For the first time in over two years, the David Foster Foundation was back in Toronto with their A NIGHT ON BROADWAY Gala at Hotel X. The evening featured performances by Foster himself, plus the likes of wife Katharine McPhee (Smash), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton), Loren Allred (The Greatest Showman), Erich Bergen (Jersey Boys), Jessica Vosk (Wicked) and several more. An A-List who’s-who of Broadway stars. Icons only.

16-time Grammy winner Foster who hails from Vancouver originally, is behind some of the most important Pop Songs of our time including “To Love You More” (Celine Dion), “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” (John Parr), “I Have Nothing” (Whitney Houston), “You’re the Inspiration” (Chicago), “Unbreak My Heart” (Toni Braxton), “Through the Fire” (Chaka Khan) and so many more. We can’t imagine a world without Foster’s music which has touched hearts around the globe.

The Fundraiser serves to raise awareness and funds to financially support Canadian families with children who record life-saving organ transplants, and the organization has been active for 35 years. Since 2017, they’ve raised in-excess of $10 million, and that’s without events the past couple years!

In-attendance were Bella Thomson, whom after 23 surgeries, is awaiting a bowel transplant. And also Rosie Audia, who is awaiting a heart transplant.

Power Couple Foster and McPhee arrived in Toronto Thursday night to do a round of press in advance of the affair, with appearances on the likes of Global‘s The Morning Show and CITY’s Breakfast Television. They revealed Foster will be doing a Vegas residency soon, and they also will be going on-tour together this Fall!

Some Snaps from tonight’s Purple Carpet:

…and of course, THE SNAP.

More on the David Foster Foundation here and how you can get involved.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

A huge opening for Marvel‘s DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS debuting with $200 million from 4,534 theatres for Disney, easily besting its 2017 predecessor’s $85 million opening. It gets 76% on the Tomatometer.

Second spot goes to THE BAD GUYS with $11.1 million from  3,838 theatres, a three-week tally of $58.9 million for Universal Pictures.

In third is SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 with $7 million from 3,358 theatres for Paramount Pictures. This brings its total to $171 million in its fifth weekend.

Fourth is FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE with $4 million from 3,051 theatres for Warner Bros. Its total domestic run now is at $86 million.

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE rounds-out our Top Five with $3 million from 2,000 theatres for A24/Elevation Pictures, a total $40.9 million in its seventh weekend.

Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone team-up on GOD’S FAVORITE IDIOT! See the new Trailer for the eight-episode Series.

About God’s Favorite Idiot:
Clark Thompson (Ben Falcone) is a mid-level tech support employee, who takes saunas with his dad, Gene (Kevin Dunn), pines after his co-worker Amily (Melissa McCarthy), and loves his cats. When he starts to glow, he begins to realize this isn’t an average day at the office and God has bigger plans for him. Clark can’t save mankind by himself, he must gather his flock of mismatched co-workers, his longtime crush Amily and angelic allies to outwit Satan herself (Leslie Bibb). Together, they’re just a bunch of average humans coming together for the greater good because, after all, you can’t save the world alone.

GOD’S FAVORITE IDIOT streams June 15, 2022 on Netflix.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

Running from June 1-5, 2022, the first ever BLUE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL have announced their programming lineup. The Festival will showcase 25 films from 25 countries, including Canada, China, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Sweden, Israel, France, Saudi Arabia, Malta, Australia, Germany, and the United States.

The Film Festival will open with Aboriginal Horror SLASH/BACK and close with FIRE OF LOVE, a tale of of two people pursuing a life-long obsession. Sundance Award-winning Documentary NAVALNY also will surface at the Festival.

Complete line-up:

The Albanian Virgin by Bujar Alimani
Luana’s arranged marriage to the initially charming Flamur quickly sours when his Machiavellian nature is revealed. Defending his daughter’s honour, Erion ends up dead — leaving his daughter Luana in the midst of a blood-feud that forces a daunting choice.

Barakat by Amy Japhta
In this warm, funny South African family drama, Amy Jephta focuses on a Muslim widow gearing up to tell her four grown sons that she has fallen in love again, with a non-believer.

