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'{{Short description|Canadian television personality and film director}} '''Sharon M. Lewis''' is a Jamaican/Trini/U.S/Canadian filmmaker, and director.  She is known in the screen industry for her directing flair, distinct cinematic voice, respect with crew, and her ability to inspire award-winning performances from actors. '''Lewis''' has received numerous accolades for her work, including a Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction of a Factual Series, eight Canadian Screen Award nominations as a Showrunner and Director. She appeared in the Emmy- and NAACP-nominated documentary "How It Feels to Be Free" about iconic African American female entertainers. Sharon hosted the Emmy nominated groundbreaking TV series ZeD before the world wide web was on everyone’s phone. '''Lewis''' honed her directing skills at the prestigious University of California Los Angeles. She directed her award-winning feature film debut "Brown Girl Begins," an Afro-futurist sci-fi tale which garnered recognition, including a CSA nomination for Best Screenplay. “Brown Girl Begins” continues to screen on multiple platforms including Apple, Amazon, Hulu, and Paramount Plus. Her award-winning feature documentaries, "Disruptor Conductor" for CBC Docs and "With Wonder" on CBC Gem, highlight stories from the BIPOC LGBTQI+ community, which continues to be a main focus in her work. . Sharon’s film and tv industry career began behind the screen as an actor.  When Sharon was living in Toronto and in LA the paucity of roles for Black women and women of color inspired her to partner with powerhouse maxine bailey to write their play, “sistahs”. The DORA nominated play  featured Caribbean women and queer women of color and broke office records in Toronto in 1994 where it premiered.  The play's success has led to recognition as a seminal work in Canadian theater. The play has been produced in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. From “sistahs” the theater company, “sugar’n’spice was born. '''Sharon Lewis''' is a trailblazer in the Canadian theater scene, having co- founded the first theater company for women of color in Canada, Sugar N Spice. This groundbreaking initiative provided a platform for women of color to showcase their talents and stories, which were often underrepresented in traditional theater spaces. Through Sugar N Spice, Lewis and Bailey created a nurturing environment where artists could collaborate, innovate, and explore their craft freely. The company's productions challenged societal norms and shed light on the diverse experiences of women of color in Canada. Sharon has been at the forefront of the digital revolution in the film and tv industry. '''Zed''' was a groundbreaking Canadian television program that aired on CBC Television from 2002 to 2006. The inaugural series was hosted by Lewis. No show had done what Zed introduced:  the show was known for its innovative approach to arts and culture programming, featuring a mix of music videos, short films, animations, and interviews with emerging artists and cultural figures and merging it with an online community of artists.  Zed quickly gained a dedicated following for its eclectic content and diverse representation, becoming a platform for showcasing new and underrepresented voices in the arts. The show's impact extended beyond its broadcast, as it engaged with its audience through interactive online content and live events, fostering a community of artists and enthusiasts. Zed was recognized with an Emmy nomination. Zed's legacy continues to be felt in the Canadian media landscape, remembered for its contributions and putting Canada at the cutting edge of the digital revolution. Lewis has always been an activist so she married her on camera presence with her political background and hosted counterSpin. It was a political debating show hosted by Sharon Lewis that aired on CBC Television. In 2001 Sharon’s first year hosting the program, it garnered the highest rating in the history of the show. The  program provided a platform for in-depth discussions on current affairs, politics, and social issues. Known for its balanced and thought-provoking approach, “counterSpin” featured a panel of experts, politicians, and commentators who offered diverse perspectives on pressing issues of the day. The show's format encouraged civil discourse and critical thinking, aiming to inform and engage viewers in important national and international debates. Before establishing herself as a renowned filmmaker and director, Sharon Lewis embarked on a successful acting career, appearing in various film and television productions. One of her notable roles was in the critically acclaimed Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation, where she portrayed Mrs. Walters, the mother of the character played by hip-hop artist Drake. Her performance added depth to the show's narrative, showcasing her ability to embody complex characters with authenticity. Lewis's acting talents extended to the big screen, where she delivered a memorable performance in the film “Rude”. “Rude” was the first all black above the line film produced in Canada and directed by the extremely talented Clement Virgo. The film took her to Cannes where it was an official entry.   '''Lewis''' is currently converging all of her experience, storytelling skills, and directorial knowledge to fully realize her talent as an exceptional filmmaker. She continues her work through her production company, urbansoul inc., developing genre features and scripted TV series that highlight the stories and talents of Black women, South Asian women, and the BIPOC 2SLGBTQ+ community. Lewis's latest work includes directing episode 507 of "FBI Most Wanted," and she is currently shooting an episode of "Star Trek Strange New Worlds." '''Film and Television Credits:''' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S3 (Director x 1 ep) Paramount + 1 Hour Action/Sci-Fi CBS Studio Chicago Med S9 (Director x 1 ep) Amazon 1 Hour Drama NBC Law and Order: Criminal Intent Toronto (Director x 1 ep) City TV 1 Hour Drama Cameron Pictures/Lark Productions Sight Unseen S1 (Director x 2 eps) The CW 1 Hour Drama CTV Power Book II: Ghost (Director x 1 ep) Lionsgate Television 1 Hour Drama Starz FBI: Most Wanted (Director x 1 ep) CBSTVS/UTV/Wolf Films 1 Hour Drama CBS East New York S1 (Director x 1 ep) WBTV/Skyemac 1 Hour Drama CBS Power Book IV: Force (Director x 1 ep) Lionsgate Television 1 Hour Drama Starz Transplant (Director x 2 eps) Sphere Media Inc. 1 Hour Drama NBC Law and Order: Organized Crime (Director x 2 eps) Universal Television 1 Hour Drama NBC Ginny & Georgia (Director x 2 eps) Netflix 1 Hour Drama Blue Ice Pictures Hudson & Rex (Director x 2 eps) CityTV 1 Hour Drama Shaftesbury Murdoch Mysteries XIV & XV (Director x 3 eps) CBC 1 Hour Drama Shaftesbury '''Awards and Recognitions:''' 2022, Playback Top 30 TV Programs in Canada 2022, Canadian Screen Award Nomination – Best Direction of a Drama Series 2021 Reelworld Audience Choice Award 2019 Canadian Screen Award Nomination – Best Adapted Screenplay & Numerous Film Festival Awards 2022, Canadian Screen Awards Winner, Best Lead Actress TV Movie 2022, Canadian Screen Awards Nomination, Best Lead Actor TV Movie 2022, Canadian Screen Awards Nominee, Best Direction of TV Movie 2020 Canadian Screen Award Nominee – Best Director, Children’s Show Winner – Africa Channel Film Spotlight Award Winner – Best Horror/Sci-Fi Short at Eugene International Film Fest; ABFF Finalist Winner – Atlanta Hip Hop Film Festival '''References''' Canadian Screen Awards: Winner, Best Direction Factual Series: Canadian Screen Awards, Paranormal NightShift, 2021 Nominee, Best Direction TV Movie: Canadian Screen Awards, Death She Wrote, 2022 Nominee, Best Direction Drama Series: Canadian Screen Awards, Murdoch Mysteries: “The .38 Murdoch Special”, 2022 Reelworld Film Festival: Winner, Audience Choice Award: Reelworld Film Festival, 2021 Black Alphabet Film Festival: Winner, Best Documentary Film: Black Alphabet Film Festival, 2020 Houston Black Film Festival: Winner, Best Costume Design: Houston Black Film Festival, 2018 Filmco Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival: Nominee, Best Film, Youth Jury: Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, 2018 Indiefest: Winner of Award of Merit Special Mention in the African American Category: Indiefest, 2017 Yorkton Film Festival: Winner, Best Documentary Series: Yorkton Film Festival, 2014 Africa Channel: Know Your Heritage: Sharon Lewis: Africa Channel IN FOCUS: Black Women in Media Ep. 4 - SHARON LEWIS | The Africa Channel Sharon Lewis Press '''Various Publications:''' Media Magnets Zed Share Magazine Counterspin CBC’s Exhibitionists Brown Girl Begins: A Vision for Black Artists in the Future The Toronto Star - Afrocentric symbiosis Sistahs Cayman Compass Athens Banner-Herald Potent Magazine The Sydney Morning Herald Inatiff Podcast Ranker The Best Black Sci-Fi Movies Screenrant{{Infobox person | name = Sharon Lewis | image = An Evening With Pam Grier (6830128909).jpg | caption = Lewis at the Black History Month event "An Evening with Pam Grier" in 2011 | birth_name = Sharon M. Lewis | birth_place = [[Toronto]], Ontario, Canada | nationality = Canadian | alma_mater = [[University of Toronto]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) | occupation = {{cslist|Director|screenwriter|actor}} | years_active = 1995{{ndash}}present }} '''Sharon M. Lewis''' is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[television personality]] and film director from [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]. She studied [[political science]] at the [[University of Toronto]].