ANGLOPHONE COHORT

DEAR CUSTOMER

Nakitta Hannah – Canada – 2022 / 9:58’ – ENGLISH 

In light of recent changes, black business owners of Plaza Saint Hubert must fight to keep their family businesses open. Many stores have closed and the black community is at risk of losing their refugee in the city. For now, black business owners resist by supporting each other as long as they can.

DOLLS FOR SALE 

Bambi – Canada – 2022/ 12:20’ – ENGLISH 

Dolls for Sale is a window into the world of three Black trans sex workers. From the lounge of an erotic massage parlour, the girls share their stories of sisterhood, sex, and scandal. To some, it’s a cautionary tale. To others, it’s just tea.

EXCUSE MY FRENCH

Adelaide Anno-Kusi – Canada – 2022/ 7:19’ – ENGLISH 

Excuse my French” is a short documentary by Adelaide Anno-Kusi, a newcomer to Montreal who is surprised when she realizes that not knowing French would impact her in ways she hadn’t imagined. The piece considers community, language and belonging. Adelaide hopes to shed light on the expat experience as a black, anglophone Canadian.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Bianca Smith – Canada – 2022/ 6:53’– ENGLISH 

An exploration of Montreal’s society and institutions as well as how this affects their Black residents. The relationship between Concordia University’s lack of diversity within it’s facutly and the result for the institute’s Black students.

FRANCOPHONE COHORT

NOIRE AU FÉMININ

Julie Silva – Canada – 2022/ 11:43’- FRENCH 

Noire au féminin is an intergenerational meeting between 4 black women who work in the cultural industry. They share with us their passion, their fears, their position as black women in their profession, in life and everything that comes with it.

PERSONNE N’AIME DANSER POUR LES AUTRES 

Balthazar Tancoza – Canada – 2022/ 11:29’- FRENCH 

Through first-hand interviews illustrated with footage of pivotal moments in cinema and comedy history, this project aims at depicting as honestly as possible how black-comedy is perceived and represented both on stage and on screen.

RAMBO & MS. DEB

Downey Roberts – Canada – 2022/ 8:40’- FRENCH 

This film is a conversation between Ms. Deb, a community elder and an OG, and Rambo, a young man with two feet in the streets and one hand reaching for a more stable life. Although unrelated by blood, Rambo and Ms. Deb have found family and trust in one another.

SYNC

Hilary Etomo Mba – Canada – 2022/ 9:50’- FRENCH 

Love. In pop culture, this word tends to resonate with seduction or romanticism, overshadowing the other forms of love worth exploring. This sentiment is often expressed sparely or not expressed at all in the Black community. 3 duos of people, each highlighting non romantic love, open the gate towards a discussion about the perception of vulnerability and the expression of sentiments.

WATER FROM A STONE

Chelsea Osei – Canada – 2022/ 9:15’- FRENCH 

Water from a Stone shares a story about how a diagnosis of autism shifts an entire family dynamic.

WHAT WAS ALBERT UP AGAINST?

Shiquawn (Queezy) Downey – Canada – 2022/ 9:00’- English  

This film is about a son extending a hand to his father in hopes of learning more about the man with whom he shares DNA, and, by extension, he hopes to learn more about himself. Being one of 27 children, Shiquawn seeks to understand his place in this genetic quilt.

MIXED MESSAGES

Caleb (902 Kay) Peters – Canada – 2022/ 8:15’- English  

Structured in three acts, this film is a peek inside the mind and thought processes of Caleb Peters, a young Black and Indigenous person who is trying to leave behind his destructive behavior in exchange for a life of being a community outreach worker and musician.

MY TYPE OF HAIR

Juliet Mawusi – Canada – 2022/ 9:00’- English  

My Type of Hair is a short film that tells the origin of Black Beauty, the struggles since slavery and after for Black women to keep their natural hair, and even to find the right products for their hair type.

Rambo and Ms. Deb

R’maelyn Roberts– Canada – 2022/ 8:40’- English  

This film is a conversation between Ms. Deb, a community elder and an OG, and Rambo, a young man with two feet in the streets and one hand reaching for a more stable life. Although unrelated by blood, Rambo and Ms. Deb have found family and trust in one another.

