Telefilm Canada and the Talent Fund are welcoming 18 new filmmaking teams with this year’s selection of projects in the Talent to Watch Program. The lineup presents films from across the country, covering both English and French markets, as well as the Indigenous Stream. A commitment of $3.6 million will be invested into these projects by Telefilm and the Talent Fund.
“Films from the Talent to Watch Program consistently shine a spotlight on emerging talent spread across the country,” said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO, Telefilm Canada. “The opportunity we give to propel their careers as filmmakers and establish themselves amongst our nation’s vibrant film community is one we take pride in. This year’s selections present a dynamic range of cinematic gems, and we cannot wait to see the final product.”
“Investing in the next generation of filmmakers is at the heart of the Talent Fund, and we are honoured to support this year’s cohort on their first feature journey,” said Sandi Treliving, Chair of the Talent Fund Advisory Committee. “Through the generosity of our donors, like the continued support from the RBC Foundation through RBC Emerging Artists and a new contribution from Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, these emerging filmmakers are given a chance to bring their distinctive visions into reality. Canada is full of incredible talent with stories that need to be seen and heard – and the Talent Fund will continue to ensure that happens.”
Film teams and their projects come from coast-to-coast-to-coast, with projects from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Alberta and more. There is also a strong linguistic diversity in this year’s selections, with films told in majority Spanish, Farsi, Wayuunaiki, in addition to English and French. Overall, 126 projects were submitted to the Talent to Watch Program for 2023-2024.
This year’s films are:
A Cree Approach (Documentary)
Director/screenwriter: Tristin Greyeyes
Producers: Kaitlyn Redcrow and Tristin Greyeyes
Province: British Columbia
Languages: English and Nehīyaw (Plains Cree)
Stream: Indigenous Stream
Partner organization: imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
Autonomy & Dignity (Working Title) (Documentary)
Directors: Daniel Ennett and Frederick Kroetsch
Screenwriter: Daniel Ennett
Producer: Rebecca Campbell
Province: Alberta
Language: English
Stream: Industry Partner
Partner organization: Directors Guild of Canada
Blue Heron (Drama)
Director/screenwriter: Sophy Romvari
Producers: Ryan Bobkin and Sara Wylie
Executive Producer: Riel Roch Decter
Province: British Columbia
Languages: English and Hungarian
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Con Nhang I Enfants d’encens (Documentary)
Director/screenwriter: Eva-Loan Ponton-Pham
Producer: Marie-Michèle Cyr
Province: Québec
Languages: French and Vietnamese
Stream: Industry Partner
Partner organization: HotDocs
El Padrote (Drama)
Director/screenwriter: Andrés Estrada
Producer: Irène Bessone
Province: Québec
Language: Spanish
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Foreigner (Horror)
Director/screenwriter: Ava Maria Safai
Producer: Nicco Graham
Province: British Columbia
Languages: English and Farsi
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Her Last Supper (Drama)
Director/screenwriter: Becca Willow Moss
Producers: Becca Willow Moss and Stephanie Chiasson
Province: Ontario
Languages: English
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Invisibles (Drama)
Director/screenwriter: Junna Chif
Producers: Leslie Dabit and Pierre Villepelet
Executive Producers: Laurent Allaire, Yanick Létourneau and Junna Chif
Province: Québec
Language: French
Stream: Industry Partner
Partner organization: Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema – Concordia University
Joan’s Kitchen Table: Stirring the Revolution (Documentary)
Director: Olesya Shyvikova
Screenwriter: Louise Delisle
Producer: Karim Kafafy
Executive Producer: Walter Borden
Province: Nova Scotia
Language: English
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
KUBANA (Documentary)
Director/screenwriter: Alunaya
Producer: Will Prosper
Province: Québec
Languages: English, French and Kinyarwanda
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Last Stop Video Rentals (Comedy)
Director/screenwriter: Eric Janvier
Producer: Megan Shott
Province: Alberta
Language: English
Stream: Indigenous Stream
Mute Out Sound (Documentary)
Director/screenwriter: Kenza Derkaoui
Producer: Stefan Supplice
Province: Ontario
Languages: French, English, and Arabic (Darija)
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Séga : la musique de l’océan Indien (Working Title) (Documentary)
Director/screenwriter: Vincent Toi
Producer: Guillaume Collin
Province: Québec
Language: French
Stream: Industry Partner
Partner organization: Main Film
Strong Son (Drama)
Director/screenwriter: Ian Bawa
Producers: Ian Bawa and Markus Henkel
Executive Producer: Kyle Bornais
Province: Manitoba
Languages: English and Punjabi
Stream: Industry Partner
Partner organization: TIFF, Winnipeg Film Group, and OnScreen Manitoba
The Snake (Dark Comedy)
Director: Jenna MacMillan
Screenwriter: Susan Kent
Producers: Sharlene Kelly
Province: Prince Edward Island
Language: English
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
The Wind’s Thirst (Documentary)
Director/screenwriter/producer: Alejandro Valbuena
Province: Ontario
Languages: Wayuunaiki, Spanish, and English
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Women of No Nation (Documentary)
Director/screenwriter: Diana Saqeb Jamal
Producer: Caroline Cox
Province/Territory: Northwest Territories and Alberta
Languages: Farsi and English
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
Yo, We’re Dying… (Comedy)
Directors: Keisha Phoenixx-McLeggon and Jay Carolyn Wu
Screenwriter: Keisha Phoenixx-McLeggon
Producer: Fonna Seidu
Province: Ontario
Language: English
Stream: Filmmaker Apply-Direct
An advisory committee of external and internal representatives assessed the projects and made recommendations to Telefilm. The decision-making process considered Telefilm’s goal of fostering a diversity of voices in the industry, ensuring that Telefilm funds a balanced portfolio of productions that reflect a variety of genres, budgets and company sizes, regions of the country and points of view. Names of selection committee members will be published on the Project Financing Advisory Committees webpage once all funding decisions have been made.
Internationally renowned and leading Canadian production company Trio Orange in collaboration with Quebecor Content today announced Academy Award-nominated director Philippe Falardeau (Monsieur Lazhar, My Salinger Year, The Summers of the Raspberries) will present his new 4-part documentary series Lac-Mégantic: This is not an Accident at CANNESERIES 2023 as its world premiere, followed by its North American premiere at Hot Docs 2023 as part of the Deep Dive category. Directed and co-written by Falardeau with co-writer Nancy Guerin (Left Behind America, A Sister’s Song, Pink Ribbons Inc. ) and produced by Annie Sirois (Can you Hear Me?, Last Summer of the Raspberries, David Saint-Jacques Space Mission, Escobar Told By His Sons), Falardeau investigates one of the worst oil train tragedies in history; a foreseeable catastrophe ignited by corporate and political negligence. For more information on festival screenings please visit CANNESERIES and Hot Docs websites.
Almost ten years ago, on July 6, 2013, a devastating tragedy occurred in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, when a runaway train derailed in the heart of this idyllic town. Within seconds, six million liters of Bakken oil explode, killing everyone in its path, incinerating downtown.
At the heart of this series are the survivors who share their most intimate stories of lost loved ones and the string of injustices they’ve faced since that summer night. Yet, the steps needed to prevent another Lac-Mégantic tragedy are still not in place.
“It was extremely important to me to give a voice and a face to the people of Lac-Mégantic who not only suffered a massive tragedy but have been reliving the trauma over the past ten years as the powers-that-be continue to make negligent decisions that affect their everyday lives,” said Philippe Falardeau, director and writer. “Unfortunately Lac-Mégantic is not an isolated event. Even though this tragedy shocked the world and prompted widespread calls for greater safety measures, current events show that little has been done to avoid these types of transportation disasters. Our series is a call to action to bring much needed attention and change in honour of all of those who lost their lives.”
Following its festival premieres, the French language version of Lac-Mégantic: This is not an Accident begins streaming May 2 on VRAI, with other broadcast announcements to follow. The series is Executive Produced by Carlos Soldevila and created with the support of SODEC Quebec, Quebecor Fund, Rogers Documentary Fund, Canada Media Fund.
Episode 1: Itinerary of a Moving Bomb
The citizens of Lac-Megantic share their harrowing accounts from that fateful night. The episode then flashes back to June 30, 2013, where a perfect storm brews as the ill-fated train leaves the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota. Six days later it is perched on a hill that overlooks the small lakeside town. Down on Main Street, the drinks flow as the crowd dances the night away, blissfully unaware that a runaway train just cleared four rail crossings and is closing in on Lac-Mégantic.
Episode 2: Pure Souls
As downtown burns, citizens search for the missing. The scope of the destruction is evident, but the cause will take time to figure out. Officials from all over descend on Mégantic but no one takes responsibility for what’s happened. Grieving families wait days, even weeks, to learn the fate of their loved ones. We meet the people who were close to the explosions. This proximity has a durable impact. For some, their lives have been turned upside down. But for others, it becomes a defining moment.
Episode 3: The Worst Is Yet To Come
Out on the tracks, locals take safety into their own hands as they patrol the rail lines that circle Mégantic. The rebuilding process rips the town apart as citizens are left to clean up the mess that they did not create. A criminal trial gets underway where three low-level train employees face life in prison. The larger picture begins to emerge. It points to a negligent corporate culture and a system that fails to go after the higher echelons even as their decisions cause great irreversible harm.