Blind Ambition by Warwick Ross & Robert Coe
Competing for their native Zimbabwe at the World Wine Blind Tasting Championship, four economic refugees show that opportunity is all.

Carmen by Valerie Buhagiar
Abruptly homeless after dedicating her life to looking after her brother, a Catholic priest, Maltese spinster Carmen (Natasha McElhone) assumes his place in the confessional box, dispensing subversive advice to the surprised supplicants in this whimsical feminist romance.

Casablanca Beats l Haut et Fort by Nabil Ayouch
Inspired by filmmaker Nabil Ayouch’s experience of opening a creative arts centre for youth in a Casablanca ghetto, this punchy, propulsive drama fuses music, drama and realism to potent effect.

Nominations include the Palme d’Or from Festival de Cannes 2021 and Best Foreign Language Film from Palm Springs International Film Festival 2022.

Costa Brava Lebanon by Mounia Akl
A family living in isolation off the grid is dismayed when the government annexes the adjoining land to put in a landfill. This impressively nuanced, novelistic drama subtly reveals the bonds and tensions within the family unit.

Notable awards include the NETPAC Award from TIFF 2021 and the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize from El Gouna Film Festival 2021.

Everybody Hates Johan l Alle Hater Johan by Hallvar Witzø
After years away in the US as a technician blaster, Johan returns to his rural childhood home in Norway in hopes of reconciling with Solovar, who still bears the scars from their old escapades. The entire town is set against him but the towering Johan is determined to build a life for himself.

Farha by Darin J. Sallam
A 14-year-old girl is swept up in the Israeli invasion of Palestine in 1948. Darin J Sallam’s memorable feature debut demonstrates how a narrow focus can still reveal deep truths.

Nominations include the New Voices/New Visions Grand Jury Prize from Palm Springs International Film Festival 2022 and the Dragon Award from Göteborg Film Festival 2022.

Fire of Love by Sara Dosa
French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft share an all-consuming love for lava and the earth from which it spews. Sarah Dosa’s stunning doc memorializes two eccentric Alsatians traveling the planet in hot pursuit of their shared lifelong obsession: volcanoes.

Forest for the Trees by Rita Leistner
Canadian photographer-filmmaker Rita Leistner turns her lens on the denizens of a tree planting camp in BC to explore what it is that brings men and women such as herself to commit to this grueling, lonely and isolated work.

Gagarine by Fanny Liatard & Jérémy Trouilh
Inspired by the youth they met while interviewing the inhabitants of a condemned apartment block in the suburbs of Paris, Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh cook up an audacious magical realist fable about creative resistance – with a killer soundtrack.

The film was selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival and also won Best First Film from the Lumière Awards 2022.

Greener Pastures l שאיפה לחיים by Assaf Abiri & Matan Guggenheim
In this delightfully cranky Israeli comedy, 75-year-old Dov belatedly embarks on a life of crime, monetizing seniors’ medical marijuana supplies on the black market.

Nominated for 12 Israeli Academy Awards.

Into the Weeds by Jennifer Baichwal
The latest environmental documentary from Canadian director Jennifer Baichwal (Anthropocene; Manufactured Landscapes) is a lucid and damning courtroom drama detailing the case for damages brought by a school groundsman against agrochemical giant Monsanto.

This film opened this year’s Hot Docs Festival.

Last Film Show by Pan Nalin
When the magic of movies conquers nine-year young Samay’s heart; he moves heaven and earth in pursuit of his 35mm dreams unaware of heartbreaking times that await him. Set in India.

Navalny by Daniel Roher
Enthralling and intimate, NAVALNY unfolds with the pace of a thriller as it follows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in his quest to identify the men who poisoned him in August 2020. Through Roher’s extraordinary access to the investigation, this fly-on-the-wall documentary is also a study of a man intent on reform who will not be cowed by anything, including his own poisoning.

Notable awards include both the 2022 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award in the U.S. Documentary competition and the fan-selected Festival Favorite Award.

Nelly & Nadine by Magnus Gertten
In this transfixing, beautifully crafted documentary Magnus Gertten gently reveals an exceptionally resonant love story between two remarkable women who met in a German concentration camp in 1944.

