Shane Slater

Featured Critic
Shane Slater is a passionate cinephile whose love for film led him to creating his blog Film Actually in 2009. Since then, he has also written for AwardsCircuit.com, Awards Radar and The Spool, in addition to appearances on podcasts, radio and TV. Based in Kingston, Jamaica, he relishes the film festival experience, having covered DOC NYC, NewFest, NYFF, PAFF-LA and TIFF among others. He is a proud member of the African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA).


Articles by Shane Slater:


  • September 10, 2022

    TIFF 2022: The Inspection Review

    “Are you in trouble?” Such is the greeting uttered by Gabrielle Union’s Inez towards her son, in an early scene of Elegance Bratton’s debut narrative feature The Inspection. But although it sets a portentous tone for its protagonist’s journey, this drama surprisingly evolves into an uplifting true story of queer identity. The Inspection centers on […]

  • Descendant
    January 29, 2022

    Sundance 2022: Descendant Review

    Margaret Brown’s award-winning documentary Descendant is a stirring tribute to the historic Africatown community.

  • Try Harder! Sundance review
    January 30, 2021

    Sundance 2021: Try Harder! Review

    Debbie Lum’s inspiring documentary Try Harder! relives the college application process from the perspective of a high-achieving public school.