Episode 4: This Was No Accident
High up in the Canadian Rockies, tragedy strikes again, killing three railmen. Surging from this disaster lies another grieving community searching for answers. In Lac-Mégantic, plans for a bypass divide the town even further. The new route will split the family farm of Conrad and Yolande Boulanger whose grandson died in the Mégantic tragedy. Adding insult to injury, the new rails will accommodate longer and heavier trains arriving in record numbers, with cargo far more dangerous than crude oil.
The Annual Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival (HRWFF) in partnership with Hot Docs Cinema recently completed all in-person screenings and will now be available from March 13-19 on the Hot Docs digital platform. Following the tradition of past festivals, all tickets for digital screenings are free and accessible to everyone in Canada with internet.
The 20th anniversary festival program consists of five films covering a wide variety of human rights topics, including the powerful Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, which opened the festival.
The five films selected for the festival program include (listed in order of screening date):
FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM Canadian Premiere of 2023 version
Directed by: Evgeny Afineevsky
Synopsis: Freedom on Fire is a behind the scenes and beyond the headlines view of the war in Ukraine from the Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire). This is filmmaking from the heart, beautifully capturing the resilience of the Ukrainian people in their fight against the Russian invasion. A logistical tour de force, with 43 cinematographers (including the filmmaker) filming in over 20 Ukrainian cities, Freedom on Fire captures the stories of children, mothers, soldiers, doctors, artists, volunteers, clergymen, and journalists as viewers witness the transformation of a country fighting for its very survival.
Programming: A post-screening discussion with Evgeny Afineevsky, the filmmaker; Lisa LaFlamme, a Canadian journalist; Valentina Kuryliw, education director at the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium; and HRW’s Crisis and Conflict Director Ida Sawyer, moderated by Canadian journalist Lisa LaFlamme, unpacks how this conflict disproportionately affects women and girls.
“Despite the ongoing brutality, the nation is not on its knees. The movie’s essence is singing, hugging, volunteers bearing gifts, and children drawing pictures for the soldiers who are keeping them safe. That’s beauty: People who know how to laugh and love,” said filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky.
KOROMOUSSO, BIG SISTER World Premiere
Directed by: Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan
Synopsis: Canada-based codirectors Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan capture personal stories and deep moments of support in a small community of women from West Africa, who are confronting social norms and embracing the inherent power in pleasure and love for their own bodies. With candor, humour and courage, a group of African-Canadian women challenge cultural taboos surrounding female sexuality and fight to take back ownership of their bodies.
Working with codirector Jim Donovan and combining her own journey with personal accounts from some of her friends, codirector Habibata Ouarme explores the lifelong effects of female genital mutilation and the road to individual and collective healing, both in Africa and in Canada. These women begin a journey of personal discovery, with discussions on the importance of female pleasure and the complexity of the female anatomy, while working to shed long-held feelings of shame and loneliness. While finding strength and joy in their own frank and intimate conversations together, Habibata and her friends continue to advocate for wider access to restorative surgery and community conversations in Canada and worldwide.
“This film brings more than an education on a harmful traditional practice that’s still practiced in parts of West Africa – it captures the stories of solidarity among these irrepressible, strong African women,” said Mausi Segun, Africa division director at Human Rights Watch.
Programming: A post-screening discussion with Regina Tamés, deputy women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. Panelists include Habibata Ouarme, a FGM survivor and filmmaker; Jim Donovan, filmmaker, and Doctor Angela Deane, OBGYN and advocate for those affected by FGM/C.
Accessibility: The film is captioned and audio-described
THE GRAB
Directed by: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Synopsis: The Grab reveals a new world order in which global power will be held by those who control not oil, but food. The new global thriller from the renowned director of Blackfish combines hard-hitting journalism with compelling, character-driven storytelling, taking viewers around the globe from Arizona to Zambia, China to Saudi Arabia, to reveal one of the world’s biggest and least exposed threats.
Quietly and seemingly out of sight, governments, financial investors, and private security forces are dividing up the world’s last remaining food and water resources. Communities are forced to stand by as their aquifers are sucked dry, and land they have owned for generations is grabbed from under their feet. As the scale of the run on natural resources is uncovered by a team of investigative reporters, issues bubble to the surface in real time. Russia’s attack on Ukraine uses food access as a geopolitical tool, and global food prices hit an all-time high.
Programming: Introductory remarks by Farida Deif, Canada director at Human Rights Watch, followed by a conversation with filmmakers Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Nick de Pencier, and Jennifer Baichwal.
UÝRA: THE RISING FOREST
Directed by: Juliana Curi
Synopsis: Uýra, a trans Indigenous artist, travels through the Amazon on a journey of self-discovery using performance art to teach Indigenous youth that they are the guardians of ancestral messages of the Amazon Forest. In a country that kills the highest number of trans, Indigenous, and environmentalist youth worldwide, Uýra leads a rising movement through arts and education while fostering unity and providing inspiration for the LGBT and environmental movements in the heart of the Amazon Forest. Uýra’s performances are a metaphor inspired by the ecological cycle that mirrors social struggles: the destruction of the soil and violence against life, followed by the re-emergence of young plants that germinate quickly and make way for a renewed, stronger ecosystem.
Programming: Post-screening discussion with University of Toronto Professor Andrea Allan, Spoken Word Artist Sarah Lewis, Sketch Creative Director Julian Diego, and moderated by Rasha Younes, senior LGBT researcher at Human Rights Watch. Sarah Lewis will also be opening the evening with a spoken word.
Accessibility: The film is captioned
NO U-TURN
Directed by: Ike Nnaebue
Synopsis: As a young man, the celebrated Nigerian director Ike Nnaebue left Nigeria taking the route via Benin, Mali, and Mauritania to Morocco where he was forced to turn back, unable to reach Europe. In his first documentary, No U-Turn, he retraces the life-changing journey he made over 20 years ago.
Along the way, he meets those who are taking the same trip and, through conversations with them, tries to understand what motivates young people today to expose themselves to the dangers of a passage into an uncertain future. Most are aware of the dangers of traveling undocumented by road, yet more and more are joining the ranks of those who take this risk, despite widely circulated images and terrifying testimony found online of people who have been lured into slavery and bondage. Overlaid with a powerful poetic commentary, this self-reflective travelogue hints at the deep longing of an entire generation for a better life.
“Why is it unrealistic to dream of a comfortable life in a continent of abundant resources?” said Ike Nnaebue, director, No U-Turn.
Programming: Panel discussion on Zoom with filmmaker, Ike Nnaebue and Michel Chikwanine, former child soldier and public speaker. Moderated by host of CBC Podcasts’ new weekly world news podcast, Nothing is Foreign, Tamara Khandaker. Keynote speaker to be determined.
Accessibility: The film is captioned and audio-described
About Human Rights Watch
For more than 40 years, Human Rights Watch has defended people at risk of abuse by investigating abuses scrupulously, exposing the facts widely, and relentlessly pressing those in power for change that respects rights. Our researchers examine situations in 100 countries around the world functioning as investigators, journalists, and advocates.
Human Rights Watch host upwards of 15 film festivals and film events around the world each year. HRW researchers vet selected films to verify facts and make sure topics are responsibly represented.
Tickets here.
About Human Rights Watch Canada
In 2002, Human Rights Watch Canada was established to advance education on human rights issues, both in Canada and around the world, and to increase support for the work of Human Rights Watch worldwide.
The Canadian office organizes several larger public and smaller private events throughout the year. This includes the annual Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival. Toronto is one of our longest running festivals, now in its 20th season. In 20 years, we have showcased over 200 films at our Toronto Festival, and over 700 as a global initiative.
Hot Docs
Hot Docs is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. Hot Docs was founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (formerly the Canadian Independent Film Caucus), a national association of independent documentary filmmakers. In 1996, Hot Docs became a separately incorporated organization with a mandate to showcase and support the work of Canadian and international documentary filmmakers and to promote excellence in documentary production.
Each year, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, North America’s largest doc festival, conference and market, presents over 200 cutting edge films from around the world.
Year round, Hot Docs supports the Canadian and international industry with professional development programs and a multi-million-dollar production fund portfolio, and fosters education through documentaries with its popular free program Docs For Schools.
Hot Docs owns and programs the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, a century-old landmark located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood and the world’s first and largest documentary cinema. During the pandemic, Hot Docs launched the Hot Docs at Home streaming platform to provide audiences across Canada access to first-run documentaries and curated programming and events.
Human Rights Watch Canada:
● https://twitter.com/HRWcanada
● https://www.facebook.com/hrwcanada
● https://www.instagram.com/hrwcanada/
Some upcoming releases to put on your radar from distributor Mubi Canada.
LINGUI: THE SACRED BONDS
dir. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2021
On the outskirts of the capital of Chad, determined single mother Amina works tirelessly to provide for herself and her 15-year old daughter Maria. When Amina discovers Maria is pregnant and does not want a child, the two women begin to seek out an abortion, condemned by both religion and law.
Playing at the Revue Cinema (Toronto):
February 18th – 6:45pm ET
February 20th – 6:30pm ET
February 21st – 9:30pm ET
See ticket information at revuecinema.ca.
