Charles Officer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Officer
|
|
|---|---|
Officer at the 44th KVIFF
|
|
| Born | October 28, 1975 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|
| Died | December 1, 2023 (aged 48) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Nurse.Fighter.Boy Akilla's Escape |
Charles Officer was a talented Canadian filmmaker, writer, actor, and even a professional hockey player. He was born on October 28, 1975, and passed away on December 1, 2023. He was known for directing films like Nurse.Fighter.Boy and Akilla's Escape.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Charles Officer was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This was on October 28, 1975. He was the youngest of four children. His father was from Britain, and his mother was from Jamaica.
Charles first studied communication design at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). But he left school to play professional ice hockey in the U.K.. After some injuries, he stopped playing hockey. He then went back to OCAD. Later, he studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.
Charles Officer's Career
Acting Roles
Charles Officer was also an actor. He appeared in plays, movies, and TV shows. One play he was in was A Raisin in the Sun. In 2005, he acted in the TV series Bury the Lead. He also appeared in the TV movie Riding the Bus with My Sister.
Officer also starred in several short films. These included Black Tea in Bardo (2015) and Overwatch (2012). Other short films were Furstenau Mysteries (2011) and Trouser Accidents (2004). He also acted in Urda/Bone (2003).
Directing Films and TV
Officer's first film as a director was When Morning Comes. It was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2000. He also directed short films like Short Hymn, Silent War (2002). Other early works included Pop Song and Urda/Bone (2003). He even directed a music video for K'naan's song "Strugglin'" (2005).
Officer often worked with Canadian filmmaker Ingrid Veninger. They worked together on Urda/Bone. This film was shown at the New York Film Festival in 2003. Ingrid Veninger also produced his feature film Nurse.Fighter.Boy.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy Film
The film Nurse.Fighter.Boy was inspired by Officer's sister. She had a condition called sickle cell anemia. The film was made while Officer was a student at the Canadian Film Centre. It was filmed in just 23 days. They used a hand-held camera in places where Officer grew up in Toronto. This included back alleys and a boxing club. Officer learned to box there when he was 13.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy premiered at TIFF in 2008. It won the Audience Award at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg. It also won awards at the Sarasota Film Festival. The movie was shown in Canadian cinemas in February 2009.
Mighty Jerome Documentary
In 2009, Officer started working on a documentary about Harry Jerome. Harry Jerome was a famous Canadian track and field star. The film was finished in 2010. It was called Mighty Jerome.
Mighty Jerome premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2010. The film tells the story of Harry Jerome's amazing comeback. It uses old videos, interviews, and recreated scenes. Harry Jerome's coach called his comeback "The greatest comeback in track and field history."
Other Documentaries
In 2015, Officer completed a documentary called Unarmed Verses. This film explored issues of youth and race in Toronto. It focused on a 12-year-old girl named Francine. She lived in a neighborhood that was being torn down. The film won Best Canadian Feature at the 2017 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. It was also named Best Canadian Documentary at the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Officer also directed The Skin We're In. This was a documentary about Canadian journalist Desmond Cole. It was shown on CBC Television in March 2017.
In 2018, Officer released another documentary. It was called Invisible Essence: The Little Prince. This film explored the famous book The Little Prince.
Akilla's Escape Film
His next feature film was Akilla's Escape, released in 2020. Officer wrote this film with Wendy Motion Brathwaite. They won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2021.
In 2022, Officer won another award. He won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction. This was for an episode called "The Death News" from the series 21 Black Futures.
Passing Away
Charles Officer passed away in Toronto on December 1, 2023. He was 48 years old.
Filmography
- Short Hymn, Silent War (2002)
- Nurse.Fighter.Boy (2008)
- Mighty Jerome (2010)
- The Skin We're In (2017)
- Unarmed Verses (2017)
- Invisible Essence: The Little Prince (2018)
- Akilla's Escape (2020)
