Clement Virgo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clement Virgo
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Virgo in 2017
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| Born | June 1, 1966 Montego Bay, Jamaica
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| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Film director, television director, film producer, television producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1991–present |
Clement Virgo, born on June 1, 1966, is a talented Canadian film and television writer, producer, and director. He runs a production company called Conquering Lion Pictures with his partner, Damon D'Oliveira. Virgo is widely recognized for co-writing and directing The Book of Negroes (2015). This was a six-part TV series based on a novel by Canadian writer Lawrence Hill. It was shown on CBC Television in Canada and BET in the United States.
In 2023, Virgo directed Brother. This film received many awards and positive reviews. It was nominated for Outstanding International Film at the 24th Annual Black Reel Awards. It also won 12 awards at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards.
Contents
Early Life and Film Training
Clement Virgo was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica. When he was 11 years old, he moved to Canada and grew up in Toronto. In 1991, he joined the first Summer Lab program at the Canadian Film Centre. There, he worked on the script for his first major film, Rude (1995).
Clement Virgo's Career
Starting Out in Film
At the Canadian Film Centre, Virgo met other Canadian filmmakers, including Damon D'Oliveira. Virgo wrote and directed a short film with D'Oliveira as producer. This film won awards at the Toronto, Fespaco, and Chicago Film Festivals.
In 1992, Virgo and D'Oliveira were invited to join the Canadian Film Centre's film residency program. They started their company, Conquering Lion Pictures. Their first feature film, Rude, was shown for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival.
Virgo's next films included The Planet of Junior Brown, which was nominated for an Emmy award, and Love Come Down.
Recent Work and Success
Virgo then created a boxing drama called Poor Boy's Game. This film starred Danny Glover and Rossif Sutherland. It was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2007. Poor Boy's Game earned Virgo a nomination for a Directors Guild of Canada award for best direction. Critics praised the film for how it explored themes of race and identity.
Virgo co-wrote and directed The Book of Negroes (2015). This miniseries was based on Lawrence Hill's popular novel. It starred Aunjanue Ellis, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Lou Gossett Jr. The series was very popular in Canada, with 1.7 million viewers. It also had high ratings when it premiered in the United States. The Book of Negroes won 11 Canadian Screen Awards. It also received nominations for the U.S. Critics Choice Television Awards and the NAACP Image Awards. Virgo and Lawrence Hill won an NAACP Award for Best Writing in a TV Movie or Miniseries.
Virgo has also directed episodes for many TV shows. These include The Wire for HBO, The L Word for Showtime, and Baz Luhrmann's Netflix show The Get Down (2016). He also directed episodes of American Crime for ABC. He was an executive producer with Oprah Winfrey on the OWN drama series Greenleaf (2016).
From 2010 to 2014, Virgo and the Canadian Film Centre hosted talks for Black History Month in Toronto. Famous guests included Lee Daniels, Spike Lee, and Chris Tucker.
In 2021, Virgo began making Brother. This film is based on a book by David Chariandy. It was first shown at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in September 2022. It was nominated for Outstanding International Film at the 24th Annual Black Reel Awards.
In November 2021, it was announced that Virgo would direct Black Cyclone. This film is about the famous cyclist Major Taylor.
Awards and Recognition
In 2017, Clement Virgo and Damon D'Oliveira received the Canadian Film Centre's Award for Creative Excellence. They earned this as co-founders of Conquering Lion Pictures.
In 2023, Virgo won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Director for Brother. He also won the Best Adapted Screenplay for the film. Brother was also named Best Picture. The film won a total of twelve Canadian Screen Awards. This was the most awards for any film since Night Zoo in 1988.
Film and Television Work
Films Directed
- Split-Second Pullout Technique (1992)
- Rude (1995)
- The Planet of Junior Brown (1997)
- Love Come Down (2000)
- Poor Boy's Game (2007)
- Brother (2022)
- Steal Away (2025)
- Cyclone (To Be Announced)
Television Episodes Directed
- Side Effects (1996)
- Soul Food (2000)
- The Wire (2002, 2 episodes)
- The L Word (2003)
- Platinum (2004)
- ReGenesis (2005–2006)
- The Listener (2009, 7 episodes)
- Copper (2013, 1 episode)
- The Book of Negroes (2015, 6 episode miniseries)
- The Get Down (2016, 1 episode)
- American Crime (2016, 1 episode)
- Greenleaf (2016, 2 episodes)
- Billions (2019, 1 episode)
- Empire (2020, 1 episode)
- Grand Army (2020, 1 episode)