ALCARRÀS
dir. Carla Simón, 2022
In a small Catalonian village, the peach farmers of the Solé family spend every summer together picking fruit from their orchard. But when plans arise to install solar panels and cut down trees, the members of this tight-knit group suddenly face eviction — and the loss of far more than their home.
Playing at Cinema Du Park (Montréal):
February 24 – timing TBA
See ticket information at cinemaduparc.com.
(Available to stream in Canada on mubi.com as of February 24.)
FOR VIOLA in Partnership with MUBI
Free special screening at Hot Docs
February 25 – 9pm ET – Join Dear Jackie director Henri Pardo (via Zoom), Tallawah Abroad director Sharine Taylor and moderator Angelyn Francis for a post-screening Q&A at Hot Docs (Toronto).
DEAR JACKIE
dir. Henri Pardo, 2021
In 1946, Jackie Robinson did the impossible and broke the colour barrier in Major League Baseball. But did Montréalers use this historic moment to perpetuate a myth of a post-racial society?
TALLAWAH ABROAD
dir. Sharine Taylor, 2019
Little Jamaica, a neighbourhood in Toronto’s west end, was a once thriving hub for Black and Caribbean business owners until the ills of gentrification reared its ugly head.
More details can be found at hotdocs.ca.
THE KINGDOM EXODUS
A limited event series from Lars Von Trier
Sleepwalker Karen is summoned to the Kingdom by a mysterious voice appearing to her in a nightmare, pleading for help. At the hospital, she comes across old friends of the Kingdom as well as new members of staff. To exorcize the evil spirits once and for all, Karen joins forces with the hospital porter Balder, and the heart surgeon Judith – but satanic forces fight back.
Playing at the Revue Cinema (Toronto):
February 25 – 3:45pm ET
February 25 – 12:45pm ET
See ticket information at revuecinema.ca.
DECISION TO LEAVE
dir. Park Chan-wook, 2022
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
Playing at the following locations:
Capitol Kelly Theatre (Windsor) – February 10
Ciné-Centre (Baie-Comeau) – February 10
Ciné-Campus (Montréal) – February 14 & 15
Ciné-Cinéma (Huntingdon) – February 17
Cinefest Picton (Picton) – February 20
North of Superior Film (Thunder Bay) – February 22
CinéLune (Gaspé) – February 21
The Annual Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival (HRWFF) in partnership with Hot Docs Cinema will be held from March 8 to 19, 2023; March 8-12 in-person at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, and March 13-19 on Hot Docs digital platform. Following the tradition of past festivals, all tickets for both in-person and digital screenings are free and accessible to everyone in Canada with internet.
The 20th anniversary festival program will consist of five films covering a wide variety of human rights topics, including the powerful Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, which will open the festival on March 8. This version of the film has just been updated with recent events, so it is a Canadian premiere! The screening will be followed by a special discussion for International Women’s Day with the Canadian journalist Lisa Laflamme, focused on the experiences of women in the Ukraine conflict, and the particular vulnerabilities of women and children in wartime.
“The HRW Canada Film Festival makes an effort to celebrate diversity of content and perspective in both the films we select and the post-screening conversations we host,” explained festival programmers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. “We strive to prioritize space for identities, viewpoints, forms of expertise and experiences either silenced or marginalized in the mainstream film industry, news, and media.”
“Discussions with filmmakers, film participants, human rights activists and journalists take place after every screening to provide our audience with the opportunity to dig deeper into the issues they have just seen on screen,” said Hot Docs director of programming, Shane Smith.
“The wide range of documentaries chosen for this year’s special 20th Anniversary program is a testament to the breadth of HRW’s focus, and the excellence of independent film,” added John Biaggi, director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival.
The five films selected for the festival program include (listed in order of screening date):
FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM Canadian Premiere of 2023 version
Directed by: Evgeny Afineevsky
Presented on: Wednesday, March 8 (International Women’s Day) | 7:30 p.m. screening
Synopsis: Freedom on Fire is a behind the scenes and beyond the headlines view of the war in Ukraine from the Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire). This is filmmaking from the heart, beautifully capturing the resilience of the Ukrainian people in their fight against the Russian invasion. A logistical tour de force, with 43 cinematographers (including the filmmaker) filming in over 20 Ukrainian cities, Freedom on Fire captures the stories of children, mothers, soldiers, doctors, artists, volunteers, clergymen, and journalists as viewers witness the transformation of a country fighting for its very survival.
Programming: A post-screening discussion with Evgeny Afineevsky, the filmmaker; Lisa LaFlamme, a Canadian journalist; Valentina Kuryliw, education director at the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium; and HRW’s Crisis and Conflict Director Ida Sawyer, moderated by Canadian journalist Lisa LaFlamme, who will unpack how this conflict disproportionately affects women and girls.
“Despite the ongoing brutality, the nation is not on its knees. The movie’s essence is singing, hugging, volunteers bearing gifts, and children drawing pictures for the soldiers who are keeping them safe. That’s beauty: People who know how to laugh and love,” said filmmaker Evgeny Afineevsky.
Accessibility: The discussion panel following the film will be interpreted live in sign language.
KOROMOUSSO, BIG SISTER World Premiere
Directed by: Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan
Presented on: Thursday, March 9 | 7:00 p.m. screening
Synopsis: Canada-based codirectors Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan capture personal stories and deep moments of support in a small community of women from West Africa, who are confronting social norms and embracing the inherent power in pleasure and love for their own bodies. With candor, humour and courage, a group of African-Canadian women challenge cultural taboos surrounding female sexuality and fight to take back ownership of their bodies.
Working with codirector Jim Donovan and combining her own journey with personal accounts from some of her friends, codirector Habibata Ouarme explores the lifelong effects of female genital mutilation and the road to individual and collective healing, both in Africa and in Canada. These women begin a journey of personal discovery, with discussions on the importance of female pleasure and the complexity of the female anatomy, while working to shed long-held feelings of shame and loneliness. While finding strength and joy in their own frank and intimate conversations together, Habibata and her friends continue to advocate for wider access to restorative surgery and community conversations in Canada and worldwide.
“This film brings more than an education on a harmful traditional practice that’s still practiced in parts of West Africa – it captures the stories of solidarity among these irrepressible, strong African women,” said Mausi Segun, Africa division director at Human Rights Watch.
Programming: A post-screening discussion with Regina Tamés, deputy women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. Panelists include Habibata Ouarme, a FGM survivor and filmmaker; Jim Donovan, filmmaker, and Doctor Angela Deane, OBGYN and advocate for those affected by FGM/C.
Accessibility: The film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be interpreted live in sign language.
THE GRAB
Directed by: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Presented on: Friday, March 10 | 7:00 p.m. screening
Synopsis: The Grab reveals a new world order in which global power will be held by those who control not oil, but food. The new global thriller from the renowned director of Blackfish combines hard-hitting journalism with compelling, character-driven storytelling, taking viewers around the globe from Arizona to Zambia, China to Saudi Arabia, to reveal one of the world’s biggest and least exposed threats.
Quietly and seemingly out of sight, governments, financial investors, and private security forces are dividing up the world’s last remaining food and water resources. Communities are forced to stand by as their aquifers are sucked dry, and land they have owned for generations is grabbed from under their feet. As the scale of the run on natural resources is uncovered by a team of investigative reporters, issues bubble to the surface in real time. Russia’s attack on Ukraine uses food access as a geopolitical tool, and global food prices hit an all-time high.
Programming: Introductory remarks by Farida Deif, Canada director at Human Rights Watch, followed by a conversation with filmmakers Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Nick de Pencier, and Jennifer Baichwal.
UÝRA: THE RISING FOREST
Directed by: Juliana Curi
Presented on: Saturday, March 11 | 7:00 p.m. screening
Synopsis: Uýra, a trans Indigenous artist, travels through the Amazon on a journey of self-discovery using performance art to teach Indigenous youth that they are the guardians of ancestral messages of the Amazon Forest. In a country that kills the highest number of trans, Indigenous, and environmentalist youth worldwide, Uýra leads a rising movement through arts and education while fostering unity and providing inspiration for the LGBT and environmental movements in the heart of the Amazon Forest. Uýra’s performances are a metaphor inspired by the ecological cycle that mirrors social struggles: the destruction of the soil and violence against life, followed by the re-emergence of young plants that germinate quickly and make way for a renewed, stronger ecosystem.
Programming: Post-screening discussion moderated by Rasha Younes, senior LGBT researcher at Human Rights Watch. Other panelists to be determined.
Accessibility: The film is captioned; the discussion panel following the film will be interpreted live in sign language.
NO U-TURN
Directed by: Ike Nnaebue
Presented on: Sunday, March 12 | 1:00 p.m. screening
Synopsis: As a young man, the celebrated Nigerian director Ike Nnaebue left Nigeria taking the route via Benin, Mali, and Mauritania to Morocco where he was forced to turn back, unable to reach Europe. In his first documentary, No U-Turn, he retraces the life-changing journey he made over 20 years ago.
Along the way, he meets those who are taking the same trip and, through conversations with them, tries to understand what motivates young people today to expose themselves to the dangers of a passage into an uncertain future. Most are aware of the dangers of traveling undocumented by road, yet more and more are joining the ranks of those who take this risk, despite widely circulated images and terrifying testimony found online of people who have been lured into slavery and bondage. Overlaid with a powerful poetic commentary, this self-reflective travelogue hints at the deep longing of an entire generation for a better life.
