Directed by Sharon Lewis Produced by Iron Bay Media

Home , Black conductors, CBC Docs POV, Symphony Nova Scotia, Thorgy Thor

DISRUPTOR CONDUCTOR

DIRECTED BY SHARON LEWIS PRODUCED BY IRON BAY MEDIA

FOR MORE INFORMATION Noreen Hamid - Publicist [email protected] 647.404.8496 FILM SYNOPSIS

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser is an unlikely hero on a mission to create live orchestral shows that aren't just for the rich and fancy.

Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser is one of the ﬁrst openly gay black conductors in Canada. The child of a working-class Caribbean single mother, he was raised in Calgary, Alberta and he understands what it is to be an ‘other’.

As he struggled with his sexuality, Bartholomew-Poyser turned to music for solace and ﬁnally found his voice as a conductor. He believes that the beauty and grace of music can unite and uplight all of us beyond race, class and gender barriers.

Bartholomew-Poyser wants to use his musical power for good. In Disruptor, Conductor we see him on a mission to break down institutional walls and bring live orchestral music to millennials, people of colour, young people, LGBTQ, prisoners, refugees, students; anyone who identiﬁes as ‘different’.

“We're trying to bring music to everybody. Often times, when you heard these instruments, sometimes you had to go to a concert hall to hear it. We're trying to bring it out of the concert hall and just take it to wherever people are,” says Bartholomew-Poyser.

Along with RuPaul’s Drag Race star, Thorgy Thor, Bartholomew-Poyser creates the ﬁrst orchestral drag queen show in Canada. It’s a way to express all parts of himself at once; bringing old-world orchestra and his recently-discovered LGBTQ community together in harmonic union. TEASER SCENES CBC POV

Disruptor Conductor premieres on CBC Docs POV, Thursday, September 5 at 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. NT) on CBC and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

CBC DOCS POV

CBC’s point-of-view documentary series gets to the heart of issues that matter to Canadians. Celebrating the great Canadian tradition of documentary, Canada’s best ﬁlmmakers bring us ﬁlms with compelling characters, harrowing tales and unforgettable moments. With unique and often unexpected access, these stories will ignite discussions and open dialogues about issues relevant in today’s society.

CBC Docs social: Facebook: cbcdocs cbc.ca/cbcdocspov Twitter: cbcdocs Follow #CBCDocs Instagram: cbcdocs Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser

From a young age, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser turned to Daniel has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, orchestral music to bring light, beauty, and healing to his the Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary personal and professional life. He isn't your typical Philharmonic, Hamilton Philharmonic, Edmonton conductor — Daniel has the vision and process to disrupt Symphony Orchestra, and Eastern Sierra Symphony. The the traditional ways orchestral music is experienced. 2019/2020 season is an exciting one for Daniel; he will debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and will The CBC/Iron Bay Media documentary Disruptor serve with the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Conductor captures what has been the biggest year of Centre as Cover Conductor. Daniel’s life, resulting in four concerts that include playing in a women's prison; conducting an Afro-fusion concert Currently holding a coveted position as the Artist in with an artist from the blockbuster ﬁlm Black Panther; Residence and Community Ambassador at Symphony putting on the ﬁrst orchestral drag show with “RuPaul's Nova Scotia, Daniel has recently been appointed to the Drag Race” celebrity contestant, Thorgy Thor; and Board of Orchestras Canada and is the chair of the creating a concert for people on the autism spectrum. Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility committee.

Daniel earned his Bachelors in Music Performance and Facebook: daniel bartholomew-poyser Education from the University of Calgary, and received his Instagram: danielbartholomewpoyser Master of Philosophy in Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. He’s been awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Jean-Marie Beaudet Prize for Orchestral Conducting and has served as Assistant Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Associate Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Thorgy Thor

Thorgy Thor’s dream is to have her own Thorchestra. Her show with Daniel at Symphony Nova Scotia for Halifax Pride is one step closer to making that a reality. As Daniel looks for his place in his newly found LGBTQ community, Thorgy is trying to make room to be taken seriously as a classical violinist and celloist in the orchestral world. She now has that chance with Daniel leading the way with the Thorgy Thorchestra. The stakes are high for both of them.

