#FIRSTLOOK: “BORN HUNGRY” TO PREMERE OCTOBER 21, 2024 ON CRAVE CANADA

A new Trailer has arrived for HOT DOCS ’24 selection BORN HUNGRY from Director Barry Avrich. It arrives October 21, 2024 on Crave Canada.

Trailer here.

Synopsis:

Sash Simpson, who went from street kid in India to one of North America’s most sought after chefs, is the subject of a new feature documentary BORN HUNGRY, that will be released on Crave in Canada on October 21st. The film premiered to SOLD OUT crowds at festivals across North America and was directed by Barry Avrich and produced by Mark Selby, and award-winning actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Purple Pebble Pictures).

An inspiring true story brought to life, BORN HUNGRY is a gritty yet life-affirming human drama about a young Indian boy who finds himself abandoned by his family in rural India, lost on trains and thousands of miles from home. Ultimately rescued and adopted by a Canadian family, Sash Simpson, now a Toronto based celebrity chef returns to India armed with only blurry memories to find his lost family and reclaim his Indian roots. BORN HUNGRY is a raw, true and important story with a huge heart that deals with identity and cultural heritage that The New York Times called Slumdog Millionaire meets Lion.

“Sash’s story immediately captivated me, presenting a stunning opportunity to not only showcase India but to also capture his journey and his profound passion for finding his family and himself. At Purple Pebble Pictures, we are grounded by the mission of leveraging the power of cinema to tell global stories that shift people’s perspectives, and I am immensely proud of our collaboration on this project.” – Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Producer

“I have always loved the brilliantly colorful storytelling from India and the vibrancy of iconic Bollywood filmmaking. When I discovered this story, I was immediately struck by the passion and complexity of this emotional journey” – Barry Avrich, Director, Producer

BORN HUNGRY premiered at the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival, screened at Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto to three sold out audiences.

Written and Directed by
Barry Avrich

Producers
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Mark Selby
Barry Avrich, p.g.a.

Executive Producers
Jay Hennick
Mark Selby
Barry Avrich

#HOTDOCS: “BORN HUNGRY” TO PREMIERE AT HOT DOCS 2024

Barry Avrich‘s BORN HUNGRY is poised for a Canadian debut at this year’s HOT DOCS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL April 26, 2024.

SYNOPSIS:
He went looking for his family … and found himself.

An inspiring true story brought to life, BORN HUNGRY is a gritty yet life-affirming human drama about a young Indian boy who finds himself abandoned by his family, lost on trains and thousands of miles from home. Now, Sash, a celebrity chef who once survived alone on the streets of Chennai eating from garbage bins before ultimately being adopted by a Canadian couple, returns to India armed with only blurry memories to find his lost family. BORN HUNGRY is a raw, true and important story with a huge heart that deals with identity and cultural heritage.

Written and Directed by
Barry Avrich

Executive Producers
Jay Hennick
Mark Selby
Barry Avrich

Produced by
Mark Selby
Barry Avrich, p.g.a.

Runtime
77 min

(Photo credit: Melbar Entertainment Group)

#HOTDOCS: “THE TALENTED MR. ROSENBERG”

By George Kozera

Montreal-born Writer/Producer/Director Barry Avrich may be one of Canada’s most prolific Filmmakers. His critically-acclaimed Documentaries often showcase the notorious (Harvey Weinstein, Garth Drabinsky) or well-established, show business personalities (David Foster, Oscar Peterson, Howie Mandel). His latest, THE TALENTED MR. ROSENBERG, will have its World Premiere at Hot Docs and with a sly wink and tweaking of the title of a renowned novel by Patricia Highsmith (Ripley anyone?) tells the addictive tale of con-artist extraordinaire Allen Albert Rosenberg, best known as the Yorkville Swindler.

With input from two of his ex-wives and one of his daughters, alongside interviews with the police, various lawyers and journalists, Avrich paints a shocking portrait of a man with no remorse after fraudulently absconding with millions of dollars to upkeep a lavish lifestyle in one of Toronto’s most toniest districts. Described by the courts as someone with “Machiavellian Chutzpah” (a term I will use endlessly from this day forward!), THE TALENTED MR. ROSENBERG is Barry Avrich’s most compelling Documentary to date.

