Bio
Born in Oakland, California, Richard B. Pierre immigrated to Toronto at the age of nine. A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, Pierre has directed more than 20 short films that have screened at over 100 festivals worldwide, including the St. Louis International Film Festival, Aesthetica Short Film Festival, and Yorkton Film Festival. His feature screenplay Crooked was a quarter-finalist for the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship.
Pierre’s work explores race and identity across horror, science fiction, thriller, and documentary. His projects have earned numerous accolades, including a Golden Sheaf nomination for What Are You? and Best Thriller at the HollyShorts Film Festival for An Uninvited Guest, which later aired on CBC and CBC Gem.
Alongside filmmaking, Pierre is committed to advancing inclusive cinema through his programming work with the Toronto International Film Festival, where he served as the Warner Bros. Discovery Curatorial Programming Fellow, as well as Canadian Film Fest, Toronto Black Film Festival, and Reelworld Film Festival. Most recently, he joined the Durham Region International Film Festival as Director of Programming.
He directed his first documentary television series for BET+ and Paramount+, and is currently developing his debut feature with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Toronto Arts Council.
Current
What Are You? – Short Documentary
This film explores the lives of multiracial people as they reveal the struggles of living in a racially divided world. Find out more at whatareyoufilm.com
• African Diaspora International Film Festival 2019, Twin Cities Black Film Festival 2019, St. Louis International Film Festival 2019, Africa International Film Festival 2019, Los Angeles CineFest 2020, Toronto Short Film Festival 2020, National Black Film Festival 2020, Yorkton Film Festival 2020 (Golden Sheaf Award Documentary Social/Political Nominee), San Francisco Black Film Festival 2020, Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival 2020, Rapport Festival 2020, Lunenburg Doc Fest 2020, Culture & Diversity Film Festival 2020 (WINNER: InkTip Prize and Best Recorded Sound), CineOdyssey Film Festival 2020, TIDE Film Festival 2020, NorthwestFest International Documentary Festival 2020.
An Uninvited Guest – Short Film
When a Black man is viciously assaulted by police right outside their window, all of the guests at a dinner party seem to consider the attack unremarkable except for one. Find out more at anuninvitedguest.com
• 2020 San Diego Black Film Festival, CaribbeanTales International Film Festival 2020 (Impact Award), Montreal Black Film Festival 2020, Social Justice Film Festival 2020 (Short Narrative Silver Prize), Grimmfest Film Festival 2020, ReelWorld Film Festival 2020 (Stand Out Actor for a Short Film Award), Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2020, HollyShorts Film Festival 2020 (Best Thriller Award), Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival 2020, Rogers Inclusion Film Festival 2020, Whistler Film Festival 2020, Toronto Black Film Festival 2021, Us: A Black Peoples Month Festival 2021.