“Why is it unrealistic to dream of a comfortable life in a continent of abundant resources?” said Ike Nnaebue, director, No U-Turn.
Programming: Panel discussion on Zoom with filmmaker, Ike Nnaebue and Michel Chikwanine, former child soldier and public speaker. Moderated by host of CBC Podcasts’ new weekly world news podcast, Nothing is Foreign, Tamara Khandaker. Keynote speaker to be determined.
Accessibility: The film is captioned and audio-described; the discussion panel following the film will be interpreted live in sign language.
CBC is celebrating BLACK HISTORY MONTH throughout February with a wide range of programming across its platforms featuring Black creators, storytellers and changemakers.
Highlights of CBC’s Black History Month programming include the following:
CBC News
CBC website BEING BLACK IN CANADA highlights the stories and experiences of Black Canadians year-round, providing a wide range of content celebrating the culture and achievements of Canada’s Black communities while also offering a window into their struggles.
BEING BLACK IN CANADA – BLACK CHANGEMAKERS 2023
Launching February 1 at cbc.ca/beingblackincanada
Black Changemakers is a Quebec and Atlantic Canada editorial series that recognizes individuals who are creating positive change in their community through actions big and small. From creators and community organizers to students and entrepreneurs, the series highlights current-day changemakers, helping shape our future and inspiring others.
BEING BLACK IN CANADA: FRIENDS & ALLIES
Available throughout the month of February at cbc.ca/beingblackincanada |An interview will air every Wednesday in February on CBC News Network’s CANADA TONIGHT and all four interviews as a half-hour special on CBC News Network and CBC Gem on Saturday, February 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET, 9:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 p.m. ET.
Being Black in Canada presents a special four-part series about Black Canadians and their trusted allies, offering inspirational intersectional stories which showcase allyship in action.
CBC TV and CBC Gem
THE NATURE OF THINGS: SECRET AGENTS OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Friday February 3 at 9 pm (9:30 NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem
SECRET AGENTS OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD is a revealing, scientific exploration of how a Niagara Falls hotel, The Cataract House, became the focal point for a 19th century North American Black Resistance movement. Using strategic scientifically focused investigations, we follow host Anthony Morgan and a team of archaeologists from the University of Buffalo on an emotional journey as they recover parts of the hotel’s foundation. The archaeological dig unearths stories about how the hotel’s head waiter, John Morrison, and his seemingly innocuous wait staff covertly orchestrated Freedom Seekers’ escapes to freedom.
DEAR JACKIE (feature documentary directed by Henri Pardo)
Sunday, February 5 at 8 pm (8:30 NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem
After a stint with the minor-league Montreal Royals, Jackie Robinson was the first Black man to play in Major League Baseball and a key contributor to the civil rights movement in the United States. When Robinson broke the colour barrier in professional baseball in 1946, the impossible seemed possible in a segregated North America. All Montrealers Black and white cheered him on and treated him like a hero. But did the white majority use the historic moment to perpetuate the myth of a post-racial society?
CBC GEM BLACK HISTORY MONTH COLLECTIONS
Titles launching throughout the month of February
CBC Gem offers four Black History Month collections – BLACK STORIES, CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY, BLACK ART & MUSIC, and MUST WATCH BLACK LEADS – featuring over 60 series, films and documentaries that explore Black history and culture, and celebrate Black success.
Highlights include Season 2 of Emmy©-winning fictional musical variety series SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle and executive produced by John Legend; multiple Oscar©-winning film MOONLIGHT directed by Barry Jenkins; and poignant drama THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO directed by Joe Talbot. Canadian premieres include two-part documentary RIGHT TO OFFEND: THE BLACK COMEDY REVOLUTION (directed by Mario Diaz and Jessica Sherif), about the progression of Black comedy and the comedians who have used pointed humour to expose, challenge and ridicule society’s injustices; and documentary BLIND AMBITION (directed by Rob Coe and Warwick Ross), the inspiring story of four Zimbabwean refugees who conquered the odds to become South Africa’s top sommeliers.
The CBC Gem collection, CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH (KIDS), showcases kids series and specials featuring Black talent in front of and behind the camera, and celebrates diversity and inclusiveness.
CBC Black History Month Events
Special Public Event at the CBC Broadcasting Centre (250 Front St. W) in Toronto on Wednesday, February 1, 2023 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Join CBC’s Being Black in Canada for a special free celebration to kick off Black History Month.
Hosted by Odario Williams and Marcia Young, BEING BLACK IN CANADA LIVE will feature a keynote by singer, actor, and speaker Jully Black; performances by New Dimension Steel Orchestra, spoken word artist Keosha Love, musical artist Tracey Kayy; and a special preview of Being Black in Canada’s 2023 programming, followed by a reception. More information and free ticket registration can be found here.
SECRET AGENTS OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
Special Public Screening Event at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema (506 Bloor St. W) in Toronto on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
CBC, the Black Screen Office and Attraction will be hosting a special free screening of THE NATURE OF THINGS’ documentary SECRET AGENTS OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD on February 23. The event will feature a panel discussion with documentary host Anthony Morgan, who was also recently named one of the new co-hosts of THE NATURE OF THINGS beginning in the 2023-24 broadcast season. More information and ticket details for the event will be available here on Monday, January 30.
CBC Podcasts
THE AFRICAS VS. AMERICA
Weekly starting Monday, February 6, 2023 || 7 episodes on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available
In the spring of 1985, the City of Philadelphia became the first in U.S. history to drop a bomb on a family of American citizens. The attack killed 11 people, including five children, and the ensuing fire set an entire neighbourhood to ruins. The targets that day? A family of Black radicals known collectively as MOVE, who found themselves ensnared in a city — and nation’s — domestic war on Black Liberation. Over seven episodes, host Matthew Amha investigates the events that culminated in the MOVE bombing, and the long afterlife of a forgotten American tragedy. Through intimate conversations, THE AFRICAS VS. AMERICA offers an unseen look into MOVE’s origins and dynamics while looking ahead to the group’s uncertain future.
CBC Arts
On February 1, CBC Arts will unveil a new Black History Month-themed logo from artist Jimmy Baptiste as part of their monthly logo project, with an accompanying Q&A. Features in February will include an interview with artist Esmaa Mohamoud regarding her current Art Gallery of Alberta show, and a new episode of Here and Queer with the filmmakers behind the Jackie Shane heritage minute, Pat Mills and Ayo Tsalithaba.
CBC Books
In February, CBC Books will unveil its annual Black Canadian Writers to Watch list, including emerging and exciting Black Canadian writers, authors and poets poised to make waves in the national and international literary scenes. Notable names on past lists include award winners such as Ian Williams, Canisia Lubrin, David Chariandy, francesca ekwuyasi and more. Throughout the month, CBC Books is featuring reading lists of recent and notable books by Black writers, for genres including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics, children’s books and more. CBC Books will also feature Q&A interviews with established and emerging Black Canadian authors all month long.
CBC Kids
CBC Kids celebrates Black History Month with grooves and moves: new videos for CBC TV and social media feature Studio K hosts Janaye and Tony as they honour phenomenal Black Canadians, and learn amazing Afro Dance moves. CBCKids.ca (ages 6-10) and CBC Kids News (ages 9+) offer age-appropriate context on the history and significance of Black History Month.
CBC Sports
New original CBC Sports video features in February will focus on Black runner Phil Edwards, a five-time Olympic medallist for Canada, who went on to win the first-ever Northern Star Award for Canada’s top athlete in 1936; and the racial disparity between the Canadian men’s national soccer teams at the FIFA World Cup in 1986, the team’s first appearance, and their second in 2022. The video features will be available at cbcsports.ca and on the CBC Sports app.
With the importance of mental health awareness at the forefront of myriad conversations and the world continues to experience the impacts of the pandemic, Workman Arts is today announcing the full line-up for their 30th-anniversary edition of the Rendezvous With Madness Festival – the largest and longest-running arts festival in the world dedicated to the intersection of mental health and artistic expression.
The 2022 festival runs from October 27 – November 6 and presents 13 feature films and two short programs – a total of 30 films from 15 countries – in a hybrid format of virtual and in-person screenings. In addition to this year’s robust film program, the festival includes its annual visual art exhibit – returning to a festival long in gallery format – KIND RENDERINGS, and also features five live performance pieces. 2022 programming will be offered this year at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, the CAMH Auditorium, Workman Arts’ recent home at 651 Dufferin, the Workman Arts Gallery at Artscape Youngplace, and at Comedy Bar. As always, films are complemented by thought-provoking post-screening Q&As and curated panel discussions, extending the uniquely meaningful conversations that define Rendezvous With Madness.
“The 30th anniversary of Rendezvous With Madness in 2022 is an ideal time to continue to deepen much-needed dialogues around mental health, addictions, recovery and wellness,” comments Scott Miller Berry, Interim Executive Artistic Director, Workman Arts. “If the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t make assumptions about the importance of coming together to share, debate, discuss and learn about mental health as a community.”
