Stratford-made documentary, Exclusion: Beyond the Silence, earns Canada Screen Award nomination

Cinematographer Iris Ng, now nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for her work on Exclusion: Beyond the Silence, films a Lion Dance during production in China.

A Stratford-produced documentary that brought an overlooked chapter of Canadian history to both local and international audiences is now receiving national recognition.

Exclusion: Beyond the Silence, produced by Stratford-based Ballinran Entertainment and directed by Stratford’s Keira Loughran, has been nominated for a 2026 Canadian Screen Award for best photography, documentary or factual, recognizing cinematographer Iris Ng.

For Loughran, the nomination is especially meaningful because of how collaborative the film was from the start.

“This is the Canadian Screen Awards. This is the highest honour from the Canadian film community,” Loughran said. “To be included and know that your film’s been seen enough for people to nominate anything from our film, for me, is just remarkable.”

The documentary explores the lasting impacts of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the racist federal law that all but halted Chinese immigration to Canada between 1923 and 1947 and separated families for generations. The project grew out of Ballinran executive producer Craig Thompson’s discovery of the story of Foon Hay Lum, whose life reflected the devastating effects of the act, and Loughran’s own family connection through her grandmother, activist Jean Lumb.

Since premiering in late 2024, including at a home-community screening in Stratford, the film has found audiences in a wide range of settings, from festivals and Cineplex screenings to seniors’ homes and international screenings in China.

“I’m just kind of constantly amazed at how it ripples,” Loughran said. “One screening leads to another screening.”

Thompson said the film has resonated not only with Chinese Canadians reconnecting with difficult family histories, but with broader immigrant communities as well.

“People see their own story in the film,” Craig said. “This is something about the overall immigrant experience in Canada.”

That ripple effect was visible even at the Stratford premiere, Craig said, recalling an audience member who left the screening wanting to dig deeper into her own family history.

The nomination for cinematography is particularly fitting, Loughran said, because the film’s visual language was central to how the story was told. Rather than relying on a conventional documentary approach, the team worked to create something more layered and personal, drawing on archival materials, family objects and emotionally driven imagery to help audiences connect more deeply with the story.

Part of that work took shape during a demanding 10-day shoot in China, where Ng worked closely with a local Chinese film crew assembled to help bring the story to screen. Executive producer Koi Thompson said that teamwork was essential, particularly given the language barriers, tight schedule and logistical demands of filming overseas.

“It’s teamwork, really, for that,” Koi said. “Everybody said they were so happy to work with her.”

Koi said the China-based crew, including camera assistants, drone operators and translators, remained deeply invested in the project even after filming wrapped and were thrilled to hear about the nomination.

“They worked together 10 days. It became like a family,” she said.

Craig said the recognition also highlights the strength of Stratford’s film community.

“Projects like this reflect the fact that Stratford is a unique place, that we have the talent, not just on stage but on screen,” he said. “You don’t have to be in Toronto … to make a film.”

The team is also continuing to build on the film’s momentum by developing a study guide and promoting school screenings, particularly as Asian Heritage Month approaches in May.

The Canadian Screen Awards’ Unscripted Television Awards will take place at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Toronto on May 29.