Is a filmmaker and photographer
Bistonath, the daughter of Guyanese immigrants endeavours to look at modes of representation by investigating nostalgia, and exploring evidence. She does this by interrupting the archive while focusing on themes of memory and belonging. She first gained recognition as a photojournalist travelling internationally for World Vision. Her directorial debut Why We Fight (2016), a documentary film about the relationship between Guyana and its diaspora, won Best Canadian Short at the Regent Park Film Festival. Her follow-up film Portals (2018) was commissioned by Nuit Blanche Toronto (2018) and was later exhibited at Ambika P3 Gallery in London, England (2023.) During the global pandemic Bistonath shot Isolation Photographs (2020-2022), a series that was featured in Canadian Art (2020), exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ontario (2022) and acquired by the Image Centre (2022) with funds provided by Edward Burtynsky and Nicolas Metivier.
Bistonath has her Masters of Fine Arts in Documentary Media and is an Assistant Professor of Photography at Toronto Metropolitan University. On her down time she reads and writes science fiction.
Selected Clients
PUBLICATIONS
Anglican Journal
BlogTO
Canadian Running
Canadian Immigrant
Chatelaine
Globe and Mail
Emirates Woman
Huffington Post
National Geographic
National Post
Prefix Magazine
Report on Business
Today’s Parent
Toronto Life
Toronto Star
Vice Canada
TV Week
NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
Canadian Association of Gift Planners
Canada Cancer Society
Christie Refugee Welcome Centre
The Canadian Center to End Human Trafficking
Fighting Blindness Canada
Foodshare
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers
Makeway Charitable Society
Ontario Association of Catholic Teachers
Ontario Physical Health Education Association
Ontario Public Service Employees Union
Proximity Institute
Sharelife
World Vision
World Wildlife Fund
CORPORATE
CIBC
Clif Bar
Colgate University
Deloitte
HealthPRO Procurement Services
Loblaw
Lee Chow Group
Maclennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects
McGill University
National Hockey League
Penguin Random House
Perkins+Will
Stella Artois
Sportsnet
Scotiabank
smartCar/Mercedes Benz
University of Victoria
ARTS & CULTURE
Art Gallery of Burlington
Art Gallery of York University
Canada Tourism Commission
City of Toronto
Hemisphere Games
LeuWebb
National Gallery of Canada
National Film Board
Reel Canada
Sobey Art Foundation
Toronto International Film Festival
Highlights
2023
Exhibition: Connected Creativity - Transatlantic Practice-Based Research | Portals | Ambika P3 Gallery | London, UK
Director | Michéle Pearson Clarke (Artist Profile)
National Gallery of Canada/Sobey Art Foundation | Agency: Affinity Production Group
Director | Proximity Institute (Interviews and Brand Films) | Proximity Institute | Agency: Pilot PMR
2022
Director | WillPower (Commercial Advertisement)
Canadian Association of Gift Planners | Agency: PilotPMR
Exhibition: Nostalgia Interrupted | Dirt. Brown. Chocolate | Doris McCarthy Gallery/ Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival | | Curator: Ingrid Jones
Director | Art at the End of Life
McGill International Palliative Care Congress | Public Studio
Catalogue and Exhibition: I AM HERE: Home-movies and Everyday Masterpieces | The Art Gallery of Ontario |Curator: Jim Shedden
Catalogue and Exhibition: Canada Now Photography Acquisition Initiative, with funds from Edward Burtynsky and Nicholas Metivier | Image Center | Curator: Denise Birkhofer |
2021
Women Photograph | Professional Association (juried selection)
Director of Photography | (Col) Hiba Abdallah | The Visual Arts Centre
Exhibition: Network Dependencies | InterAccess Vector Festival | Curator: Diasporic Futurisms
Director of Photography | May I Rage (Music Video) | Directed by: Sandi Barrett
Director of Photography | The Belonging Project (Documentary) | Directed by: Sandi Barrett | 2021
2020
Interview | "Isolation Portraits" | Canadian Art
Interview | Artist in the Spotlight, Art Gallery of Ontario
Publication | "Myth" | Broadview Magazine
Director of Photography |Global Steps/Surfaces of Revolution | (Dir) Joaquin Wall | Art Gallery of Burlington
2019
Panelist | Bechdel Tested: Women in Photography | Contact Photography Festival | The Revue Cinema
Director of Photography | Handmade Mountain (Dir) Michéle Pearson Clarke | National Film Board of Canada
Director of Phototgraphy |This Place Neyaashiinigmiing (Fish Story) | (Dir) Public Studio | Doris McCarthy Gallery
Director of Photography, Editor | The Canadian Human Trafficking | Media Launch
Photographer | The Christie Refugee Centre | Annual Report
2018
Interview | Portals | “Here & Now” CBC Radio One with Gill Deacon