Graeme Mathieson
Directing
Biography
An award-winning DGC filmmaker, Graeme has been shaped by his Jamaican and Scottish roots, growing up immersed in diverse cultures that ignited his curiosity and deepened his empathy for people's stories. This foundation has become the driving force behind his work. His filmmaking journey has taken him across the globe, collaborating with notable figures such as Ben Johnson, Leroy Sibbles, Nana McLean, Jagmeet Singh, and Johnny Osbourne. Passionate about creating ethical spaces for storytelling, Graeme is dedicated to exploring sensitive subjects and providing underrepresented communities with a platform to share their histories. His recent work includes Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul, which he directed and co-wrote, and was released on TVO in 2025, as well as the award-winning Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land, a documentary anthology series he directed and co-wrote. Funded by the National Film Board of Canada, Sounds & Pressure was released in 2024 and explores the impact of reggae music in diasporic communities. He is also the co-founder of Bonfire Originals, a production company committed to amplifying untold stories and marginalized voices through powerful visual storytelling. Beyond filmmaking, Graeme is known as DJ Gramera, a vinyl enthusiast and longtime host of StolenSouls, a community radio show he led for over 15 years. Whether through film or music, he is driven by a love for authentic, culture-rich stories that deserve to be heard.
Known For
Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land follows the journeys of these icons. Through rare archives and infectious beats, this captivating five-part anthology series takes you from Kingston to Kensington Market to see and hear how reggae made roots in Canada against all odds.
Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land
After an unsuccessful attempt at establishing himself in the early 1970s music scene, Jamaican-born reggae legend Stranger Cole opens a record store, the first Caribbean business in Toronto's Kensington Market.
Ruff 'n Tuff - Stranger Cole's Toronto Roots
In early 1960s Toronto, a white, Anglo-centric city, an underground music scene emerged from the Jamaican diaspora, led by newcomers like Jackie Mittoo, Wayne McGhie, and a young Jay Douglas. Battling racism and indifference, they left a lasting but underrecognized mark on Canadian music and culture. Nearly 60 years later, Jay Douglas still champions Jamaican music and is finally receiving long-overdue recognition. Play It Loud is a feature documentary that tells the little-known story of how Jamaican music became a vital, unlikely part of Canadian culture. It traces a cultural migration that made Canada a global hub for Jamaican music - celebrated abroad but overlooked at home. Told through the life and music of beloved singer Jay Douglas, born Clive Pinnock in rural Jamaica, the film follows his journey from teen performer to enduring icon.
Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul
Roy Panton and Yvonne Harrison made history as one of the first Jamaican ska duos. Decades after going their separate ways, the pair rekindle their magic—this time, 3,000 kilometres north, in Scarborough, Ontario.