Official Competition l Competencia Oficial by Mariano Cohn and Gaston Dupart Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martinez have a ball sending up the pretensions and hugely fragile egos of movie folk in this sharply funny film biz satire.

Slash/Back by Nyla Innuksuk
When a group of Inuk adolescent girls have a close encounter with an undead polar bear it’s the signal that their town is in desperate danger… Genuinely thrilling, Nyla Innuksuk’s endearing teen chiller is a ton of fun.

Our Home l Utama by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
High in the Bolivian Andes, a llama farmer confronts his own mortality and the impending death of an ancient way of life.

Phantom of the Open by Craig Roberts
Mark Rylance stars as cheeky underdog Maurice Flitcroft, who entered the British Open in 1976 despite never having played a full round of golf before. This cheerful comedy hits the sweet spot.

Plaza Catedral by Abner Benaim
This compelling Panamanian thriller zeroes in on an unhappy, middle-aged divorcee and the desperate street kid who shows up at her door bleeding from a bullet wound. In helping him, she opens herself up to a world of trouble.

SECRET SCREENING

With our inaugural secret screening we invite you to take a flier and trust our programmers to serve up something special. This movie could come from anywhere, but we promise it’s something we love. And just as we’re keeping you dark about this evening’s entertainment, we ask you to keep a secret. Yes, that’s right, there’s only one rule at the Secret Screening club… You don’t talk about the Secret Screening.

The Strong Ones l Los Fuertes by Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo
Visiting family in a foggy Chilean fishing village for a few days before his relocation to Montreal, Lucas meets Antonio. Flirtation quickly escalates into a full blown affair, but can these two men see a future together?

Notable awards include the Best Foreign Language Film from Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2020 and Best Feature from OUTshine Film Festival 2020.

A Tale of Love and Desire l Une Histoire D’Amour et de Désir by Leyla Bouzid
Leyla Bouzid’s sensuous, sensitive film traces a lexicon of longing in the story of two classmates at the Sorbonne, Ahmed and Farah, who fall in love with each other and with the words of the ancient Arabic poets they’re studying.

Notable nominations include Best Screenplay from Lumières Awards 2022 and the Dragon Award from Göteborg Film Festival 2022.

We Are Living Things by Antonio Tibaldi
This defiantly unpredictable indie keeps us guessing as two illegal immigrants – one from Mexico, the other from China – bond over aliens of a different type entirely.

More here.

Who’s excited for TOP GUN: MAVERICK? All of you, right? Lady Gaga has joined the air force and provided this gorgeous Rock Ballad “HOLD MY HAND” from the upcoming event of the Spring at the Movies! The bar has been raised as Berlin‘s “Take My Breath Away” and Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” have stood the test of time to this day from the Film’s predecessor. The Video is directed by Joseph Kosinski who directs TOP GUN: MAVERICK.

Tickets for the “Top Gun Wednesday” Early Access Premiere (in advance of its May 25, 2022 release) and general tickets for Top Gun: Maverick go on sale on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 12PM EST/9AM PST. Included in the Early Access Premiere Screening is one showing of Top Gun: Maverick at 7:00PM local time at participating theatres, presented exclusively in IMAX, and other premium large formats nationwide.  Moviegoers can get Early Access Premiere theatre listings at TopGunMovie.com/SeeItFirst and general tickets at TopGunMovie.com.  Tickets will also be on sale at exhibitors’ websites & mobile apps and at participating theatre box offices across Canada. 

Commemorative gifts commissioned for this event will be given to each ticketholder. Each movie fan attending will receive an exclusive, limited edition Maverick Enamel Helmet Pin and Collector’s Print designed by Doaly given away at their local theatre on the day of the event. 

(Photo/video credit: Universal Music)

David Cronenberg‘s CRIMES OF THE FUTURE will be premiering at Cannes! This is the sixth time the Canadian Filmmaker has appeared at the Festival in competition.

Shot in Athens, the Film stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart and Scott Speedman.

Synopsis:

As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, which is when a mysterious group is revealed… Their mission – to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.