DREAMERS

Ilhan Abdullahi – Canada – 2022/ 6:37’- English  

In search of liberation and stopping at nothing to turn their Soccer dreams into reality, two Somali refugee youth with differing journeys move to Vancouver- only to be confronted by the harsh realities that await them. Dreamers is a quietly observed documentary that explores what it takes to dream beyond the confines of survival.

HOPE

Linka Louange Nitereka – Canada – 2022/ 8:18’- English  

After hearing testimonies of black students at a BLM march, Linka Louange Nitereka realizes that her experience was not an alienation. With that in mind she decides to sit with couple other friends with similar stories to share it with the world, in hopes to find a solution where the future generation won’t to have face with what they had to deal with.

TRYNA HUSTLE

Manny Obiajunwa – Canada – 2022/ 7:00’- English  

Vancouver, one of the most expensive cities in the world, with the economy getting worse every day. How does anyone really make it in this hard city? Simple, you gotta Hustle. In the same way that pressure makes diamonds; Vancouver pushes you to find different ways to make money. This is very much the case for Solomon, an entrepreneur and music manager; and Lowkita, a recording artist and mother. Some of the most hard working people; having successes and troubles trying to balance everything. Watch the pressure and hardship of Vancouver turn Solomon and Lowkita into diamonds. So, you Tryna Hustle?

MAIA

Stephanie Okoli – Canada – 2022/ 6:14’- English  

In a world that continues to meld cultures and industries, Maia Wallace settles in Vancouver, one of Canada’s fine art Mecca’s as she pursues her singing career. In Maia, we join the alternative R&B singer in the studio as we delve deep into what makes Maia tick.

BECOMING MANSA

Ivan D. Ossa Canada- Canada –  2022/ 7:41’- English  

A young African Canadian faces the repercussions of choosing his desire of creativity, art, and freedom over his parents’ ideology.

GENERATIONS OF HOME

Chelsea Nyomi – Canada – 2022/ 7:13’- English  

Generations of Home is a quest into Toronto’s Jamaican community, specifically the Little Jamaica neighborhood on Eglinton West and its evolution over time. This heartfelt story highlights Jamaican people’s significant contributions to Toronto’s culture and celebrates the preservation of Jamaican culture after migrants recreate areas of Canada to resemble ‘back home’.

I AM BECAUSE YOU WERE

Gabriel Charles-Rogers – Canada – 2022/ 7:28’- English  

Gen X Black Canadians and their immigrant parents reflect on the noticeable parental absence at their childhood sporting and arts events, and the cycles of racism and poverty that perpetuate the stereotype as a lack of support instead of a deep devotion.

INTRO TO PERFORMANCE

Ahlam Hassan- Canada – 2022/ 8:45’- English   

Welcome to theatre school. Lessons include: how to speak, move and be human on-stage. Explore the transformation Black students undergo when they struggle in Eurocentric institutions that weren’t designed for them to thrive. What does it mean to graduate from a drama school at the cost of your own voice?

THE LAST SON OF PANAMA 

Jadiel Dowlin Lewis- Canada – 2022/ 7:36’- English   

The Last Son of Panama follows the origin story of Jadiel Dowlin Lewis, an Emmy nominated actor turned filmmaker, who shares his experience being from one of Canada’s smallest group of immigrants: Panamanians. Since with great culture comes great responsibility, Jadiel goes on a quest to find like-minded Panamanian Canadian creatives who are championing superheroic Black representation. But with the odds stacked against Jadiel, will he find any…?

KOURAJ

Teddy Dumont – Canada – 2022/ 9:45’- English  

Kouraj follows a Haitian woman’s immigration journey, career and her thoughts around her son’s sexuality.

Cat Got Your Tongue

Iyore Edegbe– Canada – 2022/ 10:02’- English  

The phrase “cat got your tongue” is often used to ask someone why they are not speaking. The documentary takes this phrase and uses it to explore the negative attitudes and prejudices that people with foreign accents can face when speaking English. It highlights the linguistic diversity in North America and how accents can reflect a person’s cultural heritage and identity. The documentary also sheds light on the importance of valuing linguistic diversity and how exposure to different accents can enrich one’s understanding and appreciation of different cultures. Overall, the documentary serves as a powerful reminder of the need for inclusiveness and respect for linguistic diversity.