne launched CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution Inc, the first of its kind film distribution company in the English speaking Caribbean. She has taught Film at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine (Trinidad) and Cave Hill (Barbados). She began her television career at Banyan Productions in Trinidad, studied Theatre at the University of Toronto with Steve Martineau and Ken Gass, and poetry with Jay MacPherson. She trained as a film director in the UK at Bristol University's RFT Programme and the prestigious BBC Drama Directors Program.
04/28/2026
They say when you build something truly meaningful, people notice.
With the Cross Continental Forum, we aren’t just chasing a moment; we’re honoring a 25-year legacy of making sure our stories, and our businesses actually own the space they occupy. It’s been a long road to build this path, and it’s a joy to see so many people ready to walk it.
To everyone who has supported this journey so far: thank you for being part of the movement. Here is one of my favorite photos from last year.
Share this with a filmmaker you think deserves to be heard. ✨
01/12/2026
Grateful for a packed house at the Garvey’s Ghost Canadian screening, where history, culture, and comedy came alive on the big screen.
A heartfelt thank you to Richardson, Gairey Richardson (Harry Gairey’s grandson), and Jaimey Richardson (Violet’s great-granddaughter) for being part of this meaningful evening.
Thank you to for hosting!
Thank you to everyone who came out and shared the experience with us!
12/04/2025
✨ TORONTO — we’re gathering tonight for a special screening of Garvey’s Ghost.
It’s been beautiful sharing this series with audiences, and I’m grateful for everyone who’s been part of the journey so far.
Hosted by the wonderful
If you’d like to join us, we’ll be at 7:00PM at Dundas West Studio (837 Dundas St West). . Tickets in the description
There are a few seats still available.
Hope to see you there. 🧡
11/18/2025
✨ Back by popular demand! ✨
“Community isn’t an event. It’s a practice. You keep showing up. You keep building. You keep believing.” – Nicholas Okwulu, Founder of PemPeople & Livesey Exchange
After an inspiring screening at Livesey Exchange in Peckham, where Okwulu reflected on Marcus Garvey’s legacy and the power of shared culture, Garvey’s Ghost returns for another showing! Don’t miss this chance to experience the film that celebrates history, humour, and the strength we create together.
🎬
11/11/2025
When I made A Winter Tale, I wanted to capture the voices we rarely hear — Black men in grief, searching for peace and purpose.
To see this film now, travel to Rio de Janeiro as part of a showcase of women filmmakers from across Latin America is deeply moving. This film was born from the heart of the Caribbean diaspora, a story about loss, healing, and the strength of our shared humanity. Grateful to see it resonate beyond borders.
Deep appreciation to .rio and for the feature
10/22/2025
Sometimes a story comes to you quietly.
Garvey’s Ghost began that way, just a small spark, a few lines in Denham Jolly’s autobiography In The Black: My Life!
He wrote about arriving in Toronto in 1955, just 19 years old, full of hope and a letter of introduction to a woman named Violet Williams. Violet, a cleaner by day, was a pillar of her community, taking care of new immigrants, finding them work, collecting dues, and leading the Toronto chapter of the U.N.I.A.
When I read that, I could see her. I could feel her. A woman carrying the weight of Garvey’s vision in a cold, unwelcoming city. This vision became Garvey’s Ghost. A story about resilience, laughter, and the ways our heroes keep guiding us, even long after they’re gone.
And now, you can see it come to life on the big screen! Get your tickets now, link in bio
In celebration of our global screening of Season 1, we present you with the trailer.
Catch it on the big screen with global screenings happening in Jamaica, Trinidad, Toronto, and Peckham. Season 2 is coming out in February ‘26!
🎟 Tickets are live now at link in bio.
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About Garvey’s Ghost:
In the midst of the Canadian Black struggle of the 50s, Dehnam Jolly arrives in Toronto, bright eyed and optimistic. He rents a room from UNIA Vice President, Violet Williams who is struggling to keep the organization afloat and maintain the legacy of her idol, famed Black leader and saucy duppy, Marcus Garvey.
09/16/2025
Last Monday night at was a true celebration of daring, experimental cinema with our Arthouse showcase. These films pushed boundaries and challenged us to see the world differently, from stories of resistance in Capetillo by .apoteosico , to a search for ancestral legacy in Luci by /
But the standout for me was Nomade in No Man’s Land a stunning documentary about the legendary Felix de Rooy a trailblazing q***r Caribbean artist whose bold, unapologetic work has shaped generations. The film beautifully captures his limitless creativity and the resilience it takes to keep making art through life’s unpredictability.
I also loved connecting with Gloria Blizzard an award-winning writer and a bright light in our community. Nights like this remind me what is all about, connection, courage, and Caribbean stories at the center.
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