As a bus rolls through the decaying town of San Gregorio, Mexico, Cagalera (Benny Emmanuel) and Moloteco (Gabriel Carbajal) don clown makeup in an attempt to entertain riders for tips. In this gripping first scene, director Gael Garcia Bernal does a fantastic job at setting the tone as Cagalera explains that they prefer to make… [Read More]
Carol’s Second Act: Courage, Comedy and Starting Over
Carol’s Second Act is a new sitcom hitting CBS on September 26, 2019. It bring us Carol Kenney (Patricia Heaton), a divorced empty-nester who has retired from her career as a teacher, who goes back to school and follows her dream of becoming a doctor. As kindhearted and energetic as she is, Carol experiences some… [Read More]
TIFF’19: Harriet
Harriet Tubman was an incredible woman and remains an important part of our history. Born Araminta “Minty” Ross, and later changing her name to Harriet Tubman (inspired by her mother and husband), she would ultimately be nicknamed “Moses”, a leader to freedom. A conductor of the Underground Railroad, she not only escaped slavery herself, but… [Read More]
TIFF ’19: I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain
In her directorial debut, Sofia Banzhaf (Black Conflux, Splinters) introduces us to a young and unnamed female protagonist (Micaela Robertson), showing us fragments of her journey with sexual exploration. Incredibly stoic throughout the film, she is almost emotionless as she interacts with her three sexual partners (Spencer Macpherson, Daniel Maslany, and Andy McQueen). In fact,… [Read More]
TIFF ’19: Just Mercy
Based on true events, Just Mercy tells the story of Walter “Johnny D” McMillian (Jamie Foxx), a man who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Ronda Morrison and sentenced to death in Alabama. Adapted from the book by Johnny D’s attorney, Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), Just Mercy is a hard-hitting look at racism in Alabama in… [Read More]
Luce: Then, What Am I?
Adopted out of a war torn country at 10 years old, Luce (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is raised by two Caucasian Americans, Amy (Naomi Watts) and Peter (Tim Roth). Luce grows up to essentially be the perfect child and student. He’s smart, lovable and ambitious, with very impressive future prospects. As a result, the expectations surrounding… [Read More]
Free Trip to Egypt: Leaving Your Baggage Behind
Tarek Mounib, the producer and coordinator of Free Trip to Egypt, is a Canadian-born Muslim entrepreneur and filmmaker who had an idea. Largely because of the way they are portrayed in the media, he felt that many people have such a skewed view of Middle Eastern countries. So, Mounib decided that he wanted to bring… [Read More]
Desolate: Lost in the Darkness
Director and writer Frederick Cipoletti and writer Jonathan Rosenthal bring us Desolate, a very aptly named piece about a town devastated by drought. Without anymore vegetation or cattle and property that is impossible to sell, the town seems to have been forgotten. In the obvious absence of any form of law enforcement, the townspeople begin… [Read More]
1on1 with Anupam Kher (HOTEL MUMBAI)
In this 1on1, Julie Levac comes to you live from the red carpet of the Toronto premiere of Hotel Mumbai on March 20, 2019. Hear star Anupam Kher tell her why Hotel Mumbai is one of the most important films of our time. You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Spotify or on… [Read More]
Arctic – We’ll Take A Better Way
I must admit that when I read the synopsis of Arctic (directed by Joe Penna), it reminded me of The Mountain Between Us, the Kate Winslet and Idris Elba film that graced TIFF in 2017: A plane crash; the impossible decision of whether to stay with the plane for shelter in hopes of rescue, or… [Read More]
