Finally, we’re seeing things pick-up again in Toronto! Exciting times! With the conclusion of Awards Season, we were so lucky to ran into legendary Academy Award-winning Actress Michelle Yeoh out and about. She just presented at the Oscars and throughout her stay in Toronto filming upcoming feature STAR TREK: SECTION 31, where she is reprising the role of Emperor Philippa Georgiou. Among the hotspots Yeoh‘s been seen at are Lao Lao Bar, Kiss My Pans and more, paying tribute to the flavours of her native Southeast Asia. We were wondering if we were ever going to be graced by her presence, and so glad we did. She is just absolutely gracious and stunning, a perfect human being!
Academy Award and five-time GRAMMY-winning Singer-Songwriter JON BATISTE resumed his UNEASY TOUR in Toronto at Massey Hall, to a sold-out crowd, fresh off his performance of “It Never Went Away” at the Oscars this past weekend. The song had garnered a nomination, heard in the Netflix Documentary AMERICAN SYMPHONY. Playing a sold-out show, Batiste wowed the audience, even doing an impromptu performance up in the balcony! He is so amazing and kind!
You all know how much I love Colman Domingo. The Academy Award-nominated Actor had a phenomenal 2024 starring in THE COLOR PURPLE and RUSTIN, which garnered him the nod. But perhaps his crowning achievement is SING SING which premiered at TIFF ’23 and will be released this year via A24 and Elevation Pictures. He also can be seen currently in DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS. He is absolutely lovely and always giving to fans. He’s working on TV Series THE MADNESS, filming locally which has him starring as a powerful media figure who is accused of murder. Another meaty role!
I adore SNL and one of the recent additions to the Cast is Sarah Sherman aka Sarah Squirm, who is absolutely quirkly and brilliant. She’s here for an undisclosed project, which we have an inkling what it might be. She joined the Cast in SNL and is getting lots of screen time, which we are here for! She filmed Adam Sandler‘s You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah in the City a couple years back!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
By George Kozera
SING SING opens with Colman Domingo performing a Shakesperean soliloquy directly to the camera with force and magnitude. It is a stunning achievement. We then see the actors leave to theatre to return to the notorious Sing Sing Penitentiary where we learn they are all part of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) programme whose mandate is to put on plays as a part of their rehab. After choosing a prison yard bully (Clarence âDivine Eyeâ Maclin, playing himself) on a hunch to join troupe, their director Brent (Oscar nominee Paul Raci) gathers the prisoners to decide what show they will put on next. Deciding not to go the dramatic route once again, they all choose to write a comedy that incorporates time travel, a son looking for his mother, Ancient Egypt, a western, pirates and Freddy Krueger! Let the auditions and fun begin.
Director and Co-Writer Greg Kwedar (whose last movie âJockeyâ I adored) had the unenviable task of maintaining the audienceâs attention in mostly tight, contained quarters scenarios and relies heavily on extreme close-ups. I found these cinematic choices rewarding, if maybe a tad too redundant.
Other than Domingo and Raci, everyone in SING SING were formerly incarcerated prisoners many of them alumni of RTA and they all bring gravitas to their scenes. The chemistry between Domingo and Maclin is off-the-charts phenomenal. Whereas this movie may appear to come across as light entertainment, Kwedar does not shy away from the realities of prison life and one scene with the lead character in front of the clemency board was truly heartbreaking.
It is impossible to stress the impact SING SING has made on me. Despite some minor flaws, the performances resonated with me, hours after leaving the rapturously received world premiere that I attended.
SING SING screens at TIFF ’23:
Monday, September 11, 2:45PM – Scotiabank
Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, is delighted to announce that award-winning actor Colman Domingo will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award. This Award recognizes an overall body of exceptional work, and is one of seven awards being handed out at the fifth annual TIFF Tribute Awards gala, presented by Bulgari on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
A prolific actor of the screen and the stage, Domingoâs career spans over 30 years. Domingo will next be seen in Greg Kwedarâs Sing Sing premiering at the Festival. Past recipients honoured in the prestigious acting category were Brendan Fraser and the ensemble cast of My Policeman in 2022; Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch in 2021; Kate Winslet and Sir Anthony Hopkins in 2020; and Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix in 2019.
Sing Sing is about a theatre troupe that finds escape from the realities of incarceration through the creativity of putting on a play. Based on the real-life arts rehabilitation program founded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, the film is being distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures.
âColman Domingoâs performances are a masterclass in the art of storytelling,â said Bailey. âDomingoâs presence, on stage and on screen, is a gift to audiences, and his work continues to resonate, leaving an indelible impact. He is a true visionary in the world of performance, and weâre excited to honour him this year.â
Domingo joins the recently announced 2023 TIFF Tribute Award honourees Andy Lau, recipient of the Special Tribute Award; Carolina Markowicz, recipient of the TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM Studios; Ćukasz Ć»al, recipient of the TIFF Variety Artisan Award; Shawn Levy, recipient of the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award presented by The Budman Family; Pedro AlmodĂłvar, recipient of the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media presented by Participant; and Spike Lee, recipient of the TIFF Ebert Director Award. Once again, the TIFF Tribute Awards honour the film industryâs outstanding contributors and their achievements, recognizing leading industry members, acting talent, directorial expertise, new talent, and a below-the-line artist and creator.
The Tribute Awards gala is TIFFâs largest annual fundraiser, having raised $1.3 million in 2022, and is presented by Bulgari, sharing their commitment to arts and culture along with TIFF. This year, the Tribute Awards gala will support the Viola Desmond Cinema campaign, which was launched through the Every Story Fund in 2022. For more information, visit tiff.net/tribute.
Colman Domingo bio
Colman Domingo is an Emmy Awardâwinning actor, and has been nominated for a TonyÂź, Independent Spirit, Gotham, Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League, NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award as an actor, playwright, and producer. He stars in and executive produced Greg Kwedarâs Sing Sing, which will make its World Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is based on the real-life arts rehabilitation program founded at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. In June 2023, he appeared in and produced the unscripted AMC travel show You Are Here and was a producer on the Tony-nominated Fat Ham. He is well known for his Spirit Awardânominated role in Janicza Bravoâs Zola as well as his work on stage in The Scottsboro Boys and Broadwayâs Passing Strange. Domingo and his husband RaĂșl Domingo have produced a myriad of work under their Edith Productions banner, including four seasons of the award-winning variety talk show Bottomless Brunch at Colmanâs. Domingo co-wrote, produced, and starred in the Academy Awardâshortlisted animated short film New Moon, based on his play A Boy and His Soul. He also starred in and executive produced the award-winning short North Star.
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