<ref name="McKay">John McKay, "Sharon Lewis finds activism experience a plus for new role as CounterSpin host," ''Western Star'', Corner Brook, Newfoundland: October 6, 2001, pg. 30.</ref> She was an actress and author before being the host of ''[[CounterSpin (television program)|counterSpin]]'' on [[CBC Television]] in 2001, and then hosted ''[[ZeD]]'', also for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]].<ref>Alex Strachan, "Audacious, energetic and offbeat: That's ZeD on CBC," ''[[The Vancouver Sun]]'', October 23, 2002, pg. B.6.FRO.</ref> She began her career on ''counterSpin'' with a special on the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref name="McKay" /> She called herself an "activist," saying "it's a journalist's job to activate change through information... Who isn't passionate and is in the journalist field, otherwise I don't know what would drive you?"<ref name="McKay" /> After leaving ''ZeD'', [[Ziya Tong]] took over as host.<ref>"Sharon Lewis calls it quits," ''Packet and Times'', Orillia, Ontario: June 19, 2002, pg. A.9.</ref> Lewis subsequently established the company urbansoul inc., which promotes the art of minority women.<ref>"[http://individual.utoronto.ca/dtsang/hhlecture/bio.html Hart House Lecture 2006: Biographies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051123185329/http://individual.utoronto.ca/dtsang/hhlecture/bio.html |date=2005-11-23 }}," [[University of Toronto]], URL accessed 13 March 2007.</ref> During her acting career, she appeared on ''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'' as the mother of Jimmy Brooks, who was played by rapper [[Drake (musician)|Drake]]. She also appeared in the film ''[[Troubled Waters (2006 film)|Troubled Waters]]''. In 2017, Lewis directed her [[Afrofuturism in film|Afro-futurist]] feature film ''[[Brown Girl Begins]]'', a feature film prequel to the celebrated novel ''[[Brown Girl in the Ring (novel)|Brown Girl in the Ring]]'' by [[Nalo Hopkinson]].<ref>"[http://www.thecaribbeancamera.com/awards/canadian-premiere-brown-girl-begins-art-gallery-ontario-saturday/ Canadian premiere of Brown Girl Begins at the Art Gallery of Ontario on Saturday The Caribbean Camera]</ref> Lewis is a member of [[Film Fatales]]. == Filmography == ===Filmmaker=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" width="65" |Director ! scope="col" width="65" |Writer ! scope="col" width="65" |Producer |- |2006 |''Ritch'' (Short) |rowspan=16 {{yes}} | {{yes}} | rowspan=2 {{no}} |- |2009 |''Chains'' (Short) | {{no}} |- |2011 |''In Between Life'' (Short) | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |- |2016 |''See Me Now'' (Short) | {{no}} | {{no}} |- | 2017 | ''[[Brown Girl Begins]]'' | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |- | 2019 | ''[[Disruptor Conductor]]'' (Documentary) | rowspan=11 {{no}} | rowspan=11 {{no}} |- | 2020 | ''Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding'' |- | 2021 |''[[Murdoch Mysteries]]'' |- | 2021 |''[[With Wonder]]'' (Documentary) |- | 2022 |''[[Hudson & Rex]]'' |- |2023 |''Power Book IV: Force'' |- |2024 |''[[Sight Unseen (TV series)|Sight Unseen]]'' |- |2024 |''[[Chicago Med]]'' |- |2024 |''Power Book II: Ghost'' |- |2024 |''[[Star Trek: Strange New Worlds]]'' |- |2024 |''[[FBI: Most Wanted]]'' |} ===Actress=== {| class="wikitable sortable !Year !Title !Role |- |1999 |''Lullaby'' (Short) |Creation Woman (as Sharon M. Lewis) |- |2001 |''Maple'' (Short) |Chamele (as Sharon M. Lewis) |- |2002 |''The Style of My Soul'' (Short) |as Sharon M. Lewis |- |2014 |''Happy 1 Year'' (Short) |Diana |- |2018 |''[[Mouthpiece (film)|Mouthpiece]]'' |Barbara |- |2019 |''[[White Lie (film)|White Lie]]'' |Collette |} ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *Sharon Lewis' [https://web.archive.org/web/20070220083949/http://zed.cbc.ca/go?POS=1&user_id=3306&c=contentPage&FILTER_KEY=3950 ''ZeD'' biography] *{{IMDb name|0507746}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Sharon}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian actresses]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian actresses]] [[Category:Actresses from Toronto]] [[Category:Black Canadian actresses]] [[Category:Black Canadian broadcasters]] [[Category:Black Canadian filmmakers]] [[Category:Canadian film actresses]] [[Category:Canadian stage actresses]] [[Category:Canadian television actresses]] [[Category:Canadian television hosts]] [[Category:Canadian women television hosts]] [[Category:CBC Television people]] [[Category:Film directors from Toronto]] [[Category:University of Toronto alumni]] [[Category:Canadian television directors]] [[Category:Canadian women television directors]] [[Category:Black Canadian journalists]]'