From Sphere Films (formerly MK2 | MILE END), the Film will be opening across Canada on June 3, 2022, following its world premiere in the Official Competition at the Festival de Cannes

(Photo/video credit: Sphere Films)

The 2022 INSIDE OUT 2SLGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL takes place in-person May 26th to June 5th in Toronto, showcasing 128 films from 28 countries, including 38 feature films, 3 episodic series, and 7 world premieres. Now in its 32nd year, the Festival is highlighted by a Premiere of upcoming Prime Video Series THE LAKE starring Jordan Gavaris and Julia Stiles, plus also Opening Night Film MARS ONE, a Family Drama directed by Gabriel Martin! Upcoming Disney+ release FIRE ISLAND starring Bowen Yang and Margaret Cho also will be screening at the Festival!

Trailer here for the Festival.

The full 2022 festival selections include:

OPENING NIGHT

MARS ONE, directed by Gabriel Martins. (Brazil / Narrative)

With keen affection and an understanding of its characters, Mars One explores the hopes and expectations, the anxieties and foibles, of a Brazilian family against the backdrop of the 2018 election of Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro.

CLOSING NIGHT

“THE LAKE” – Episode 1 & 2, created by Julian Doucet and directed by Jordan Canning, Paul Fox. (Canada / Series)Set in cottage country, the Canadian Amazon Original The Lake, follows Justin (Jordan Gavaris, “Orphan Black”) as he returns from living abroad, after a break-up with his long-term partner, with the hope of reconnecting with the biological daughter at the idyllic lake from his childhood.

“The Lake” is produced by AMAZE, with Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence serving as executive producers for AMAZE (Carter, Call Me Fitz), and is written and executive produced by Julian Doucet (“Killjoys”, “St Nickel”). “The Lake” will launch exclusively on Prime Video on June 17 in 240 countries and territories worldwide.

GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

SO DAMN EASY GOING, directed by Christoffer Sandler. (Sweden, Norway / Narrative).

So Damn Easy Going explores the absolute mess of love and relationships through the eyes of Joanna, an 18-year-old diagnosed with ADHD.

TRAMPS!, directed by Kevin Hegge. (Canada / Documentary).
TRAMPS! is a feature-length documentary focusing on London’s iconic fashion and musical movement, The New Romantics.

UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS, directed by Juan Felipe Zuleta. (USA / Narrative).
In Unidentified Objects a misanthropic gay dwarf and a plucky sex worker go on a road trip to Canada in search of aliens, but what sounds like a wacky premise is actually a heartfelt story about finding your people.

WE WILL NEVER BELONG, directed by Amelia Eloisa. (Mexico / Narrative).
Adolescence can be tough, especially for young queer people who haven’t quite figured it out. We Will Never Belong charts one teenager’s quest for the truth with style and grace.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

FIRE ISLAND, directed by Andrew Ahn. (USA / Narrative).
A pair of best friends set out to have a legendary week-long summer vacation with the help of cheap rosé and a group of eclectic friends.

PREMIERES

CAMILLA COMES OUT TONIGHT, directed by Inés Barrionuevo. (Argentina / Narrative).
From the hallways of a conservative school to streets filled with demonstrators, Camila Comes Out Tonight is a coming-of-age film inspired by the impact of an Argentine generation that grew up fighting for women’s rights.

COMPULSUS, directed by Tara Thorne. (Canada / Narrative)
A staggering two-thirds of all Canadians know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Compulsus asks the question: what if women took matters into their own hands?

IN FROM THE SIDE, directed by Matt Carter. (UK / Narrative)
Come for the beefy guys and sweaty scrums, stay for the nuanced relationship drama unfolding among the players of a gay rugby club in South London

PHANTOM PROJECT, directed by Roberto Doveris. (Chile / Narrative)
A charmingly gay urban ghost story, The Phantom Project follows meandering millennial Pablo as he attempts to get his life together.

THE FIRST FALLEN, directed by Rodrigo De Oliveira. (Brazil / Narrative)
The First Fallen offers a sensitive look back at the early days of the AIDS epidemic in Brazil through the eyes of three friends: Suzano, a biologist; Rose, a trans singer; and Humberto, a student filmmaker.