Berry continues, “Rendezvous strives to bring audiences and artists together to forge new understandings and perspectives on the most important issues facing humanity – including mental health impacts from social issues such as environmental degradation, racism, gender-based violence, authoritarianism among many others.”
The overarching theme for the festival this year is “More than rebellion,” a statement which embodies the festival’s efforts to normalize informed public discourse around mental health, addiction, recovery, and wellness. More than rebellion means tearing down a broken system in favour of a generational change. This makes every artist featured at RWM 2022 a rebel; they’ve looked at the world and deemed it lacking, so they’ve used their art to hold society to a higher ideal.
In this benchmark anniversary year, Rendezvous With Madness 2022 gets underway on October 27th at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema with the Canadian Premiere of the fearsomely candid documentary, HOW TO SAVE A DEAD FRIEND by Marusya Syroechkovskaya which first bowed at Switzerland’s Visions du Réel festival, where it received a special mention.
“We are thrilled to be opening with HOW TO SAVE A DEAD FRIEND by Marusya Syroechkovskaya, one of the most powerful cinematic portraits we have ever screened. This many-years-in-the-making scrapbook diary meets TikTok documentary follows the young director’s relationship with Kimi, someone whom she shared time with in Moscow’s music scene and in her words, the “bad trip” of Russia’s 21st century,” says Berry. “The couple’s view of their homeland is laid out early in the film and is deeply provocative, and important for Rendezvous to put into our deep discussion context, especially during this time of war: “Everyone knows Russia is for the depressed.”
Documentaries dominate the film line-up, spotlighting deeply personal stories of perseverance through trauma, mental illness, addiction, disability, and more. Other festival highlights include Reid Davenport’s Sundance Film Festival Documentary Directing Award-winner, I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE, an unflinching exploration of the effects of “othering” on the disabled; Flore Vasseur’s BIGGER THAN US (Cannes 2021) follows 18-year-old Indonesian activist Melati Wijsen alongside other young activists fighting for free speech, food security and equal rights worldwide; winner of the IndieLisboa Award for Best Film, LES PRIÈRES DE DELPHINE (Delphine’s Prayers) byRosine Mbakam is a candid story of courage and strength in the face of racism, misogyny and poverty; the Canadian premiere of EAT YOUR CATFISH by Adam Isenberg, Noah Amir Arjomand and Senem Tüzen (IDFA 2022) is a chronicle of living with ALS and a family at its breaking point; and the Toronto Premiere of MI VACIO Y YO (My Emptiness and I) from Spanish filmmaker Adrian Silvestre (International Film Festival Rotterdam) follows a young trans woman from France to Barcelona as she struggles to define a trans identity of her own while facing social pressure from inside and outside the trans community.
This year’s artist spotlight highlights the work of Liz Roberts, and her powerful first-person documentary MIDWASTE (Hotdocs 2022) tells the story of her relationship with heroin over several decades. Her connection to drug subculture is inextricable from her relationship to the camera; the work opens with her first-ever, becoming more high resolution as Roberts becomes more adept with profound reflection alongside different cameras and techniques. Additionally, the artist spotlight will include a virtual workshop run by Roberts on the process of creating autobiographical films.
The Rendezvous With Madness 2022 film line-up includes two short film programs: IF YOU ASK ME returns for its sixth year, showcasing emerging young filmmakers with mental health and/or addiction experiences from across the country, and UPON, REFLECTION, an anthology of short films by Workman Arts members contemplating the transformative vastness of storytelling.
The festival closes this year with a screening of local artist Luke Galati’s debut feature-length documentary WHEN WE REACH OUT: WHO WILL RESPOND?. Born out of a tense interaction he had with police during a bipolar episode, Galati follows his own mental health journey and spotlights the work of the Toronto Community Crisis Service, a pilot service responding to mental health related calls, as an alternative to police service response.
“We are proud to be closing the festival this year with a Toronto made film submitted to us from our open call this year. WHEN WE REACH OUT: WHO WILL RESPOND? asks a question that has been overlooked for many years and is finally gaining traction after the most recent increase in police brutality: who are the best responders when someone is having a mental health challenge?” offers Berry.“Through interviews with organizers, activists, politicians and friends, the film addresses a community response and overdue alternative to the crisis of police violence toward people with lived mental health experiences which primarily means those who are Indigenous, Black and/or people of colour.”
Rendezvous With Madness 2022 returns to an in-person format for their annual visual arts exhibition, this year entitled KIND RENDERINGS. The exhibit, which brings together six artists from across Canada whose work challenges conventional discourse surrounding mental health and wellness, will be on view at the Workman Arts gallery, Artscape Youngplace from October 27 to November 6. The work in KIND RENDERINGS offers brave and bold windows into the artist’s personal mental health through a myriad of mediums. Inspired by the helplessness of being stuck on a hamster wheel Toronto artists Boozie articulate their mental health through a series of drawings. OCAD graduate Jenny Chen explores the healing of past trauma and depression through her evocative animation Multitude of Fish – Ascension Tale. Jessica Field celebrates the imagination’s power to heal the body through a collection of poetry and A.I. rendered drawings that explore the experience of living with inexplicable illness and pain, love, and loss. Stéphane Alexis’ photo-based project Chains & Crowns is inspired and dedicated to the artist’s mother, depicting the history, politics, science, and psychology behind Black hairstyles. Through Twinkle Banerjee’srelationship with her grandmother, this evocative work explores the partition of India and subsequent generational trauma. The body of work Cinnamon sees artist Wen Tong explore everyday experiences in a suburban setting while creating fantastical interventions.
Rounding out the festival this year is a quartet of live performance works and a comedy showcase. Kicking off the live performance programming is THE FLIN FLON COWBOY from award-winning film and theatre actor Ken Harrower(Boys In Chairs, SummerWorks 2017 Jon Kaplan Spotlight Award-winner). On stage October 29-November 3 at the CAMH Auditorium, THE FLIN FLON COWBOY is a new musical created and performed by Harrower, that tells his life story beginning in Flin Flon, Manitoba, and culminating in his adventures in Toronto as a Queer, Disabled artist. At Comedy Bar on October 30, the comedy and public speaking school MalPensado presents a Comedy Showcase of work by recent graduates. On November 2, the festival presents a duet of short pieces, A VOICE THROUGH THE MELT by Anda Zeng and Natalie Wee, and THE SUICIDE KEY from Laura Piccinin. November 4, Newfoundland songwriter, flutologist, and inspirational speaker Rozalind MacPhail performs in DON’T LET ME FALL TOO FAR, a live music and cinema event that tells a timeless story of self-discovery.
The Rendezvous With Madness Festival is committed to values of inclusivity and accessibility for all guests, staff, volunteers, and artists. In line with Rendezvous’ commitment to being trauma-informed, each program will offer an Active Listener, either on-site or virtually, to help provide self-care and emotional support. Information for accessing support will be available on the website.
Workman Arts’ new location at CAMH, at the McCain Centre for Complex Care and Recovery at 1025 Queen Street West, Workman Arts is now fully wheelchair accessible. ASL interpretation will be provided for select programs. To learn more about accessibility initiatives at Rendezvous visit www.workmanarts.com
Tickets for Rendezvous With Madness events will be available for online booking beginning October 7th at 10:00am EST. All tickets are pay-what-you-wish. Please note that this year there are limited walk-up sales due to COVID-19 and advance online ticket
With the importance of mental health awareness at the forefront of myriad conversations and the world continues to experience the impacts of the pandemic, Workman Arts is today announcing the full line-up for their 30th-anniversary edition of the Rendezvous With Madness Festival – the largest and longest-running arts festival in the world dedicated to the intersection of mental health and artistic expression.
The 2022 festival runs from October 27 – November 6 and presents 13 feature films and two short programs – a total of 30 films from 15 countries – in a hybrid format of virtual and in-person screenings. In addition to this year’s robust film program, the festival includes its annual visual art exhibit – returning to a festival long in gallery format – KIND RENDERINGS, and also features five live performance pieces. 2022 programming will be offered this year at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, the CAMH Auditorium, Workman Arts’ recent home at 651 Dufferin, the Workman Arts Gallery at Artscape Youngplace, and at Comedy Bar. As always, films are complemented by thought-provoking post-screening Q&As and curated panel discussions, extending the uniquely meaningful conversations that define Rendezvous With Madness.
“The 30th anniversary of Rendezvous With Madness in 2022 is an ideal time to continue to deepen much-needed dialogues around mental health, addictions, recovery and wellness,” comments Scott Miller Berry, Interim Executive Artistic Director, Workman Arts. “If the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t make assumptions about the importance of coming together to share, debate, discuss and learn about mental health as a community.”
Berry continues, “Rendezvous strives to bring audiences and artists together to forge new understandings and perspectives on the most important issues facing humanity – including mental health impacts from social issues such as environmental degradation, racism, gender-based violence, authoritarianism among many others.”
The overarching theme for the festival this year is “More than rebellion,” a statement which embodies the festival’s efforts to normalize informed public discourse around mental health, addiction, recovery, and wellness. More than rebellion means tearing down a broken system in favour of a generational change. This makes every artist featured at RWM 2022 a rebel; they’ve looked at the world and deemed it lacking, so they’ve used their art to hold society to a higher ideal.
