To The Haldimand Press
CAYUGA—Canfield Roots and its director/producer Graeme Bachiu of Cayuga are in the running for four prominent awards. The six-part documentary series, which follows the descendants of black freedom seekers as they work to save an abandoned cemetery, is an official selection at two film festivals and is an official nominee for awards from the Ontario Historical Society (OHS) and the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO). Over the next two months, Bachiu will learn which awards he will take home, but for now he is thrilled to have received the recognition of these prestigious nominations.
“It truly is an honour to be nominated for these awards and to have Canfield Roots reach new audiences at these film festivals. I’m so encouraged that the organizations appreciated the series and saw the importance of the issues raised in Canfield Roots, and I hope that these award nominations help to further bring attention to the urgent need to protect cemeteries, especially the Street cemetery in Canfield,” said Bachiu.
The Ontario Historical Society will be announcing its annual awards later this month. The OHS nominated Bachiu for its President’s Award, which recognizes an outstanding contribution to the preservation and promotion of Ontario’s history. The Architectural Conservancy of Ontario will be holding an in-person ceremony later this month for its Heritage Awards. Canfield Roots was nominated for the ACO Public Education and Engagement Award for “uncovering and illuminating an ignored but vital part of Ontario’s black history in the village of Canfield.”
The Bilbao Seriesland Web Festival in Spain is an international digital festival focussing on web series. Taking place this month, Canfield Roots is nominated in the Documentary Series category. The Baltimore Next Media Web Fest is a film festival dedicated to showcasing the best in US and International digital series media and takes place in November. As an official selection in both festivals, Canfield Roots will enjoy being viewed by their international audiences and is an award nominee.
Canfield Roots first debuted in October 2021 on Bell Fibe’s TV1 and OnDemand, and in February 2022 on WNED PBS, followed by numerous other PBS stations throughout Canada and the US. Its first in-person screening, featuring a 75-minute director’s cut of the popular series, took place in June 2022 in Canfield, where much of the documentary was filmed. You can now stream the six 25-minute segments for free on the free Tubi app (available on your smart TV and for download to your smart phone; no credit card required) and on AppleTV. You can buy or rent a digital copy of Canfield Roots at windeckerroadfilms.com. YES TV, Canada’s favourite family station, will be airing Canfield Roots in February 2023 as part of its Black History Month programming. To view the Canfield Roots trailer, visit windeckerroadfilms.com.