WE DON’T DANCE FOR NOTHING, directed by Stefanos Tai. (USA / Narrative)

Captured amid the Hong Kong protests, We Don’t Dance for Nothing is a photo-montage love letter to the Filipina domestic workers of Hong Kong and their passion for dance.

ICONS

FIONA CLARK: UNAFRAID, directed by Lula Cucchiara. (New Zealand / Documentary).

Artist Fiona Clark, a misfit in society and a fearless storyteller, has spent a lifetime championing the unseen—fighting for individuals, hidden communities and the land she inhabits.

FRAMING AGNES, directed by Chase Joynt. (Canada, USA / Documentary).
Director Chase Joynt and an all-star cast of transgender artists and performers use re-enactment and genre-blurring storytelling techniques to breathe new life into the previously untold stories of the mid-century trailblazers who redefined gender.

FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE, directed by Marcus Pontello. (USA / Documentary).
Bars and nightclubs have long been an essential gathering place for queer communities and Numbers nightclub was one such place for LGBTQ patrons in Houston, Texas.

JEANNETTE, directed by Maris Curran. (USA / Documentary).
“I will never, ever, forget seeing the barrel of the gun,” says Jeannette Feliciano, a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre, in the opening moments of this emotional tribute to one woman’s astounding resilience.

SIRENS, directed by Rita Baghdadi. (USA, Lebanon / Documentary).
Growing up in the shadow of their parents during the war in Lebanon, guitarist Lilas Mayassi and her bandmates, Shery, Maya, Alma, and Tatiana (Slave to Sirens) have big dreams but few opportunities.

INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE

BEYOND ED BUCK, directed by Jayce Baron, Hailie Sahar. (USA / Documentary).
From Jayce Baron and Hailie Sahar, Beyond Ed Buck follows the tragic murders that took place at the hands of a well-known Democratic political donor. This film comes with a content advisory please click here for more details.

BLOOMING ON THE ASPHALT, directed by Coraci Ruiz, Julio Matos. (Brazil / Documentary).
Blooming on the asphalt offers a unique perspective on Jack, a young Brazilian trans man whose life is dramatically changing as his country faces a global pandemic and an intolerant government.

DEATH AND BOWLING, directed by Lyle Kash. (USA / Narrative).
In a fractured, dream-like world, a transgender actor struggles with the death of the much-beloved captain of a lesbian bowling team.

GATEWAYS GRIND, directed by Jacquie Lawrence. (UK / Documentary).
The memory of so many lesbian bars, whose stories are integral to lesbian history, is in danger of slipping away. But filmmaker Jacquie Lawrence is determined to not let that happen to one of Britain’s most storied meeting places.

GIRL PICTURE, directed by Alli Haapasalo. (Finland / Narrative).
Over three consecutive Fridays, best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö’s friendship is put to the test as each embarks on an individual journey to ask the hard questions about who they are.

HOMEBODY, directed by Joseph Sackettt. (USA / Narrative).

Johnny loves his babysitter Melanie but, upon further reflection, is he really in love with her or does he just want to be her? There’s only one way to find out.

LA QUEENCIAÑERA, directed by Pedro Peira. (Mexico / Documentary).
As Los Angeles-based Latina trans activist Bamby Salcedo points out, the average life expectancy of a trans woman is a mere 35 years. In LA Queenciañera, this sobering statistic makes Bamby’s life and her impending 50th birthday something to truly celebrate.

LONESOME, directed by Craig Boreham. (Australia / Narrative).
In this sexually explicit drama, a scandal drives a young gay man from his small Australian town to Sydney.

MONEYBOYS, directed by C.B. Yi. (Austria, France, Belgium, Taiwan/ Narrative).
Moneyboys follows a Chinese hustler as he struggles to cope with the disapproval of his rural family.

NANA’S BOYS, directed by Ashton Pina. (USA / Narrative).
With subtle, vulnerable performances, Nana’s Boys focuses on the intimate life of a couple who are confronted with the fact that their relationship is not as solid as they thought.