In this benchmark anniversary year, Rendezvous With Madness 2022 gets underway on October 27th at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema with the Canadian Premiere of the fearsomely candid documentary, HOW TO SAVE A DEAD FRIEND by Marusya Syroechkovskaya which first bowed at Switzerland’s Visions du Réel festival, where it received a special mention.
“We are thrilled to be opening with HOW TO SAVE A DEAD FRIEND by Marusya Syroechkovskaya, one of the most powerful cinematic portraits we have ever screened. This many-years-in-the-making scrapbook diary meets TikTok documentary follows the young director’s relationship with Kimi, someone whom she shared time with in Moscow’s music scene and in her words, the “bad trip” of Russia’s 21st century,” says Berry. “The couple’s view of their homeland is laid out early in the film and is deeply provocative, and important for Rendezvous to put into our deep discussion context, especially during this time of war: “Everyone knows Russia is for the depressed.”
Documentaries dominate the film line-up, spotlighting deeply personal stories of perseverance through trauma, mental illness, addiction, disability, and more. Other festival highlights include Reid Davenport’s Sundance Film Festival Documentary Directing Award-winner, I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE, an unflinching exploration of the effects of “othering” on the disabled; Flore Vasseur’s BIGGER THAN US (Cannes 2021) follows 18-year-old Indonesian activist Melati Wijsen alongside other young activists fighting for free speech, food security and equal rights worldwide; winner of the IndieLisboa Award for Best Film, LES PRIÈRES DE DELPHINE (Delphine’s Prayers) byRosine Mbakam is a candid story of courage and strength in the face of racism, misogyny and poverty; the Canadian premiere of EAT YOUR CATFISH by Adam Isenberg, Noah Amir Arjomand and Senem Tüzen (IDFA 2022) is a chronicle of living with ALS and a family at its breaking point; and the Toronto Premiere of MI VACIO Y YO (My Emptiness and I) from Spanish filmmaker Adrian Silvestre (International Film Festival Rotterdam) follows a young trans woman from France to Barcelona as she struggles to define a trans identity of her own while facing social pressure from inside and outside the trans community.
This year’s artist spotlight highlights the work of Liz Roberts, and her powerful first-person documentary MIDWASTE (Hotdocs 2022) tells the story of her relationship with heroin over several decades. Her connection to drug subculture is inextricable from her relationship to the camera; the work opens with her first-ever, becoming more high resolution as Roberts becomes more adept with profound reflection alongside different cameras and techniques. Additionally, the artist spotlight will include a virtual workshop run by Roberts on the process of creating autobiographical films.
The Rendezvous With Madness 2022 film line-up includes two short film programs: IF YOU ASK ME returns for its sixth year, showcasing emerging young filmmakers with mental health and/or addiction experiences from across the country, and UPON, REFLECTION, an anthology of short films by Workman Arts members contemplating the transformative vastness of storytelling.
The festival closes this year with a screening of local artist Luke Galati’s debut feature-length documentary WHEN WE REACH OUT: WHO WILL RESPOND?. Born out of a tense interaction he had with police during a bipolar episode, Galati follows his own mental health journey and spotlights the work of the Toronto Community Crisis Service, a pilot service responding to mental health related calls, as an alternative to police service response.
“We are proud to be closing the festival this year with a Toronto made film submitted to us from our open call this year. WHEN WE REACH OUT: WHO WILL RESPOND? asks a question that has been overlooked for many years and is finally gaining traction after the most recent increase in police brutality: who are the best responders when someone is having a mental health challenge?” offers Berry.“Through interviews with organizers, activists, politicians and friends, the film addresses a community response and overdue alternative to the crisis of police violence toward people with lived mental health experiences which primarily means those who are Indigenous, Black and/or people of colour.”
Rendezvous With Madness 2022 returns to an in-person format for their annual visual arts exhibition, this year entitled KIND RENDERINGS. The exhibit, which brings together six artists from across Canada whose work challenges conventional discourse surrounding mental health and wellness, will be on view at the Workman Arts gallery, Artscape Youngplace from October 27 to November 6. The work in KIND RENDERINGS offers brave and bold windows into the artist’s personal mental health through a myriad of mediums. Inspired by the helplessness of being stuck on a hamster wheel Toronto artists Boozie articulate their mental health through a series of drawings. OCAD graduate Jenny Chen explores the healing of past trauma and depression through her evocative animation Multitude of Fish – Ascension Tale. Jessica Field celebrates the imagination’s power to heal the body through a collection of poetry and A.I. rendered drawings that explore the experience of living with inexplicable illness and pain, love, and loss. Stéphane Alexis’ photo-based project Chains & Crowns is inspired and dedicated to the artist’s mother, depicting the history, politics, science, and psychology behind Black hairstyles. Through Twinkle Banerjee’srelationship with her grandmother, this evocative work explores the partition of India and subsequent generational trauma. The body of work Cinnamon sees artist Wen Tong explore everyday experiences in a suburban setting while creating fantastical interventions.
Rounding out the festival this year is a quartet of live performance works and a comedy showcase. Kicking off the live performance programming is THE FLIN FLON COWBOY from award-winning film and theatre actor Ken Harrower(Boys In Chairs, SummerWorks 2017 Jon Kaplan Spotlight Award-winner). On stage October 29-November 3 at the CAMH Auditorium, THE FLIN FLON COWBOY is a new musical created and performed by Harrower, that tells his life story beginning in Flin Flon, Manitoba, and culminating in his adventures in Toronto as a Queer, Disabled artist. At Comedy Bar on October 30, the comedy and public speaking school MalPensado presents a Comedy Showcase of work by recent graduates. On November 2, the festival presents a duet of short pieces, A VOICE THROUGH THE MELT by Anda Zeng and Natalie Wee, and THE SUICIDE KEY from Laura Piccinin. November 4, Newfoundland songwriter, flutologist, and inspirational speaker Rozalind MacPhail performs in DON’T LET ME FALL TOO FAR, a live music and cinema event that tells a timeless story of self-discovery.
The Rendezvous With Madness Festival is committed to values of inclusivity and accessibility for all guests, staff, volunteers, and artists. In line with Rendezvous’ commitment to being trauma-informed, each program will offer an Active Listener, either on-site or virtually, to help provide self-care and emotional support. Information for accessing support will be available on the website.
Workman Arts’ new location at CAMH, at the McCain Centre for Complex Care and Recovery at 1025 Queen Street West, Workman Arts is now fully wheelchair accessible. ASL interpretation will be provided for select programs. To learn more about accessibility initiatives at Rendezvous visit www.workmanarts.com
Tickets for Rendezvous With Madness events will be available for online booking beginning October 7th at 10:00am EST. All tickets are pay-what-you-wish. Please note that this year there are limited walk-up sales due to COVID-19 and advance online ticket booking is recommended.
Media contact:
Suzanne Cheriton, RedEye Media, suzanne@redeyemedia.ca, 416-805-6744
is recommended.
Media contact:
Suzanne Cheriton, RedEye Media, suzanne@redeyemedia.ca, 416-805-6744
After winning raves at Sundance 2022 including the NEXT Audience Award and the NEXT Innovator Award, Documentary FRAMING AGNES will premiere at HOT DOCS 2022.
Synopsis:
The film follows a young trans woman named Agnes in the late 1950s, who participated in Harold Garfinkel’s gender health research at UCLA, to gain access to the gender affirming care she so willfully sought out. Her story was considered to be singular until 2017 when eight never-before-seen case files of other patients from the same era were uncovered. In this rigorous cinematic exercise, director Chase Joynt explores how medicine and media have set various frames of understanding for trans existence and experience. Through a collaborative practice of reimagination, a stellar cast of trans talent including Zackary Drucker (Transparent), Angelica Ross (Pose), Jen Richards (Her Story), Silas Howard (A Kid Like Jake), Max Wolf Valerio (The Testosterone Files) and Stephan Ira take on vividly rendered, impeccably vintage reenactments, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of mid-century trans health care.
Framing Agnes was selected by Telefilm Canada’s Talent to Watch program and made in partnership with Canada Council for the Arts, Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund, XTR, University of Victoria, Into the Noise and Inside Out Re: Focus Fund. The documentary was first developed as a short film and premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.
More info about this year’s HOT DOCS Festival can be found here.
(Photo/video credit: Hot Docs)
The Hot Docs Podcast Festival kicks-off January 25 – 28, 2022, celebrating excellence in audio storytelling. Exciting live podcast presentations and provocative conversations are slated for the event. This is the sixth edition of the Festival.
HEADLINING EVENT LINEUP
All times listed in EST
Tuesday, January 25
7:30 PM
Opening Night Event: The Secrets We Keep: CBC Podcasts Storytelling Showcase
We all have a secret or two. Why are some hard to keep, and others hard to share? What are we still afraid to talk about in 2022? Are some secrets best kept hidden? Building on the theme of their highly entertaining and richly subversive CBC podcast, The Secret Life of Canada, co-hosts Leah Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson return to the festival on opening night with a star-studded storytelling showcase.
Come join some of Canada’s top podcasting talent for a night of eye-opening revelations.
