Working on Hip-Hop Evolution. From left to right: Kool Herc, Shad, Cindy Campbell, Coke La Rock, and Darby Wheeler. (Photo courtesy of Darby Wheeler)Working on Hip-Hop Evolution. From left to right: Kool Herc, Shad, Cindy Campbell, Coke La Rock, and Darby Wheeler. (Photo courtesy of Darby Wheeler)
Chatham

Canadian Documentary Wins Emmy Award

An Erieau native is claiming yet another prestigious award in the film industry for a Canadian documentary.

Banger Films' Hip-Hop Evolution won a 2017 International Emmy Award in the Arts Programming category Monday night.

Chatham-Kent's Darby Wheeler helped in directing the documentary series, which aired on HBO and Netflix in 2016.

"It was definitely a labour of love," he says. "We were behind when we did deliver it -- we were out probably a year out from when we were supposed to originally do it. Sometimes that kind of stuff can be really stressful and then in the end it can also mean that a project is better."

"It's really nice to get something like an Emmy and to be chosen [from] a lot of people around the world," he says. "It feels great."

This recent accomplishment comes a few months after the documentary series won a 2017 Peabody Award.

Although the story behind Hip-Hop Evolution is based in the US around hip-hop culture, it's a Canadian production, which involves the work of many Canadians. Wheeler says, in a way, it does help in opening the doors for future Canadian films.

"I think it definitely helps to show that Canadians can tell outside stories," he says. "It's a pretty unique thing for a Canadian production to be able to knock off... We love the [hip-hop] culture."

Wheeler has been working on another project within the music/film sector, however, the only details being released at this time is that they're "possibly working on more seasons of Hip-Hop Evolution."

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