NEPTUNE FROST, directed by Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams. (Rwanda, USA / Narrative).
Neptune Frost, one of the most visually striking films of the last several years, is an unmistakably queer, anti-capitalist, sci-fi musical created by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman.

OUT IN THE RING, directed by Ry Levey. (Canada / Documentary).
Out in the Ring explores the rise and history of LGBTQ+ professional wrestlers and representation in the sport.

PRIVATE DESERT, directed by Aly Mritiba. (Brazil / Narrative).
Brazil’s submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film is a canny act of defiance against the homophobic jingoistic nastiness of the country’s current government and, unlike President Jair Bolsonaro, the film is thoughtful, nuanced, sensuous and affirming.

SUBLIME, directed by Mariano Biasin. (Argentina / Narrative).
Being a teenager in love can be hard. But being a teenager in love with your lifelong best friend is definitely harder. Sublime takes a look at a friendship that is facing the test of longevity.

THE DIVIDE, directed by Catherine Corsini. (France / Narrative).
The astounding Valeria Bruni Tedeschi delivers a tour-de-force performance as the high-strung half of a couple coming apart at the seams amid the anti-Macron “yellow vest” protests.

WAKE UP, LEONARD, directed by Kat Mills Martin. (USA / Narrative).
Part comedy, part self-help nightmare, Wake Up, Leonard follows one man’s quest for wellness while failing miserably to stay on his vibe.

SPOTLIGHT ON CANADA

PAT ROCCO DARED, directed by Morris Chapdelaine, Bob Christie. (Canada / Documentary).
Whose movies include a naked man dancing on a freeway, a gay couple at Disneyland, and the world’s first Pride march? Pat Rocco, a trailblazing gay independent filmmaker who is given well-deserved recognition in the charming documentary, Pat Rocco Dared.

STUPID FOR YOU, directed by Jude Klassen. (Canada / Narrative).
Jude Klassen’s musical feature, Stupid for You, asks the knotty question: what’s a shy, awkward queer teen to do when the opportunity to be noticed by her crush presents itself? The answer? Whatever it takes.

THE EMPRESS OF VANCOUVER, directed by Dave Rodden Shortt. (Canada / Documentary).
She may not be a household name outside of her tight-knit Vancouver community, but make no mistake, maverick drag diva and performance artist Oliv Howe is a star.

WITH WONDER, directed by Sharon Lewis. (Canada / Documentary).
With Wonder takes an intimate look at members of the queer, Christian community of colour and their attempts to answer the question: Can you be both Christian and queer?

EPISODIC

BRIDESMAN, directed by Julian Buchan, John Onieal (USA / Series).
The first-ever series produced by Grindr, Bridesman follows a self-absorbed bridesman on his quest to steal his best friend’s husband-to-be.

MY TRIP TO SPAIN, directed by Theda Hammel (USA / Series).
Alexis, a successful trans woman, is heading to Spain for cosmetic surgery. Her embittered old friend Charlie arrives to house sit while she’s away. During the handoff, he tries his best to convince her to cancel, while simultaneously pursuing a sexual liaison with her brooding gardener Bruno.

More on this, the Shorts Program and tickets at insideout.ca.

By Amanda Gilmore

Midwives documents a small birthing clinic in the highly politicized region of western Myanmar, where Rohingya Muslims are persecuted. The owner of the Centre, a Buddhist named Hla, helps all women who enter the facility. She works along with the assistance of Nyo Nyo, a member of the Rohingya Muslim community and Hla’s apprentice.

This is one of the best Documentaries of the year. Hlaing brings us to an area of the world where a civil war has been waging for years and the minority group, the Rohingya people, have been made to live in fear under the military regime. But amongst this war, Director Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing shows us a story of empathy and hope through the beautiful act of caring for the ill and bringing new life into the world.

She followed Hla and Nyo Nyo for over five years, and what she captured is a story of resilience. 

Even though Hla faces huge risks and possibly getting her clinic shut down for treating Rohingya Muslims, she continues to do it. Hla is doing all she can to help, however, she still uses a name for the Rohingya people that they find insulting, even when speaking to or about Nyo Nyo. Including these moments shows how ingrained prejudices can still have an effect on even those who are actively fighting to help.