Featuring stories by:
• Elamin Abdelmahmoud, Amil Niazi and Kevin Fallon (Pop Chat)
• Ryan Thorpe (White Hot Hate)
• Anna Maria Tremonti and Farzana Doctor (the all-new CBC podcast, Welcome to Paradise)
Wednesday, January 26
6:00PM
Michael Lewis in conversation with Ira Glass
Michael Lewis’ first book, Liar’s Poker, about working on Wall Street in the ‘80s, turned him into a literary icon. When he went into the studio to record a new audiobook version of Liar’s Poker, he thought a lot about how much Wall Street has (or hasn’t) changed. He also thought about his own
evolution as a writer. Those musings became a new podcast series called Other People’s Money, which is being released as a companion to Liar’s Poker. In this celebration of two of the greatest non-fiction storytellers of our time, Lewis, whose other books include Moneyball and The Big Short, is joined by Ira Glass, creator and host of public radio’s This American Life, to discuss their award-winning bodies of work and how they learned to stop imitating others and write like themselves.
8:00PM
Sneak preview: Thunder Bay, the Crave Original Documentary Series
Award-winning Anishinaabe podcaster, journalist and writer Ryan McMahon returns to the Hot Docs Podcast Festival stage to share a preview of the upcoming Crave Original documentary series based on his hit CANADALAND podcast, Thunder Bay. This gripping investigative series directed by award-winning filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and executive produced by Canadaland’s Jesse Brown, follows McMahon on his quest to uncover the truth behind the recent deaths of multiple Indigenous people in Thunder Bay, Ontario—a city known as the homicide and hate crime capital of Canada. Examining the failings and the injustices of the city’s social systems and institutions, the four-part series sheds light on
our country’s complicated relationship with colonialism, while examining the consequences of a broken system in which some can thrive, while many others, disproportionately struggle to survive.
Thursday, January 27
6:00PM
Virtual: Telling Hidden Stories: Invisibilia in Conversation with Resistance’s Saidu Tejan-Thomas & Bethel Habte
NPR’s Invisibilia is one of the most popular and innovative podcasts in the medium’s history. Founded by audio icons Alix Spiegel (This American Life) and Lulu Miller (Radiolab), the show is now led by two of the
most dynamic young voices in audio storytelling: Yowei Shaw and Kia Miakka Natisse. At this live virtual event, Yowei and Kia join forces with Saidu Tejan-Thomas and Bethel Habte, the host and producer of Gimlet’s acclaimed Resistance (recently named one of the 10 Best Podcasts of 2021 by The New York Times), and the for a one-of-a-kind meeting of curious minds. As they discuss the stories and ideas that fascinate and excite them, Kia, Yowei, Saidu and Bethel will explore their common passion for telling
hidden, sometimes overlooked, stories—and their commitment to producing socially engaged work that speaks to a new generation of passionate audiophiles.
8:00PM
Back Issue Live with The New Yorker’s Kelefa Sanneh
Remember when tasteless critics panned Mariah Carey’s Glitter? (#JusticeforGlitter!) When Beyoncé gave us EVERYTHING? Tracy Clayton and Josh Gwynn do, and these are just a few of the formative pop
culture moments they’ve dissected on their brilliant and delightful podcast Back Issue. In this first-ever live edition of their show, Tracy and Josh team up with New Yorker staff writer Kelefa Sanneh for an unforgettable night of conversation, trivia and pop culture nostalgia. As they dig deep into the
fascinating stories at the heart of Major Labels, Kelefa’s groundbreaking new history of the past 50 years of popular music, they’ll revisit some of the biggest songs and videos of the 90s/00s and reckon with some of culture’s biggest questions: How did we let this happen? And why do we still love this? As Tracy and Josh often say: “Nostalgia is more than just a feeling.”
Friday, January 28
8:00PM
Full Release Live with Samantha Bee
Every week on Full Release, her wildly popular podcast, Samantha Bee sits down for unscripted, in-depth conversations with the best and brightest people about how to navigate the ever-changing world and what to laugh about along the way. In this first-ever live virtual episode of the show, the brilliant comedian and satirist joins the Festival for a one-of-a-kind meeting of minds with a surprise special guest.
CREATORS FORUM EVENT LINEUP
Exclusive access to these events is granted with the purchase of a festival pass.
Wednesday, January 26
9:30AM
How to Build a Career in Podcasting (without Selling your Soul)
How do you build a career in podcasting without selling your soul? How do you acquire job security and creative freedom in an industry that has historically underpaid workers and undervalued the voices of women and people of colour? Answering these questions has been integral to the mission of Media Girlfriends, a Toronto-based podcast production company, founded by journalists of colour, that’s devoted to amplifying historically misrepresented voices. In this candid conversation, the studio’s three
co-founders will discuss their strategies for navigating the podcast landscape as freelancers, their efforts to build supportive and inclusive teams on their podcasts, and how they’ve worked to achieve a sense of
agency, aligning the work they do with their personal values.
Featuring:
• Garvia Bailey, award-winning journalist and co-founder of Media Girlfriends
• Nana aba Duncan, Media Girlfriends co-founder, Associate prof, Carleton Chair of Journalism, Diversity
and Inclusion Studies at Carlton University’s School of Journalism
• Hannah Sung, award-winning journalist and co-founder of Media Girlfriends
11:00AM
Launching an Investigative Podcast: A “Stolen” Case Study with Gimlet’s Lydia Polgreen and Connie Walker
As the managing director of Gimlet Media, one of the studios at the heart of Spotify’s growing podcast empire, Lydia Polgreen is responsible for bringing audio storytelling of the highest quality to millions of listeners around the world. Connie Walker is one of the studio’s most accomplished hosts—a Canadian success story whose acclaimed podcast, Stolen, caught the eyes and ears of fans and critics alike. In this candid discussion of both the craft and business of podcasting, Polgreen and Walker will use Stolen as a case study to explore the process of building an ambitious, journalistically rigorous podcast at a major studio. They’ll discuss the joys—and the institutional challenges—of bringing timely, socially engaged narrative journalism to a big global audience.
Featuring:
• Lydia Polgreen, Managing Director, Gimlet Media
• Connie Walker, Investigative reporter, host of Gimlet Media’s Stolen, previously: Finding Cleo (CBC)
1:00PM
Creatives Crossing Into the Podcasting Space with Director X & Taj Critchlow
In recent years, podcasting has become a truly cross-platform medium, attracting big-name talent from across the world of arts and culture—and inspiring exciting new projects in other media. In this intimate
session with two of the world’s most influential music video creators—Toronto’s own Director X and Taj Critchlow—explore what it takes to translate your skills from another creative medium into this exciting
and endlessly inventive art form. Sharing lessons from their hit podcast, ARTchitects: the architects of ART podcast (also co-hosted by Karena Evans), and their collaborations with superstars with Drake, Rihanna and Kanye West, X and Taj will discuss the power of podcasting to nurture your creativity and expand your audience.
Featuring:
• Julien Christian Lutz, aka Director X, filmmaker, music video director and Co-Founder and Managing
Partner of Fela, new age production company creating globally celebrated content.
• Taj Critchlow, talent manager, producer, creative consultant, and Co-Founder and Managing Partner of
Fela.
• Jordan Sowunmi (Moderator), Lead, Music Editorial and Content Strategy at TikTok, co-founder of Boosie Fade and the podcast, Catch Up.
2:30PM
How to Pitch with CBC Decision-Makers
In this special presentation from Canada’s largest podcast studio, decision-makers Chris Oke and Ilina Ghosh will pull back the curtain on one of the most difficult and important skills every podcaster needs to master: how to pitch. Using examples drawn from some of the CBC’s most popular and award-winning narrative series, this will be a practical guide to building proposals, presentations and teasers that will excite potential collaborators and help get your projects in front of the right people.
Featuring:
• Chris Oke, Senior Producer, CBC Podcasts
• Ilina Gosh, Producer, CBC Podcasts
4:00PM
How to Make a Good Talk Show: A Masterclass with Canadaland
Aspiring podcasters often underestimate the amount of work that goes into making a good conversation show—the best ones sound so effortless. But even the most informal, off-the-cuff-sounding chat pods require immense planning and expertise, and few studios understand this better than Canadaland, the scrappy, Toronto-based indie behind some of the country’s most popular podcasts on politics, media, and current events. In this special Masterclass, Fatima Syed, host of The Backbench, and more veteran
producers reveal the nuts and bolts of how a good chat show gets made— and how to make them dynamic, structured, and topical enough to engage a large audience.
Featuring:
• Jonathan Goldsbie, co-host of Wag the Doug podcast and editor at Canadaland
• Tiffany Lam, producer, Canadaland
• Fatima Syed, host, Canadaland’s The Backbench
• Kieran Oudshoorn (Moderator), Managing Editor of Podcasts, Canadaland
Thursday, January 27
9:30AM
Masterclass in Audience Engagement
“If you have a big social following, your podcast audience numbers are guaranteed. If you’re a celebrity, no doubt people will tune into your show. Having a show that’s outside the mainstream means only only a few listeners will tune in (likely your friends and family).” All of these are misconceptions in how to establish, engage with, and grow your audience in podcasting. As the classic saying in podcast audience engagement goes, “It’s an art, not a science.” At this masterclass, leading insiders from Acast dig into the most interesting audience engagement trends and strategies they’ve seen and executed with creators of all backgrounds.
