Mark Simms

Last updated
Mark Simms
Born
Mark Simms

(1981-11-25) November 25, 1981 (age 43)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s) Filmmaker, activist, martial artist [ citation needed ]
Spousesingle
Website Jane-Finch.com

Mark Simms (born 1981) is a Canadian filmmaker, community activist and martial artist.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Life

Mark Simms was born in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in Jane and Finch alongside childhood friend, Paul Nguyen. Simms is the executive producer for the community website, Jane-Finch.com. He is a 2nd Dan black belt in Taekwondo and has competed and won multiple provincial tournaments. He frequently appears as a motivational speaker and guest lecturer for events aimed at children and youth. He is a recipient of the 2011 Ontario Volunteer Service Award [1] from the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade. In 2016, Simms appeared on CBC's Marketplace to investigate racism in Canada. [2]

Media

Simms is an outspoken advocate for the Jane and Finch community. He comments on issues of gangs, drugs and crime. In 2006, Simms opposed the installation of police cameras in Jane and Finch on CBC's Metro Morning with Andy Barrie. In 2007, he spoke out on behalf of the Manners family during the 2007 murder of Jordan Manners.

Advocacy

Simms has commented on various topics and issues surrounding the Jane and Finch area.

Broadcast

Simms spent 10 months as a cameraman and associate producer documenting the lives of gang-involved youth from Jane and Finch [9] for CBC's the fifth estate in the Gemini Award-nominated Lost in the Struggle. [10] The film featured Vietnamese-Canadian rapper, Chuckie Akenz.

Short films

References

  1. Ontario Volunteer Service Awards
  2. 'Shopping while black'
  3. Gangs de rue à Toronto
  4. School shooting
  5. School shooting aftermath
  6. It's a Crime
  7. We're always shafted
  8. "Mark Simms talks about his experience with racism | CBC.ca".
  9. "CBC News: the fifth estate - Lost in the Struggle".
  10. "The 22nd Annual Gemini Awards Nominees Announced" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2011-05-22.
  11. Lost in the Struggle: The Next Chapter
  12. EPISODE 9: Ian Jones: Activist and Artist, How the Steelpan is Changing Lives
  13. Lost in the Struggle

Mark Simms at IMDb