After spending the early years studying Violin, Viola, and Cello, Thorgy earned a dual degree in Violin and Viola Performance at HartSchool of Music and Purchase Conservatory. Over the last few years, Thorgy Thor has had the pleasure of playing violin with many recording artists including NYC legend Joey Arias, as well as performing with over 6 major orchestras, gracing the stages of Town Hall NYC, Le Poisson Rouge, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. What Thorgy is most well known for is her Season 8 appearance and reappearance in Season 10 on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Thorgy has said “It’s very important for me to present this and have it be something very special rather than be thrown together. I hate when things are After several unanswered emails, texts and phone calls, Daniel found out that thrown together. I think that’s why I might’ve appeared neurotic in RuPaul’s Drag Thorgy would be performing at Pride in St. Catherines, Ontario and drove over Race. I just want the Thorchestra to be so good.” This statement is a little bit 50 km to hunt her down—as Daniel called it, “the hunt for the drag queen.” He more than ironic given that Daniel has had to hunt Thorgy down to make plans caught up with her in the mall and in a drive back to her hotel, tried his last for the upcoming concert. attempt to secure her for the lineup for the performance. One day later, she texted Daniel to say she changed her mind—she was in. Sharon Lewis, Director

Sharon Lewis’s directing talent successfully crisscrosses the genre of television, film, and theatre. Sharon has a history of helming projects that are groundbreaking and pioneering. She began the first theatre company run by and for women of color, called “Sugar’n’Spice”, and she co-wrote the theatre hit “sistahs”, which toured across Canada and the U.S. Sharon then moved into film and television, honing her directing skills in a variety of television genres. During that time, she directed award-winning shorts, including Chains, which aired on HBO and were showcased at a number of prestigious film festivals. Sharon's feature film debut, Brown Girl Begins, is an Afro-futurist sci-fi tale of a young black woman who saves her community through her connection to Caribbean spirits. The film has toured the world, garnering awards and recognition, including a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Lewis for Best Screenplay. She has recently completed her first feature documentary on Daniel Bartholomew- Poyser, the first openly gay, black conductor in Canada, called Disruptor Conductor. Sharon continues to direct episodic television and is currently working on the film adaptation of “sistahs”, slated for production in 2020. Her next feature documentary about the LGBTQ+ community's thriving after conversion therapy, With Wonder, will be released February 2020. Byron Kent Wong, Producer Justin Lovell, Cinematographer

As a media producer and creative director, Byron has over two decades of Justin Lovell began in documentary and music video editing, later turning to creative development. He is the founder and lead of the Emmy-nominated VFX and design for MuchMusic, Ford, and features including Land of the production eco-system ZERO11ZERO/Iron Bay Media. Dead. Finding even more passion behind the camera, Justin honed his distinctive style as a cinematographer through his work with visual movement, He co-produced the globally syndicated music show, The NewMusic from composition, and natural lighting. 1997-1999 and went on to develop projects, programming, and creative with Michelle Obama, Gord Downie, The Crystal Method, The Eurythmics, Shooting around the world, his award-winning work has been celebrated at David Usher, David Bowie, Beck, New Order, Kendrick Lamar, Oscar- festivals such as Sundance, Berlin Nomos and ReelWorld; on broadcast with nominated producer Jerry Levitan, and Oscar-winner Mychael Danna. HBO, Bravo!, NBC, CBC, FOX, YTV, MTV, ESPN, and TSN; and online with Byron’s foray into feature film work first came through working with over ten million views of his work featuring athletes, musicians, martial artists, director and producer Clement Virgo and producer Damon D’Oliveira’s and world-class brands including Giorgio Armani, The Blue Jays, Choir!Choir! 2006 controversial Lie with Me and 2008’s Poor Boys Game, gaining the Choir!, Metric, BMW, Coors, ElectronicArts, RBC, and many more. team multiple award nominations including two Genie awards and Canadian Screen Awards. Justin shot the Emmy-nominated documentary Jason Day: Never Say Die, CBC Docs’ Player Zero, and has just completed two back-to-back feature In 2009, Byron produced the critically-acclaimed OffWorld, a fan and films with the teams from Suicide Squad, Triple X, and Netflix’s Marco Polo. festival favourite that received numerous awards including the ReelWorld He has been nominated by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers for his Best Feature of 2009. He has since produced two other feature films, Kill documentary work, and in 2017 he was nominated for a CSC award for his Order and On the Ropes, that are currently at market with global accomplishments in Lifestyle/Reality Cinematography. distribution. He also Executive Produced the acclaimed feature doc I Dream of Wires. Notable documentary work includes the Emmy-nominated Jason Day: Never Say Die, Choir!Choir!Choir! Hallelujah with Rufus Wainwright, CBC’s Player Zero, the Arctic-based From Far and Wide, ProMax BDA-winning 4 Days in April, and projects with HBO, NBC, BMW, and renowned Toronto LGBTQ community centre The 519. Kejd Kuqo, Editor Iron Bay Media

Kejd Kuqo is an award-winning ﬁlmmaker and a graduate of Humber Iron Bay Media is an award-winning and Emmy-nominated creative team College’s Film and Television Program where he specialized in Editing, that produces several feature ﬁlms, documentaries, broadcast, Cinematography, and Directing. documentaries, commercial and premium content.