Featuring:
• Tiffany Ashitey, Director of Partnerships, Acast US
• Trace Gaynor, Associate Partner Manager, Acast USA
• Becky Celestina, Partner Manager, Acast USA
• Sophia Lepage, Associate Partner Manager, Acast Canada
This Creators Forum session is guest curated by Acast as part of Acast Day: Seen and Heard: Elevating
Diverse Voices & Stories.
11:00AM
Aclass: Indigenous Voices
Get Indigenous podcasters’ perspectives on creating and developing audio-first stories, and the challenges and successes they’ve encountered along the way. Is podcasting a means to activism? Hear from Ryan McMahon (Red Man Laughing, Thunder Bay), Pam Palmater (Warrior Life), Nick Estes (The
Red Nation Podcast), and Falen Johnson (CBC’s The Secret Life of Canada) as they walk you through their journeys into the medium, how they’ve found and grown their audiences, and what their unique creative processes look like. They also discuss the current state of Indigenous podcasting along with
where it’s headed in the future
Featuring:
• Nick Estes, a journalist, historian, and host of The Red Nation Podcast. He is a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.
• Falen Johnson, award-winning playwright and co-host of CBC’s The Secret Life of Canada. She is Mohawk and Tuscarora (Bear Clan) from Six Nations Grand River Territory.
• Ryan McMahon, award-winning Anishinaabe podcaster, journalist and writer, host of the Red Man Laughing and Thunder Bay podcasts
• Dr. Pam Palmater, a Mi’kmaw laywer, professor and activist, host of Warrior Life.
• Narisa Ladak (Moderator), Creator Network Director, Acast Canada.
This Creators Forum session is guest curated by Acast as part of Acast Day: Seen and Heard: Elevating Diverse Voices & Stories.
2:30PM
Communicating Challenging Concepts Through Creation with AsapSCIENCE
How do you make your podcast more accessible when it covers an “inaccessible” topic? AsapSCIENCE creators Greg and Mitch are popular Toronto-based YouTubers, TikTok stars, podcasters, and queer science educators who are making the subject of science digestible, inclusive, and fun with the help of their podcast Sidenote. Joined by Acast’s Heather Gordon, Greg and Mitch will discuss their journey into podcasting, and how they’re taking advantage of cross-platform storytelling to break down knowledge barriers and make the typical esoteric language used in the science community more accessible to all.
Using TikTok as a case study, they’ll also discuss how to create unique content for digital platforms that will resonate with related—though distinct—audiences.
Featuring:
• Gregory Brown, co-creator of AsapSCIENCE, co-host of Sidenote podcast
• Mitchell Moffit, co-creator of AsapSCIENCE, co-host of Sidenote podcast
• Heather Gordon (Moderator), Managing Director of Acast Canada
This Creators Forum session is guest curated by Acast as part of Acast Day: Seen and Heard: Elevating Diverse Voices & Stories.
4:00 PM
Freedom Through Fandom
From Swifties bashing Jake Gyllenhaal to the BTS Army disrupting a Trump rally, to Britney Spears fans rallying to #SaveBritney, we know the power of fandom. We also know that podcasting can offer a space for fandom to thrive. When it’s coupled with the viral nature of social media, there’s even an ability to create a groundswell of awareness and change. Ira Madison III (Keep It!), Hannah Sung (Media Girlfriends), and Vanessa Zoltan (Harry Potter and the Sacred Text) all have experience with fandom— whether through reporting, social engagement, or being an actual fan. Join this roundtable discussion moderated by Amil Niazi (CBC’s Pop Chat) as the panelists dive into the intricacies of fandom—when it’s used for good, when it’s used as an activism tool, and when it turns ugly. They will cover how podcasting plays an integral role as a source of information.
Featuring:
• Ira Madison III, television writer, host of Crooked Media’s Keep It!, former critic at The Daily Beast and GQ Magazine
• Hannah Sung, award-winning journalist and co-founder of Media Girlfriends, podcast production company
• Amil Niazi (Moderator), showrunner, CBC’s Pop Chat This Creators Forum session is guest curated by Acast as part of Acast Day: Seen and Heard: Elevating Diverse Voices & Stories.
Friday, January 28
9:30AM
Launching and Creating Podcasts with Amazon Decision-Makers
In recent years, Amazon Music has made a serious investment in the audio storytelling landscape, with the acquisition of podcast studio Wondery and podcast service provider Art19, making it a premiere destination for creators looking to manage, grow and monetize their content. In this presentation and panel specially crafted for Hot Docs Podfest delegates, Amazon audio execs Marshall Lewy, Lindsay Michael, and Declan Moore will offer an overview of the services and support systems their team is
putting in place to support podcast producers who are looking to grow their audiences. Get insider knowledge on the studio’s approach to developing and launching new shows and get expert tips on how to pitch an exciting project to a major podcast studio.
Featuring:
• Marshall Lewy, Chief Content Officer at Wondery, overseeing Wondery and Amazon Originals
• Lindsay Michael, Manager of Podcasts for Amazon Canada
• Declan Moore, Head of International at Wondery
11:00AM
The Art of the Limited-Run Podcast: A Masterclass with Dan Taberski
Dan Taberski is on a roll. In the years since his viral podcast series Missing Richard Simmons dominated the podcast charts, the former documentary filmmaker and Daily Show producer has hosted a series of critically acclaimed shows that have set a new creative standard for the limited-run podcast series: Running with Cops, Surviving Y2K, The Line and, most recently, 9/12.
This latest, an Amazon Original produced by Pineapple Street, was recently named one of the ten best podcasts of 2021 by The New York Times and The New Yorker. In this masterclass, Dan sits down with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, hosts of CBC’s Pop Chat, to discuss the important process-oriented questions that help to structure an ambitious documentary series, and why he believes this emerging art form is the place, as he puts it, to tell “crazy explosive” stories and explore complicated questions and ideas.
Featuring:
• Dan Taberski, Filmmaker and podcaster, host of Running with Cops, Surviving Y2K, The Line and 9/12
• Elamin Abdelmahmoud (moderator), culture writer at Buzzfeed News and host of CBC’s Pop Chat
1:00PM
Editing Across Difference with The New Yorker Radio Hour’s Ngofeen Mputubwele
As a producer of The New Yorker Radio Hour, and a former staffer at Stitcher and Gimlet, Ngofeen Mputubwele has helped produce some of the most acclaimed podcasts in recent memory. He’s also witnessed the podcast industry’s tendency to undervalue and marginalize the work of podcasters of colour. In this masterclass, adapted from workshops he’s led for the teams at Stitcher and WNYC, Ngofeen will address the power dynamics that often take shape in the production and editing of ambitious podcasts—and how to establish ground rules and support systems that allow team members to negotiate their creative and cultural differences, especially when they are telling stories rooted in the experiences of historically marginalized peoples.
2:30PM
Finding Your Voice: Audio Writing Masterclass with This American Life’s Alix Spiegel
Writing for audio is often discussed as a mysterious, almost mystical process. At this masterclass, Alix Spiegel, a senior producer for This American Life and former host of Invisibilia, sits down with 99% Invisible’s Chris Berube to cut through the noise and break down the most effective approaches to tape use, story structure and reporting techniques that she has encountered at the canonical shows where she has worked. As she talks though examples from her award-winning body of work, she’ll demonstrate practical strategies that podcasters of all backgrounds and experience levels can employ to write captivating, elegantly structured audio stories.
Featuring:
• Alix Spiegel, senior producer for This American Life, former host of Invisibilia
• Chris Berube (moderator), producer, 99% Invisible
2:30PM
Breaking Form, Breaking Rules with Eric Eddings and Brittany Luse
After breaking new ground with their show The Nod, Eric Eddings and Brittany Luse are once again shaping the cultural conversation with their newly rebooted For Colored Nerds, where they deconstruct the nerdier side of pop culture, and peel back the layers of Black culture we rarely discuss in mixed company. At this masterclass, the BFFs and cultural critics will dig into the art and craft of making “formbreakers”—episodes that play with narrative and production to make the world take notice. Using examples from past episodes of The Nod, Eric and Brittany will break down the rules for an episode where you break the rules, offering invaluable tips and tricks on how to take your show and your audience to new and unexpected places.
Featuring:
• Eric Eddings, co-host of For Colored Nerds, Director of Lifestyle Podcasting at Stitcher/SiriusXM, and the former co-host of The Nod (Gimlet)
• Brittany Luse, journalist, podcast host, and cultural critic whose writing has appeared in Vulture, Refinery29, Harper’s Bazaar. She is the co-host of For Colored Nerds and former co-host of The Nod.
More here, including how to buy a pass.
Winning pure raves out of HotDocs and Sundance, here is your first look at the Trailer for THE SPARKS BROTHERS from Edgar Wright. Story: How can one rock band be successful, underrated, hugely influential, and criminally overlooked all at the same time? Edgar Wright’s debut documentary THE SPARKS BROTHERS, which features commentary from celebrity fans Flea, Jane Wiedlin, Beck, Jack Antonoff, Jason Schwartzman, Neil Gaiman, and more, takes audiences on a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers/bandmates Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band. |
THE SPARKS BROTHERS is in theatres June 18, 2021.
(Photo/video credit: Focus Features)
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