Over the five years, Nyo Nyo learns how to become a medical practitioner from Hla. After desiring to flee western Myanmar for a different city where her sister lives, life gets in the way and she is forced to stay. However, her determination and resilience to make something of her life leads her to raise money and build her own clinic. Through the interviews with Nyo Nyo, we get a wider view of not only the conflict happening but the positions women are placed. Her inspiring story shatters the boxes that society had packed her into.

Overall, see Midwives whenever and wherever you can. You won’t regret it.

Midwives screens at Hot Docs ’22:

Sun, May 1 at 8:15 PM at Isabel Bader Theatre

Thu, May 5 at 11:45 AM at Varsity

Online streaming is available for five days starting on MAY 2 at 9:00 AM

JO KOY stars in EASTER SUNDAY! Here’s a first look at the Trailer.

Synopsis:

Stand-up comedy sensation Jo Koy (Jo Koy: In His Elements, Jo Koy: Comin’ in Hot) stars as a man returning home for an Easter celebration with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, loving family, in this love letter to his Filipino-American community.

Easter Sunday features an all-star comedic cast that includes Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley series), Tia Carrere (True Lies, Wayne’s World films), Brandon Wardell (Curb Your Enthusiasm series), Tony nominee Eva Noblezada (Broadway’s Hadestown), Lydia Gaston (Broadway’s The King and I), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Rodney To (Parks and Recreation series), Eugene Cordero (The Good Place series), Jay Chandrasekhar (I Love You, Man), Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip) and Lou Diamond Phillips (Courage Under Fire).

Easter Sunday, from DreamWorks Pictures, is directed by Jay Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers, The Dukes of Hazzard, I Love You, Man), from a script by Ken Cheng (Sin City Saints series) and Kate Angelo (Sex Tape) based on a story by Ken Cheng.

The film is produced by Rideback’s blockbuster producers Dan Lin (The Lego Movie franchise, It franchise) and Jonathan Eirich (Aladdin, The Two Popes), and is executive produced by Nick Reynolds, Joe Meloche, Jo Koy, Jessica Gao, Jimmy O. Yang, Ken Cheng and Seth William Meier.

EASTER SUNDAY arrives in theatres August 5, 2022.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

By Amanda Gilmore

Director Daniel Roher gives his audience access to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was poisoned with Novichok, a nerve agent implicated in attacks on other opponents of the Russian government. We follow from the moments immediately following the attack, his time spent in Germany, and his dangerous return to Russia.

What makes Navalny standout is the man himself. One interview with Alexei Navalny repeatedly plays between the narrative. Roher’s questions gain access to Navalny’s infectious and optimistic personality. It comes as no surprise that Russia loves him and Vladimir Putin is terrified of him (so much so, he has never uttered his name).

In the opening, Navalny is asked if he is worried something bad will happen upon his arrival in Russia. He responds by saying that he doesn’t want this Documentary to be a sad one, but a Thriller. And that is precisely what Navalny is, a gripping Thriller that’s made even more terrifying because it’s real. The most memorable moment is a long sequence where Navalny is calling the Russians who are believed to be a part of his poisoning. This immensely tense and riveting moment will leave you on the edge of your seat and shock you to your core.

Roher shows the importance Yulia, Navalny’s wife, played in keeping her husband alive. Yulia was the force behind getting her husband out of a Russian hospital and to Germany. Her unwavering bravery against the corrupt system is inspiring. As we learn more about their partnership, Roher focuses-in on their bond and the close-knit family they have. Therefore, capturing a portrait of the domestic all can relate to.

Overall, Navalny is a timely, gripping Documentary that gets to the truth behind the poisoning and the lethal lengths Putin’s Government will go.

Navalny screens at Hot Docs ’22:

Sat, Apr 30 at 6:30 PM at Hot Docs Cinema

Mon, May 2 at 1:30 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox 1

Sat, May 7 at 2:00 PM at Hot Docs Cinema

Online streaming is available for five days starting on MAY 1 at 9:00 AM