Screening:

Sunday, May 1 at 5:15PM at Ted Rogers Cinema

Thursday, May 5 at 7:00PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox

#TIFF14: OFFICIAL LIST OF STARS ANNOUNCED

It absolutely is our favourite time of the year again and announced this morning is the official list of Talent coming to Toronto for TIFF ’14! We look forward to seeing plenty of returning names – some just here last year like the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Kate Winslet – and also plenty of Stars from years past making their way back here once more!

Among the names attending TIFF ’14 this year include:

Jon Stewart, Martin Scorcese, Richard Gere, Andrew Garfield, Viggo Mortensen, Gael Garcia Bernal, James Franco, Jane Fonda, Chloë Moretz, Brit Marling, Laura Dern, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vanessa Redgrave, Vera Farmiga, Al Pacino, Tina Fey, Haley Joel Osment, Robert Pattinson, Ansel Elgort, Alice Eve, Sam Rockwell, Amanda Seyfried, Michael Shannon, Dax Sheppard, Robert Duvall, Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Hailee Steinfield, Justin Chatwin, Method Man, Jennifer Connelly, Bobby Cannavale, Kuoth Wiel, Cassie Williams, Danny Webb, Dominic West, Jung Woo-Sung, John Boylan, Sam Worthington, Tye Sheridan, Andrew Scott, Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman, Connie Britton, Reese Witherspoon, Evan Bird, Zhao Wei, Han Ye-Ri, Melissa Benoist, Haley Bennett, Sonja Bennett, John Travolta, Julianne Moore, Isaach De Bankolé, Dan Stevens, Jason Bateman, Corey Stoll, Xavier Dolan, Peter Stormare, Ben Schnetzer, Abigail Spencer, Ellen Barkin, Bill Pullman, Charlotte Aubin, Kate Winslet, Ryan Reynolds, Rene Russo, Roger Waters, Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Loreto Aravena, Tobey Maguire, Aubrey Plaza, Tobey Maguire, Gemma Arterton,  Juliette Binoche, Zhang Yimou, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Rose Byrne, Channing Tatum, Chris Evans, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Mark Ruffalo, Bill Murray, Daniel Barber, Liam Aiken, Mike Leigh, Olivier Assayas, Richard LaGravenese, Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Anna Kendrick, Morgan Freeman, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Rosario Dawson, Chris Rock, John Cusack, Benedict Cumberbatch, Octavia Spencer, Keira Knightley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Kevin Costner, Anthony Mackie, Patricia Clarkson, J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, Priyanka Chopra, Daniel Bruhl, Michael Winterbottom, Justin Chon, Steve Carell, Gong Li, Hayden Christensen, Tory Kittles, Jordana Brewster, Holliday Grainger, Max Irons, Lone Scherfig, Sam Claflin, Douglas Booth, Paul Bettany, Daniel Barnz, Noah Baumbach, Barry Avrich, Jennifer Aniston, Akon, Nick Kroll, Holly Hunter, Catherine Keener, Greta Gerwig, Omar Sy Jennifer Garner, Salma Hayek, Kevin Smith, Eddie Redmayne,  Felicity Jones, Faye Marsay, Bill Nighy, Justin Long, Christopher Plummer, Marton Csokas, David Cronenberg, Sarah Gadon, Tom Schilling, Tom Hardy and more!

TIFF also will be hosting a series of In-Conversations-With as part of their Mavericks Programme. Joining-in are the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Denzel Washington, Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche, Jon Stewart, Dan Savage, Julie Taymor and several more!

As is the case always, it’s sometimes not just who’s coming – it’s who they’re bringing.  Don’t be surprised if Jennifer Garner brings Husband Ben Affleck along and be warned if Andrew Garfield brings Emma Stone along!

Who’s on our list of Must-Meets?  Plenty!  We hope finally to get a positive moment with Reese Witherspoon and Kate Winslet!  Excited about Martin Scorcese, J.K. Simmons, Bobby Cannavale, Miles Teller, Corey Stoll, Tobey Maguire, Rose Byrne, Michael Douglas and newer names like Max Irons and Douglas Booth, that’s for sure.  And did we read TINA FEY!?!?  Finally!  AND WHERE IS TOM HARDY?!?!

The list is always subject to surprise and no-shows as we know all too well!

Visit the official TIFF Website for more.

TIFF ’14 runs September 3 – 14, 2014.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)