Kejd’s short documentary Building on Sand has screened at various Established in 2014, we work in diverse environments that range from international festivals and premiered on OMNI1. Bosniak has screened at global brands to community narratives and continue to lead compelling 25 festivals including Riverrun Film Festival, HollyShorts, Festival Du storytelling for rockstars, athletes, political figures, authors, at-risk youth, Nouveau Cinéma, and Air Canada enRoute Film Festival. Bosniak also fashion designers, and satellite makers. aired on CBC as part of its Canadian Reflections program, as well as onboard Air Canada flights. The film has won several awards including Current and past clients and collaborators include HBO, NBC, CBC, Best Film, Best Director, and multiple Audience Choice awards. Kejd is the Netflix, TSN, Michelle Obama, Giorgio Armani, Comicon, Wattpad, Deloitte, recipient of the Kenneth Post Achievement Award. Myseum of Toronto, the Toronto Raptors, BMW, Ronald McDonald House, Toyota, Roger Mooking, the Toronto Bluejays, the PGA, the Toronto Kejd is part of the Emmy-nominated Iron Bay Media creative team since International Film Festival, and musicians Frank Turner, The Tragically Hip, 2016, and has worked on projects including On The Ropes, and From Far Shad, Delhi 2 Dublin, Choir!Choir!Choir!, and The Crystal Method, and and Wide, and is currently developing the feature documentary Lazarat many more. about the biggest secret drug operation in Europe’s history. Iron Bay Media are currently developing a number of narrative projects that bridge entertainment, education, and social-impact. CREDITS

written & directed by camera operators Frame Discreet Sharon Lewis Justin Lovell REDLAB Max Attwood executive producer Michael Hofman post-production supervisor Byron Kent Wong Kejd Kuqo Kejd Kuqo Reza Dahya Director of photography Post-production producer: redlab Justin Lovell sound recordists Doug Melville Tom McGowan edited by Jordan Holt Colourist Kejd Kuqo Jason Zukowski production coordinator online editor producer Domenique Arnold Kejd Kuqo Byron Kent Wong Elise Bailey

music arranged and conducted by post coordinators Archives digitization Daniel Bartholomew - Poyser ZERO11ZERO Matthew Hedlin Frame Discreet associate producers Michelle Laidman Flume Archiving Jordan Holt Tim Bourgette assistant editors dialogue editor and sound design Roger Sader additional editing Michael Cunningham Max Attwood Meaghan Gable Re-recording mixer Jordan Crute Jon Lawless Byron Wong story editor post-production house stock & archival materials Charlotte Odele ZERO11ZERO Gloria Bartholomew Frame Discreet ublicity REDLAB Noreen Hamid

post-production supervisor accounting services Kejd Kuqo Dania Kannan

Post-production producer: redlab insurance Doug Melville Consolidated insurance Brokers Limited Colourist ______Jason Zukowski online editor thanks Kejd Kuqo special thanks to ______All musicians and performers ______Archives digitization Music ZERO11ZERO “Ruslan and Lyudmila” Frame Discreet Composed by Mikhail Glinka Flume Archiving “Three Hip-Hop Moments” dialogue editor and sound design Composed by Jams, Poyser, Daniel Roger Sader Bartholomew-Poyser Re-recording mixer Arranged and conducted by Daniel Jon Lawless Bartholomew -Posyer stock & archival materials Bagtelle no. 5: Tango” Gloria Bartholomew Composed and arranged by Patrick Horn Pond5 “Piano Sonata No. 4 in C# minor, Op. 27, No2’ Storyblocks Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven Artlist ______“Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 legal Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven

Richard Wilks “Amazing Grace Kate Henderson Composed by WIlliam Walker Michael Hilliard publicity “Sleeping Beauty, Op.66” Noreen Hamid Composed by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky “Slavonic Dances, op. 72. No, 7” accounting services Composed by Antonin Dvorak Dania Kannan

insurance “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67” Consolidated insurance Brokers Limited Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven ______

thanks “The Barber of Seville Composed by Gioachino Rossini special thanks to All musicians and performers ______Music “Ruslan and Lyudmila” for the CBC Composed by Mikhail Glinka General Manager, Programming “Three Hip-Hop Moments” Sally Catto Composed by Jams, Poyser, Daniel Executive Director, Unscripted Content Bartholomew-Poyser Jennifer Dettman Arranged and conducted by Daniel Senior Director, Documentary Bartholomew -Posyer Sandra Kleinﬁeld Bagtelle no. 5: Tango” Senoir Director of Production, Unscripted Composed and arranged by Patrick Horn Content “Piano Sonata No. 4 in C# minor, Op. 27, No2’ Alexandra Lane Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven Executive in Charge of Production ______Charlotte Engel ______“Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 produced with the participation of Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven the Canadian Media Fund

