Actor Aaron Poole’s feature directorial debut, Dada, will make its world premiere at the Future of Film Showcase (FOFS) in Toronto.

Dada (pictured), written and directed by Poole, follows the story of a teen whose relationship with her father is ripped open during a road trip. The film will debut as part of the closing night programme on June 23.

Dada is produced by Toronto-based Obvious Allegory and stillmovingpictures inc. Maddy Falle of Obvious Allegory and Breann Smordin of stillmovingpictures are the producers. Game Theory Films is distributing the film in Canada.

The second round of programming for the 11th annual Showcase was announced on May 22, with a new partnership between with imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television focused on shorts by Indigenous creators.

Celebrating Indigenous People’s Day and Pride Month, the Indigenous shorts programme will explore “the intersection of Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ identity,” according to a news release.

Films in the programme are director Kent Monkman’s Dance To Miss Chief; the NFB title First Stories – Two Spirited by Sharon A. Desjarlais; Theo Jean Cuthand’s Extractions; Alethea Arnaquq-Baril’s Aviliaq: Entwined; and Justine Ducharme’s Positions. It will be accompanied by the panel discussion The Intersection of Identity & Artisanship.

The programme is presented in partnership with imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and the Academy.

Also among the highlights is a new Student Shorts Film Programme, which spans drama, comedy and experimental genres and will feature five shorts: Guillaume Collin’s I Don’t Want to be in Front of the Camera; Lizzie Han’s Score for Scene 7; Marissa Bondi’s One More Time With Feeling; Giran Findlay’s Elanor in the Evening; and Alex Lo’s Why Do Ants Go Back To Their Nest?

FOFS previously announced actor Sara Waisglass and multi-disciplinary artist Avan Jogia as the inaugural recipients of the Rising Star Award. They will deliver the festival’s closing keynote.

FOFS runs from June 20 to 23.

Photo by Richelle Charkot