“Amazing Grace Produced in association with Composed by WIlliam Walker Canada Canadian Federation of Musicians “Sleeping Beauty, Op.66” Ontario Composed by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky ZERO11ZERO “Slavonic Dances, op. 72. No, 7” URBAN SOUL INC Composed by Antonin Dvorak Produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67” CBC.CA/CBCDocsPOV Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven ______

“The Barber of Seville Composed by Gioachino Rossini IRON BAY

______© 2019 IRON BAY MEDIA LTD for the CBC General Manager, Programming Sally Catto Executive Director, Unscripted Content ______Jennifer Dettman (CBC LOGO) Senior Director, Documentary Sandra Kleinﬁeld Produced in association with Senoir Director of Production, Unscripted The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Content 2019 Alexandra Lane Executive in Charge of Production Charlotte Engel ______produced with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund

Produced in association with Canada Canadian Federation of Musicians Ontario ZERO11ZERO URBAN SOUL INC

Produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC.CA/CBCDocsPOV ______

IRON BAY

______(CBC LOGO)

Produced in association with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2019 CREDITS

Pond5 special thanks to “Slavonic Dances, op. 72. No, 7” Storyblocks All musicians and performers Composed by Antonin Dvorak Artlist Music “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67” legal “Ruslan and Lyudmila” Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven Richard Wilks Composed by Mikhail Glinka Kate Henderson “The Barber of Seville” Michael Hilliard “Three Hip-Hop Moments” Composed by Gioachino Rossini Composed by Jams, Poyser, Daniel publicity Bartholomew-Poyser for the CBC Noreen Hamid Arranged and conducted by Daniel General Manager, Programming Bartholomew -Posyer Sally Catto accounting services Dania Kannan Bagtelle no. 5: Tango” Executive Director, Unscripted Content Composed and arranged by Patrick Horn Jennifer Dettman insurance Consolidated insurance Brokers Limited “Piano Sonata No. 4 in C# minor, Op. 27, No2’ Senior Director, Documentary Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven Sandra Kleinfield thanks “Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 Senoir Director of Production, Olga Mychajluk The Bartholomew Family utive Director, Unscripted Content Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven Unscripted Content Symphony Nova Scotia The Poyser Family Jennifer Dettman Alexandra Lane San Francisco Orchestra MaryKirk Pollard Senior Director, Documentary “Amazing Grace Toronto Symphony Orchestra Rebecca Cohn Auditorium Sandra Kleinfield Composed by WIlliam Walker Executive in Charge of Production Kitchener- Waterloo Symphony Grand Valley Institute for Women Senoir Director of Production, Unscripted Charlotte Engel Correctional Service of Canada Roy Thomson Hall Content “Sleeping Beauty, Op.66” Waterloo Collegiate Institute San Francisco War Memorial Alexandra Lane Composed by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky produced with the participation of Centennial High School Ed and Donna Kent Executive in Charge of Production the Canadian Media Fund Wilfred Laurier University Halifax Pride Charlotte Engel “Slavonic Dances, op. 72. No, 7” D. Mark Jang Alison Duke ______Composed by Antonin Dvorak Produced in association with produced with the participation of Canada the Canadian Media Fund Canadian Federation of Musicians “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67” Ontario Produced in association with Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven ZERO11ZERO Canada URBAN SOUL INC Canadian Federation of Musicians Ontario “The Barber of Seville Produced in association with the Canadian ZERO11ZERO Composed by Gioachino Rossini Broadcasting Corporation URBAN SOUL INC CBC.CA/CBCDocsPOV ______Produced in association with the Canadian ______Broadcasting Corporation CBC.CA/CBCDocsPOV for the CBC ______General Manager, Programming IRON BAY Sally Catto Executive Director, Unscripted Content Jennifer Dettman IRON BAY Senior Director, Documentary © 2019 IRON BAY MEDIA LTD Sandra Kleinfield Senoir Director of Production, Unscripted Content © 2019 IRON BAY MEDIA LTD Alexandra Lane ______Executive in Charge of Production (CBC LOGO) Charlotte Engel ______Produced in association with ______produced with the participation of The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC LOGO) the Canadian Media Fund 2019

Produced in association with Produced in association with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Canada 2019 Canadian Federation of Musicians Ontario ZERO11ZERO URBAN SOUL INC

Produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC.CA/CBCDocsPOV ______

IRON BAY

______(CBC LOGO)

Produced in association with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2019 CREDITS

Produced in association with Canada Canadian Federation of Musicians Ontario ZERO11ZERO URBAN SOUL INC

Produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC.CA/CBCDocsPOV

IRON BAY

Produced in association with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 2019